My Stan has been a wild man from the start. A very affectionate wild man. He loves dogs and people. He loves our next door neighbor's cat. He is quite the killer. He likes devouring squirrels, chipmunks, mice, and moles (ewwww). He is a character and I love him dearly. We all do. However, Stan has no fear of the road. He has been a ticking time bomb. It was inevitable that he would be hit. Yet, I did nothing. Nothing except chase him from the road when I saw him there. I didn't keep him trapped indoors like I should have. And now he is forever changed.
He wasn't as hurt as he could have been. We took him immediately to the vet. After x-rays, they could see that the only injury was a broken jaw. I knew the jaw was broken and I was prepared to have him put down if he had internal injuries or additional broken bones. What was I to do since it was only the jaw? My husband and I agreed to the surgery to wire his jaw.
Stan stayed with the vet for over a week. They wanted to keep him another day, but I told them yesterday that I was ready to take over his care. I was worrying that he needed us, his family, in order to really rest and heal best. He is on a watered down wet-food diet and pain medication. He was VERY happy to be home. He wants to cuddle everyone and not be left alone. I am hoping he continues to heal and we don't have any trouble keeping him as an indoor cat from here on out.
This is the part of being a pet owner that stinks! When they are hurt, or when they die, it is unbearable. I feel horribly guilty about allowing Stan Lee outside. I feel horribly guilty about subjecting my children to this continuous heartache. We have lost so many pets over the years. The last two died from cancer/old age. The one before that was due to liver failure after being exposed to a poison. It is very sad. I will hopefully write again next month about how Stan Lee has bounced back. And then I can write more lighthearted and fun posts about his adventures.
(This was written by my daughter, Karen.)
