So here we are. Me sitting on the sofa and Leo half on my lap as I type, purring louder than a bushload of crickets. He’s on medication once again after yet another cat attack.
I have no evidence that he has suffered once again at the teeth of Big Ginge but the increasing likelihood is that Leo, due to his almost total lack of pluck, is now Big Ginge’s bitch.
He walked into the kitchen and greeted me with a miaow this morning first thing, limping slightly and with his left eye half closed. He sat and held his front left paw up as though to say “He got me again, mum!”
The paw seemed to be ok apart from a lumpy bit but the eye was half closed with the third lid across. It looked as though he’d been scratched within millimetres of his eyeball. Poor boy. Just as the scar next to his eye had healed and I was looking forward to his fur growing back.
I bathed it with saline, which, being a professional patient, Leo actually enjoyed but then had to dash off to work. When I got back the eyelid looked more swollen so I bathed it again and took him to the vet.
Examining Leo, the vet put a green dye into his eye which would reveal any corneal scratches or ulceration. Fortunately there was none so, after a shot of antibiotic I brought him back with a small bottle of eye drops to administer twice a day. So I have yet another veterinary nurse challenge..
It feels like my childhood ambition is coming back to haunt me but I do hope that this is for the last time!
Janh1: Mainly fair with occasional rain. 
Sorry to hear Leo has been in the wars again.
My guess is that he is standing up to Big Ginge. Most cats avoid fights if they can and it sounds as though Leo is not allowing Big Ginge to intimidate him. However, BG may be the better fighter. You probably remember that most of my vet’s bills when Cat was alive were down to fights. The green dye you mention, the eye drops, the abscesses needing to be drained, were all regular occurrences. steel yourself, this will continue. Or maybe you can get BG neutered, and if he doesn’t have a permanent home find him one away from Leo’s territory.
It’s *awful* Isobel. Just as he was healed nicely, the BG nearly has his eye out. BG is treating our garden as HIS territory now he’s got Leo under his claws. I hate seeing him poorly. There ought to be some kind of kitty ASBO ;-/
I’m going to make enquiries this weekend to try and find BG’s owner, then I will go and suggest in a friendly and explanatory way, that they might relieve him of his balls. I don’t mind paying… it’ll be cheaper than all the vet bills and it will put my mind at rest.
This is one of the posts Sophie Scott put up when her cats were similarly terrorised by an intact Tom intent on making their home his. http://sophiescott196.wordpress.com/2011/01/05/the-christmas-visitor/
An excellent blog, if you’re reading this Sophie, and thanks Isobel for posting the link.
Big Ginge scarpers when he sees me so I’d have to build up considerable trust to achieve what Sophie did. I’m making some local enquiries about him this weekend. Watch this space! 🙂
It’s a bit extreme behaviour just to continue receiving chicken! 😀
Poor boy, I hope he recovers soon xxx
Thanks Sophie. I hope so soon. He really dislikes the eye drops so they will be a test of his soppy good nature.. 😀 However, I still have roast chicken! xxx