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Cat brutally savaged, has had complicated surgery, aftercare will be difficult, costly and I have know idea where to begin

watercarrier — Sun, 04 May 2008 10:13:08 -0800

Cat brutally savaged, has had complicated surgery, aftercare will be difficult, costly and I have know idea where to begin..... My cat Mati was brutally and savagely attacked by a pack of wild dogs that were passing through the remote area where we live. She went missing for 48 hours where we were in sheer panic and terror of not knowing what happened to her. She somehow managed to drag herself back home, let out a moan and then collapsed from pain and exhaustion. From there she was rushed to the emergency room.

It was found she had very serious and complicated injuries to her leg, it was also badly infected with maggots after being left laying where she was for 2 days straight in the hot sun. No internal injuries or broken bones. There was a lot of necrosis, infection and damage to the leg. 4 days later she was operated on today where most of the tissue and muscle of her knee was removed in a very complicated procedure, requiring many stitches, tubes for drainage inserted and was given a warning that the after-care will not be easy.

I really don't know how to begin being a nurse to a cat that needs intensive care. I'd like to approach this from a very practical and effective, holistic way. What will I be needing in terms of equipment? How do I care for a cat that isn't usually very cooperative to say the least - with being hypersensitive to touch? What kind of therapy could I do with her after the infection subsides to help with muscles and tissues? Are there any homeopathic remedies that are good for this?

Also regarding the vet fees - I'd like to begin fund-raising to cover the costs that will be involved in her ordeal, either through song posted on the internet, a website, or finding resources out there that would help me help her. Anything, anyone out there that could possibly help in any way in this kind of situation would be greatly appreciated.

She is a wonderful, loving cat and certainly deserves to live the best way she can now - one thing is for certain - she will never, ever be going out again under these circumstances - only if and when a fenced in area can be managed and even then under close supervision. And that's a long way off from now - if ever.

Thank you.

Why do underwires never want to stay put?

Mael Oui — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 21:05:43 -0800

Brassiere filter: Is there some kind of trick for preventing underwire poke-through? Can the ruined bras be repaired (by someone with little to no sewing skills)? It's always a bad day when a favorite bra becomes, literally, a pain in my side. It doesn't seem to matter if I'm wearing a cheap one or an expensive one (though, the latter hurts A LOT more), all of my bras seem to reach their demise in the same way. These aren't bras that have spent too much time in the washing machine, and they're never put in a dryer. Also, underwires are a necessity, so it'd be useless to suggest another style or a whole other sort of less supportive garment!

Is there any way to prevent underwire poke-through? If a bra seems to be succumbing to poke-through, is it possible to slow or stop its progress? Can a bra be successfully repaired and rehabilitated using little supplies and sewing skill (I have neither)? My mom, who actually has some sewing skill, used to attempt to repair them, but they would never be the same!

[I did see this post, but I don't have the skills necessary to follow the advice.]

Bookmending tape.

carter — Fri, 05 Nov 2004 12:49:42 -0800

Bookmending tape. I'm looking for brands/recommendations for 1/2" - 1" wide bookmending tape, to fix broken hinges, and/or cracked spines from the inside, and with adhesive that will not damage the paper. Nothing super-fancy, and bonus points for something I could maybe find in local stores! Thanks!