Doorframe, formerly known as “Not Our Cat” because he was ruthlessly thrown out of his only known forever home because he allegedly “didn’t know how to use a litter box”.
He showed up on our front porch within days of being evicted from the house down the lane when the new neighbors moved in several years ago (said neighbors left without any notice in the middle of the night a couple of years ago and abandoned their cat).
I can’t remember the stupid movie-inspired name given to him by his former bad owners. We called him Doorframe because he was constantly climbing up the front door and looking into the door window, desperately giving us a “please! Let me in!” cute, yet pitiful looking, face.
Sadly, we have indoor dogs and they did not get on well with our own cats, who had previously decamped to the calmer airs of the outdoor life. And he was still trying to fit in with said outdoor felines.
All eventually settled into uneasy truces between outdoor felines, along with porch possums and the occasional raccoon.
A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that Doorframe had a small problem with a rear paw curling under. I watched day to day and sometimes he walked normally, other times the paw went back to curling under.
A couple of days ago, I was horrified to see the paw was bloody and, like in a medieval history war novel after a battle, it appeared that bones were sticking out.
Off to the animal hospital we went, where he remains this weekend on a course of antibiotics before a surgery for a full amputation of the leg.
It’s official.
He is no longer “Not Our Cat”.
He joins the other cast-off furry children who are now official members of the Backwoods farm family.
And he won’t be alone with missing a limb: Glory the goofy American-English Coonhound who showed up here in the middle of a January blizzard a few years ago and a month later, had a front leg amputated after being shot by unknown heathens, and TriPawed, the nine-year-old cat who was born with a stubbed tail and a missing rear paw. And the rest of the insane furry posse/herd/pack.
Doorframe’s surgery is set for Monday or Tuesday.
It’s going to be a long haul since we’ll have to introduce him to the indoor group and there is already animus between him and the canine contingent, although the newest younger indoor felines (rescued at less than a week old and joyously accepted by the indoor dogs as “not really cats”) are very interested in making his acquaintance (thankfully, all the felines have been spayed/neutered).
Any and all LGF feline overlord and canine friend positive energies are requested as we move through this terrifying change.
Thanks from all here in advance.