Chilli’s accident

Chilli’s accident

by Maggie Sharp
(Hobart, Tasmania, Australia)

Chilli the day after the accident

Chilli the day after the accident

This story is also featured in The Abyssinian Breeder magazine, so not only does the copyright go to myself but also to George Kennedy, who bred Chilli and puts TAB magazine together. The accident occurred on the 18th of February 2009.

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This is always a hard story to explain, so I'll try to make it simpler, at the time I am on the computer replying to emails, oblivious to anything and everything around me, my older sister is playing with Chilli and his toy mouse, and my younger sister is standing on the armchair exciting the dog. Now, my older sister throws the mouse across the room and Chilli chases it, at the same time my younger sister jumps of the couch a falls directly onto Chilli's head.

Chilli screamed and ran into my room, without hesitation I jumped off the computer and ran straight after my little boy.

He lay beside my bed, moaning and slowing moving his head from side to side with blood pouring out of his nose, I yelled to my mother telling her to call an emergency vet, at the same time my father and older sister came in, the fact that my father told me he wasn't going to make it didn't help the situation, and my younger sister was so filled with guilty she couldn't look at Chilli! I grabbed the travel cage and put it together, we had to put Chilli in there very gently as he was in pain.

On the way to the vet I couldn't stop crying, watching the blood heavily run from his nose, listening to his pain-filled moans, and seeing his tiny body shake. It was too much, he was so little.

When we finally got into the vet, the vet looked at him and said we were very lucky, any worse and I could have lost him. He was suffering from shock, and had a blood nose, which was most likely broken. No brain damage apparently occurred.

That night I took Chilli's litter box, food and water into my room; I had all toys packed away. I lay in my bed and put Chilli beside me, he curled up but didn't sleep. Nor did he eat.

I woke up the next morning, he was still beside, now fast asleep, his eyes were dilated, his nose was caked in dry blood and he really did look terrible. I spent the whole day with him, not once did I let him out of my sight, he seemed to squint a lot that day, but the bleeding had stopped and he was starting to pick himself up again. But, as you can hopefully see from the image, his nose was completely blocked up, and he had to breathe out of his mouth constantly.

He was never really the same after his accident, for a while he wouldn't let people pick him up, and he wasn't trusting of people. Over time he placed complete trust in me, and I'm now the only one who can confidently handle him. Though this is changing, and he's warming up to some people...

His nose was blocked for several weeks, and the blood had dried over the nostrils so I had to pick it off. (Yuck!) Ever since his accident, he's had a whistle when he breathes out of his nose and purrs, which is really quite cute! Makes him more unique, and always makes me laugh!

As time progressed Chilli completely recovered, but it really showed me how careful you have to be when around kittens? They're only small; they're very fast and very fragile.

I was lucky that Chilli recovered the way he did, but risks like that can't be taken. It could very much have been worse, and from experience, I know that it's not easy to lose an Aby, so I must stress to all fellow Aby owners, be cautious around kittens! They're very unpredictable!

Maggie

Chilli's accident to Abyssinian Cat

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Chilli's accident

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Feb 26, 2010 Thanks
by: Maggie Sharp

Thank you for your comments, everyone. Chilli is fine now, he seems to love most people (especially his Mummy!) and, as mentioned above, Chilli has a very distinct nose whistle, in which got just about as soon as he'd begun his recovery... It's too cute, and it gets really loud when he's happy!!!


Feb 25, 2010 I know this sounds nuts
by: Joyce Sammons

I knew once I got a cat that the bookshelf thing could be a problem. I got my drill and put one large screw into it securing it to the wall. I own my place so it was a good solution. I used to have a plant stand (nothing poisonous) and used 2 chains to chain in to the wall. Sometimes you just have to get creative. Biggest danger now is Furby goes to sleep in front of the kitchen sink and then rolls off.


Feb 25, 2010 so glad he recovered
by: kathy

I am always emphasizing the importance of being careful around all of our cats to my boyfriend. Especially now that we have the kitten. My old cat Midnight was killed in a freak home accident where a shelf fell on her and killed her. I dont like shelves on the wall for that reason but not only because they are always curious and want to get up on them. Im always afraind of them getting into anything. The kitten likes to get into the cords for the shades. Im afraid they could get around her neck just like they could a child. Im so glad Chili survived his accident.


Feb 23, 2010 Poor Chilli
by: Finn Frode, Denmark

Poor thing - I'm glad it happened more than a year ago and that he has recovered well since then. It's amazing how much kittens can take without breaking all their bones.
My Ivanhoe would jump high in the air over and over again and didn't seem to care whether he hurt himself falling on the floor. Sometimes he must have been black and blue, but in true Somali fashion he would continue until he caught whatever he was after.

Finn Frode avatar


Feb 22, 2010 Is He OK now?
by: Joyce Sammons

Poor little thing. I know when Furby was a baby I was afraid I'd step on him. He learned to hiss really fast because I wasn't used to having a baby kitty at a water bowl with his tail right in my path. Is Chili all right now?


Feb 21, 2010 Good but sad story
by: Michael

Maggie, thanks for telling us this story. I am sorry to hear that Chilli had this accident. But as you say it is the kind of thing that can just happen in a second because of the activity levels.

It is a convergence of events that we do not foresee but the point you made is very important.

We should, through experience, foresee potential accidents that might occur and take steps to prevent them.

And I am so pleased Chilli was OK (just) in the end. He is a special cat, a very fine looking boy.

Michael Avatar


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