So I got up at six this morning to take Hello Newman to Girard Veterinary Clinic. The mornings are on a first come, first served basis. They open around eight-thirty, but if you don't get there by seven to join the swelling line outside, you're shit out of luck. Cynthia Balzer, D.V.M. has a Best of Philly Award. No mean feat in this town, which feels quite comfortable booing their own sports teams, should they have a bad, um, day? What's cool about Cyndy, is that she is one of the few vets who will handle feral cats,  staying in a neighbourhood that has seen better days, while also keeping her office visits wonderfully affordable. For this, I can get up at a time when I used to go to bed. (Just in case you're wondering, she takes appointments in the afternoon, which are booked and walk-in emergencies).

So, I was second in line at seven in the morning.  There were a couple of emergencies, but Newman and I saw her by nine-ish.  (The meters don't have to be fed until ten and even then, a quarter gets you half an hour).  Cyndy is caring and compassionate.  She's put up with my crying jags, calmly handled the, as she puts it, "fiesty"Henrietta as she's scratched and clawed her way through an exam, as well as retaining a devoted, over-worked and friendly staff.  There are of course, people who've had experiences there which they say were not so good. It goes with the territory. But enough. Here's what happened with Newman.

His weight, pulses and temperature were fine. No sign of the ear infection I'd hoped for. I knew that he was having problems seeing the water in his bowl, as he bats at it to gauge where the level is. She was concerned that he seemed out of it, as he Stagger-Lee'd his way around the exam room. She turned off the lights, checking his follow response to a small light. Not so much. I suggested that if it were one of those red L.E.D.s, he might be moving. Did he crash into a wall at 40 mph chasing one? she asked. Nope.

She offered the options for me to take him home and watch him, or for him to stay for an X-Ray. I took door number two. I left, having seen a young man bring in a badly wounded cat that he'd just found on the street leave. He'd been told that the cat was positive for the feline version of AIDs, a test that takes only ten minutes (!), but he chose to opt to have it taken care of, bless him. My neighbour "Elanor" down the street, a long time friend of Junior's had rushed her cat in. She's waiting on blood tests, (as of this post, because they get sent out) as he's walking like a drunkard. A bit like Newman. A bit like how I used to....

At the end of the day, I went to pick Hello Newman up. The slides showed that between the L8 and the Sacrum, there is complete ventral osteophyte. Basically, and don't shoot me if I'm wrong, it means that where there should be a nice gap in the Lumbar 8 and his hip, there isn't. This is causing his over-compensating gait and probably some pain with his nerves. (Oh and he was full of poop)! The eyesight? She's really concerned.

I know that I didn't ask the right questions, because I couldn't answer Cricket's, later. This is why you should bring a friend, if possible, when you bring your pet to a vet for anything more than, say, you can't clip their claws yourself. But I digress.

For Newman, I have a diagnoses for his "Drunkie wants a drinkie" (I owe that li'l gem to my friend Greta) lurch. Cyn gave me the number of a, well I can't spell it: Chiropractor? Oh, that may be right! She said he's not great, but that he's good. I've dated far worse men in my life!

In the meantime, I have a lot of books on holistic medicine for animals. I plan on attending the Northwestern School of Animal Massage to get my certificate, hopefully by the end of the year. I'd been following the books guide as to massaging an older cat's joint issues, but I'd focused mostly on the front legs. We'd already been giving him Glucosimine Chondritine for his joints, but I bought a kitty-specific formular today from the vet.

I'm leaving him in a couple of rooms with Henrietta for the night. He likes lying in the open window. Which is a foot above the roof below, for those of you worried about Falling Cat Syndrome, a very real problem with city cats. They both get company and I spend some time with Nigel Nancyboy and Zebedee, both of whom, well at least Nigel, thought that I'd packed up and left with Hello Newman for a fun jaunt.

Pep Boys? I bloody despise them. But that's for another day. Because I'd like to give my opinions about them the kind of care, consideration and time that they don't seem to be able to give to their customers, well me at least. Do I spend time figuring out a poll link for y'all (six readers, or was that sick readers)? Or do I just rant to "Go Angry"? Who's link I'd show, but I'm a bit delayed at this time of night...

As to ifreen, who doesn't know me or mine, but expressed an almost instant message of concern, check out the link, please.