So I have been living in the fear that with Jonathan gone to Navy Boot Camp, anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. So I have been overly (and I mean overly, overly, OVERLY) protective of my cats.
For those of you that know us, you know that our five cats are our kids. No, really. They are quite literally our furry babies. So my deepest, darkest fear is that something will happen to one of them while Jonathan is away.
So you can imagine the level of freaking out I achieved when I discovered a huge, rock hard lump the size of a large marble in the center of Kyo’s chest yesterday, right in between his ribs.
Kyo Kyo is our little spaz cat. We call him the “Bronze Eyed Pigeon Purr” because he is an abnormally bright coated orange tabby with vivid orange bronze eyes and a purr that sounds just like a pigeon, (and just as loud!)
Kyo, like all of our cats, spends a ridiculous amount of his time laying on his back with his belly upturned, ready for tummy rubs followed by prompt deboweling of friendly tummy-rubbing hands. And so I can say for certain that I haven’t ever noticed this lump before. Like, ever.
My mind immediately went to: tumor. With my brain in a whirl of worst case scenario thoughts – Is it cancerous? Is it attached to any vital organs? Can it be safely, and quickly removed? – I rushed to the vet, praying the entire way that nothing bad happen to one of Jonathan’s little furry children while he is away.
Once at the vet I learned that….. *wait for it*…… Kyo has a birth defect.
It’s a condition called an “everted sternum” that is caused by maldevelopment from when he was a kitten in the womb. The cartilaginous band that most of the ribs attach to at the posterior end of the sternum are hooked outwards instead of inwards. The condition generally doesn’t present itself until cats reach maturity around the age of two. (Guess who just reached his second birthday this summer? Heh.)
The good news is? It’s totally harmless.
It doesn’t hurt him, and it doesn’t cause any increase in health risks or problems. He just has a huge bone sticking out of his chest now. So our Bronze Eyed Pigeon Purr is now a LUMPY Bronze Eyed Pigeon Purr.
Jonathan with Kyo, cosplaying as Kyo Sohma from Fruits Basket.
I am just so relieved. Every day is a gift, and we never know what is just around the corner. Rushing to the vet in fear for my cats life, and finding out that he is okay is such a blessing. These little furry babies are a gift from God and after the loss of our cat Balrog to a brain tumor two years ago, I have learned to not take a single day with my little furry angels for granted. I’m so happy that it’s in His plan for us to have Kyo Kyo just a little longer, lumps and all!
Kyo coming back from the vet yesterday, where we learned that we officially have a gimpy cat. ^_^
SO glad to hear your furbaby is ok! He is gorgeous, and I love the name! So perfect! I’m so glad to have found your blog- it is fantastic, and your cosplay is SO cool. If I were able to make costumes/convince the DH to put them on, this is what I would aspire to!!
Awww, your comment made me smile so hard! I really enjoy following your blog as well! You and your DH should do costumes.. it’s so much fun and majorly addicting!! ^_^
what lovely eyes Kyo has. We also have a “cooing” cat, which is very sweet sounding. Thanks for visiting my blog, I’m very glad your visit to the vet had a good ending.
Very much also enjoy the posts about cosplay and alcohol too!
It’s always fun connecting with fellow cat people… I have met some of the coolest peeps by searching “cats” tags in my WordPress reader, lol! Looking forward to following your blog! ^_^
well, I can be pretty acidic when it comes to humans but I love cats without reservation 🙂
LOL, ditto!
My very long time companion, a wonderful and loving Balinese, Cous Cous, passed with a nasal tumor. I never thought that dying could be the better choice. Before getting ill I got him a very tiny Balinese friend that he missed meeting by a week. The newguy is absolutely beautiful, perfect they say, but dear God he is dumb. Not just a little either but he is bright enough to know he’ll never be anyone’s sharp knife in any drawer. 40 years with Meezers isn’t helping and I need to train him somehow. Think of the various bloopers you’ve seen cats do and that’s our Nicci daily. He’s also a biter, weird at 2 1/2 years old. I have no answers, nothing that has ever worked with any other cats. This is his forever home and that won’t change, just so you know.