A stray cat called ZORRO

8 Jan '14 - a very well cat

I write this story about ZORRO, to highlight that whilst living in Greece, problems with animals can become frustrating, upsetting, painful, heartbreaking and financially draining. He is not a sole example, there have been other cases, which I shall write about at a later date.  However, because of his injuries, ZORRO is now with a fourth vet.  I haven't paid the third vet in Athens as yet either.  Equally, whilst ZORRO is at the fourth vet, I am not sure to his costs either.  Sadly, I don't have much choice and have to use the best resources where possible, taking into consideration the welfare of the animal.  But one thing is for sure and that is I cannot use the local vet, due to professional malpractice.  How can I ever find trust and compassion with my local vet, when the diagnosis at the time was ZORRO had a broken spine. Furthermore, his only options were for him to be put to sleep?

Playing with his brother SMOKIE

We use an open field and this is where our largest colony of cats live.  8 January ’14 we left ZORRO playing happily in the open field, together with his brother.  It was such a delight to see him rough and tumble in the grasses.  Like usual, the day after was the same routine of feeding all the strays in various colonies.  However, this time, there was no ZORRO.  We called and called and still no sign of him.  Naturally, all these strays are our babies and when one vanishes, the pain and anguish that sets in, is heartbreaking.  But then as we locked the door of the old house to go, he was spotted in the long grasses.  We ran over to him.  He couldn’t walk.  He was on his stomach.  What goes through your mind at a moment like this is everything.  The day before he was as well as anything, yet less than 24 hours later, he was sick.  I went back into the old house and got a cage and put him gentle inside.  I rushed to the vet, who again wasn’t there, but his brother was.  His brother called the vet and passed the mobile phone over to me.  “What is the problem Miss Elaine”?  “I have a very sick cat and I don’t know what has happened to him, he can’t walk”  “What do you want me to do Miss Elaine.  I have four appointments this morning .........?”  “OK, so when can you come” I asked?  Naturally at this time, I was crying.  I took the basket and didn’t want to continue speaking to the vet.  I was ready to go, but his brother took hold of the basket and told me the vet would call me to arrange a time.  So off home I went, but in a very distressed state. 

There was no return phone call, so at 1:30 pm, I went back to the vet, because I knew they closed at 2:00 pm.  From inside the waiting room, I saw the vet handle ZORRO in a very careless way.  I wasn’t allowed into the examination room.  After a while, which seemed like eternity, they both called me into the examination room.  “What is his problem” I asked?  “Not good Miss Elaine” the vet replied.  It seems they had taken an x-ray and it showed a broken spine.  But it was described as a broken spine going at an angle, not a horizontal break, which in their opinion was worse.  I was devastated.  “What are his options” I asked?  “He has no options.  He will have to be put to sleep”.  No not my ZORRO!!!! I rescued the three of them from bins and hand raised them.  I couldn't bear to put ZORRO to sleep.  My instincts told me to take him home, which is what I did, because I had to think this through.

Friday 9 Jan '14

In the meantime, I wrote to many people on the social sites asking for help.  A very good friend of mine, asked me to take an image of the x-ray, so that she could send to her vet for advice.  So later in the evening, my husband went back to the vet to take a photo.  He couldn’t, because the image was a blurr.  All cloudy and white the image was, so how on earth was the vet able to make a professional diagnosis based on a result like this?  So I had nothing to send my friend.  The next day, ZORRO was very sorry for himself.  Not the same boy at all.  I tried a vet in Nafplio to see if she had an x-ray machine.  But she didn’t.  I tried another vet close by.  He too didn’t have an x-ray machine.  This was ludicrous I thought.  How can professional vets operate without the need of an x-ray machine I wondered?  

Saturday morning came and ZORRO was declining rapidly.  His breathing was bad and I knew that I needed to get him somewhere.  Luckily through a contact in Nafplio, I was given a telephone number of a vet in Argos.  It was one that I picked out looking through the directory.  The journey was a 4 hour round trip, but ZORRO had to go.  The appointment was made for 7:00 pm that same evening.  We arrived early, because we didn’t know exactly where the practice was located.  It was a husband and wife team and immediately they could see that ZORRO was sick.  First test they did was a reflex test to see if there would be any resistance from ZORRO.  There was.  This test in itself suggested that there were no broken spine.  They continued to examine him and couldn’t really establish what exactly was wrong with ZORRO.  Finally they took some x-rays.  Not one, but many from different angles.  To see these professional caring people working on ZORRO was amazing.  More importantly, to learn that he did not have a broken spine was exhilarating.  The x-rays did show swelling on the top side of his spine, which probably was as a result of human violence.  This was Greece, so nothing was new.  This was how people treat innocent animals.  

We had to leave him at the vets in Argos and they were going to monitor and care for him.  Sadly though, at 03:00 the next day, he took a turn for the worse.  It was very much touch and go for him.  But he was given food and by mid morning, he was much better.  This was such a relief for us to hear.  A few days later, we were notified that ZORRO was eating soft food, urinating and opening his bowels and standing.  Hooray, there was hope for ZORRO, I thought.  A few days later, ZORRO could be released and was brought home.  So we thought about bringing his brother SMOKIE home, so that he would have a friend to play with.  Sadly as ZORRO started to make a little more progress, SMOKIE wasn’t interested at all.  So SMOKIE went back to the open field to join the rest of his large colony, which he was used too.  

It was a case of taking one day at a time, but even though a little progress was made with ZORRO, it was noticeable that he was only doing droplets in his litter tray.  The vet advised that we started with antibiotics, as an infection was suspected.  We were told that if there were no improvements within the next 5 days, he would have to have surgery.  Sadly the result was he had to have surgery as there were no improvements at all following the antibiotics.  Off he went to the vet, yet again for surgery.   The vet tried to fit a catheter to release his urine, but couldn't.

Following his accident, however it happened, it seemed that the skin had grown over his penis, but there could have been other things wrong too.  We were anxiously waiting for news on ZORRO’s condition and hoping that he would make a full recovery.  Only time would tell.  However, a couple of days later, the vet called and gave us the long awaited update on ZORRO.  He was having another operation, because the catheter was not the answer. They had found a cyst which had been sent away for a biopsy and had wrapped itself around his intestines.  Naturally, this cyst had to be removed urgently.  We did go in between to visit our little brave soldier and were told that he was the only cat the had managed to remove his catheter.  However, the good news was that his bladder was working and he was opening his bowels normally.

I had to fly back to the UK due to a family emergency.  When I finally returned seven weeks later, I noticed that ZORRO had lost weight and didn't look the same.  He seemed to be struggling to urinate again.  All I could see where tiny droplets in his box.  Furthermore, he was trying to urinate everywhere and not just in his litter box.  It was a total mess.  So it was another trip to the vet at Argos.  The vet looked him over.  I was then hurt by his next comment.  Basically because all the blood tests proved satisfactory, there was nothing further that could be done for ZORRO.  If he was urinating and it was causing a problem, I was advised to throw him out!!!!!  I could never do that.  I knew ZORRO was sick and I had to get him better.

I realised that I needed help urgently, but who would help me?  I wrote to a good animal lover friend of mine, who did help.  I took ZORRO and made the 2.5 hour trip to Athens to see her highly recommended vet.  His rear was examined and straight away she noticed that he had no hole to urinate out of!!!!!!! She sedated him, to make a more thorough examination and there was no option but for ZORRO to have further surgery.  But the question was, what type of surgery would he undergo?  It was decided that he would have a type of sex change operation.  Instead of a penis, he would have something similar to a female's genital area.  Oh the thought of all of this happening to him.  Because of the bank holiday, he stayed at this third vet in Athens, for nearly two weeks.  Sadly during his stay, his stitches came away and he had to have them re-stitched.  This was not as a result of him pulling them out either.  He had a bigger collar round his neck, so it was impossible.  Thank fully, the day arrived when he was able to come home.

It was a long journey back from Athens for him and I did so feel sorry for my poor little darling.  Once home, both TWINKLE and PIXIE ran away.   They are my two girlie cats.  Equally for ZORRO, he was greeted by four new arrivals, which he didn't like. Tiny rescued kittens found in bins.  I bathed him, because he was soiled badly.  He fought, which was natural, but then allowed me to continue.  As the days went by, he was urinating more.  Everywhere and also in his litter box.  Nice to see that there was lots instead of droplets this time.  Then as time moved on, I noticed that there was a terrible stench coming from his genital area.  He certainly wouldn't allow me to clean this area.  He growled and became a little aggressive.  No doubt he was in pain.  I tried to investigate and noticed that his stitches had opened again.  But this time, I could not go back to the vet in Athens, as she was on a business trip.  So it was agreed that I would take him to a great vet in Nafplio.  Communications took place between the vet in Athens and the vet in Nafplio, to ensure that the re-stitching was done correctly.  As I write, he is still at the vets and should be out at the weekend.

He is far from recovered and his medical costs, I envisage will be pretty high.  My main concern is for ZORRO to get better and back to how he was in January '14.  I am not sure this will be possible, but only time will tell.

ZORRO'S story is one where it highlights some of the problems with animal welfare, especially when there is no professional, competent vet locally.  Ermioni does not have a vet at all and maybe this might be my long term goal, to see if there is a way for a professional vet to practice here.  The bills that I am presented with for animal welfare are huge.  I am not a wealthy person and sacrifices are made to help these innocent souls. Many would turn their backs on the plight of these strays.  For me, this is not an option. I could never forgive myself and the guilt would live with me forever.

Today, as I write the story of ZORRO, I have ten rescued kittens which are all so demanding.  Two lots of kittens were found in bins, whereas the third lot of kittens were rejected by their mother.  Then there is TWINKLE who has her own story to tell and her injuries were as a result of humans as well.  Then there is PIXIE, who was taken to the vets one particular day and left there.  Besides these at home, there are over 100 pussy cats in various colonies that we feed and care for.

Life in Greece is never boring.  There is so much to do and certainly, every day is a new challenge, especially where animals are concerned.  The pain, anguish and heartache will always continue and the distances to travel, to find professional help is challenging.

https://www.facebook.com/Greekstrays?ref=hl
https://www.facebook.com/Greekstrays/app_362564237108797
http://www.ermioni.info/content/animal-welfare
http://www.ermioni.info/things-to-know/greekstrays-donations