Spit the Cat

Well, I think Spit may have used up quite a few of her nine lives, mostly in the last few months but hopefully she has one or two left yet.

When she first appeared in my neighbours' garden she would hide under the hedge and hiss and spit at anything that moved - hence her name - including my neighbours' cats and dogs, our cats, other people’s cats and the foxes that visit at dusk. Each evening they left food out for her until she eventually started to come to ask for it and then, when last winter was at its coldest she started to go into the house; after a while, she stayed.

Earlier this year they noticed that she had something wrong with her eye. Several trips were made to the vet but it gradually got worse and the swelling bigger. In early summer she had and operation to remove the growth from her eye which entailed removing the eye as well. Prognosis was fair but the growth had been malignant and the vet couldn’t tell whether or not the tumour had spread.

Spit was fine all summer and she seemed to be recovering well until this weekend when she began to act strangely and hide in unusual places and start back from food; although she wanted to eat and drink she couldn’t. My neighbours began to fear the worst, that the tumour had spread; but yesterday after a visit to the vet all seemed to be revealed. Apparently she has an infection in her throat and gums and needs teeth removing. Whilst she has this treatment they will also check the roof of her mouth and take blood tests but it seems, thank goodness, that little Spit will live to fight another day.