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Posts Tagged ‘cat’

Ordinarily, this space is reserved for talking shop and sharing tips, business viewpoints and such. In light of my cat’s accident yesterday, it occurred to me that her plight could be encountered by any number of cats out there. Our surgeon assures us there are in fact many cases of this very thing happening to cats all over our area. It made me think it’s preventable and maybe this post will help another family from going through what we’re going through right now. UPDATE: Karma also has her own Page on this Blog, so you can follow her journey.

What Happened to Karma

Our dear cat Karma is like many cats; curious investigator, part player, part explorer, part lounger. This particular day, Karma was a lounger, but instead of choosing a warm piece of flagstone out in the sun, she chose the garage door. Our automatic garage door is like any you might see; large, retractable, stops when someone or something steps in the way when it’s coming down. Unfortunately, if it’s open and something is laying on top of it, nothing triggers it to stop moving. Our family found this out the hard way, and sadly, didn’t discover a problem until we returned home to see something hanging at the top of the garage door. That’s right, our dear Karma kitty. When I backed the car out to leave, she was apparently up on the “inside” of the garage door, and once closing, she didn’t have a place to jump. You can figure out the rest.

What Happens Now

Karma was immediately rushed for care, but what was obvious when I found her? Her hind legs wouldn’t move, there was certain paralysis. She’s since been transferred to another facility for more comprehensive care, her condition guarded because she has a spinal cord injury. We know we have a long road ahead. She may could either make a full recovery or have partial or total paralysis to her hind quarters for the rest of her life; if she remains in good health, this could be another 15 years. We’re prepared for this, as we already said we’re committed to her long term care, but it’s definitely something to think about the next time you open or close your own garage door.

Take A Quick Look

Easy to say now, right? But if I’d have just glanced up top before hopping into my car, I’d have seen her. So the lesson is not just for my next time, but for YOUR next time. Give a look and make sure one of your loved ones is not resting in this dangerous spot. And please, say a prayer for our cat and family as we try to get her back to living her life of leisure. -

Update: we’ve added a Twitter account for Karma, so follow her journey @kitty_Karma and she now has her own page on this site, which includes pictures and some things for other people to know about when caring for their paralyzed cat.