Decisions

Sometimes life just stinks. We all have those times in life when we have to make gut wrenching choices. For me most of the time those gut wrenchers involve love. And last Friday morning I was faced with an awful decision. I went out as usual in the morning to the barn to feed everyone. My usual routine is to feed Hunter and Shadow because they meet me at the door and get under my feet fighting for attention. Next are the goats because they don't shut up until they have hay in their mouths. LOL. Then I make my way to throw the chickens treats of stale bread and some old goat grain. On my way out of the barn I was stunned to see that Shadow was limping and had a pretty good size patch of skin torn away from his hip. So I picked him up, checked it out, and knew right away that it was time to see a vet. The patch was about five inches long and five wide and the skin was just hanging. So after running to Al and Bill's to get a carrier I ran him to the vet. I'd called ahead so the vet tech knew to expect me. A sweet woman who knew what she was doing and was very kind and gentle with Shadow ... and me. After a brief exam by her she told me the vet was tied up with a major surgery and wouldn't be able to check out Shadow until late in the day. But she was able to give me an estimate of the cost of services and I nearly needed medical care myself. The bill would start at $375.00. That included anesthesia, surgery, antibiotics, and on and on. My immediate reaction was to say OK. Those two "mousers" where brought to the farm to do just that. Of course they have wormed their way into my heart. I am a softy ... cat, dog, goat, horse, or chicken.

As I drove home I decided to call my best friend to get his opinion so that I wasn't acting on emotions. And it was probably the best thing I did. I just could not justify paying that kind of money to save a barn cat. I need that kind of money to save or feed Bacci, or my goats, or heat the house, or a whole list of other priorities. So I called the clinic back to tell them to euthanize Shadow. It killed me but it was a needed decision.

Now, there's a twist to this story and I am beginning to believe the whole "Nine lives" story about cats. Later the clinic called me back and to tell me that another vet tech came in and saw Shadow and had lost her cat just a few weeks back. She wanted to adopt Shadow and pick up all expenses. So within a few seconds I made the decision to let her take him and Shadow got a new lease on life! Hunter misses him I can tell. I miss him really bad. But it was down to a hair in decisions that gave him a chance to live. No more chasing mice in the fields or dodging a hawk or owl's talons. He's a house cat now!