The great oakton cat mystery
June 12, 2008 4:31 AM Subscribe
Cat on a hot tin roof in a thunderstorm?
For about a week my cat had been lost outside in the Northern Virginia heat wave, yesterday it finally made it's way back home. It's an inside/outside cat and has been gone for extended periods before so I wasn't that worried... for the first few days. He was outside duing a tornado warning thunderstorm and I was worried that he got stuck in a storm drain or something.
So here's the mystery. He came back without any claws.... well maybe one. all that was left was crusted blood and scabs. He didn't seem that upset about it, I think he was just glad to be back inside. I took him to the vet and she suggested that there might have been burns on the pads of his feet, not the bottom, but up near the claws. It does kind of look like more scabbing than would have come from just the claw ripping out. No other injuries that I or the vet could find and after some fluids and a painkiller shot he was acting like nothing happened.
My current theory... he was in or around a tree that was struck by lightning? Plausible? Other theories? I couldn't find anything similar to this anywhere.
For about a week my cat had been lost outside in the Northern Virginia heat wave, yesterday it finally made it's way back home. It's an inside/outside cat and has been gone for extended periods before so I wasn't that worried... for the first few days. He was outside duing a tornado warning thunderstorm and I was worried that he got stuck in a storm drain or something.
So here's the mystery. He came back without any claws.... well maybe one. all that was left was crusted blood and scabs. He didn't seem that upset about it, I think he was just glad to be back inside. I took him to the vet and she suggested that there might have been burns on the pads of his feet, not the bottom, but up near the claws. It does kind of look like more scabbing than would have come from just the claw ripping out. No other injuries that I or the vet could find and after some fluids and a painkiller shot he was acting like nothing happened.
My current theory... he was in or around a tree that was struck by lightning? Plausible? Other theories? I couldn't find anything similar to this anywhere.
I would think if he was struck by lightning that he'd have other burns. I think Pollomacho has it.
Poor kitty! They are tough cookies though.
posted by desjardins at 5:47 AM on June 12, 2008
Poor kitty! They are tough cookies though.
posted by desjardins at 5:47 AM on June 12, 2008
Oh no! Poor kitty! Maybe he had to claw himself out of...something? I hope he feels better soon.
posted by hecho de la basura at 7:22 AM on June 12, 2008
posted by hecho de la basura at 7:22 AM on June 12, 2008
Hopefully it wasn't due to some sick f**k deciding to do a home de-clawing. I can't think of any natural process that would completely take off a cat's claws. Hopefully he's going to become an indoor-only kitty now? Hard to be an outdoor kitty with no claws.
posted by jferg at 8:08 AM on June 12, 2008
posted by jferg at 8:08 AM on June 12, 2008
Best answer: Cats aren't generally dumb. It's unlikely he was burned on a roof or a road.
Theory: He was in a fight with another cat, a dog or some other critter. The "burn" is actually a scrape from when the cat was making his exit or a quick turn across a concrete or similar surface.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:03 AM on June 12, 2008
Theory: He was in a fight with another cat, a dog or some other critter. The "burn" is actually a scrape from when the cat was making his exit or a quick turn across a concrete or similar surface.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:03 AM on June 12, 2008
Best answer: Maybe he just had a really REALLY shit week... Lost some claws. Got his tooties burnt... Fuck this. I'm going home. They can take me to the Vet, then I'm going to bed.
Hmm? What if they're Chemical Burns??
And on that note, I've changed my mind. (People that hate cats wouldn't 'neatly de-claw' them. Ever.) But they would leave little traps like that! So maybe it was people? Cunts.
Though cats being cats it's just as likely that whatever it is that happened, occurred because tooties were being put where tooties ought not to have been. As is their way.
posted by mu~ha~ha~ha~har at 5:08 PM on June 12, 2008
Hmm? What if they're Chemical Burns??
And on that note, I've changed my mind. (People that hate cats wouldn't 'neatly de-claw' them. Ever.) But they would leave little traps like that! So maybe it was people? Cunts.
Though cats being cats it's just as likely that whatever it is that happened, occurred because tooties were being put where tooties ought not to have been. As is their way.
posted by mu~ha~ha~ha~har at 5:08 PM on June 12, 2008
Response by poster: update: Well it looks like both the vet and I were mistaken in thinking that he had lost *all* his claws. When I was putting the medicine on his feet I noticed that they're still there in the front, just really worn down. He's still missing a bunch in the back though.
This makes me think that he really was walking a long way on cement or asphalt. I also vote for the really shitty week.
Thanks guys!
posted by Mark5four0 at 7:15 AM on June 16, 2008
This makes me think that he really was walking a long way on cement or asphalt. I also vote for the really shitty week.
Thanks guys!
posted by Mark5four0 at 7:15 AM on June 16, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Pollomacho at 5:11 AM on June 12, 2008