Christmas Morning--had a desperate phone from Karin informing me that her beloved Siamese, 'Oramor' Valentino had been bitten by a brown snake and his life was in the balance.
Sue,
I don't think I said, Valentino has never been outside without full supervision. Noel built an outdoor enclosure for the cats and the dog last year, so they could play safely in the sunlight and they were in the enclosure when the unthinkable happened. Noel was checking on them this morning, and found Valentino in his armchair paralysed. As soon as we got back from the vets, Noel has spent the morning trying to find where the snake would have got in, and blocking the gap.
I promise I will stay in touch and let you know how things go. Thanks for your prayers. Karin.
25/12/09

Hi Sue,
Just had a phone call from the vet, and Valentino is still with us. The vet said Valentino is possibly moving his eyelids a little more than he was this morning, and they've put ointment in his eyes and regular artificial drops to protect the cornea. So his diagnosis to the minute, is still the same, no worse, possibly a little better, and he said he will send a text message later tonight to let us know how Valentino is before we go to bed. This is welcome news, I've been carrying his papers with me all day, because it's the only thing I have of his to keep close to me. I was starting to feel very anxious having not heard anything since this morning, and fearing that something had happened and the vet might be just holding off telling us as it's Christmas and he doesn't want to ruin our day. I'm still panicked, but a feel a bit less hysterically fearful than this morning. We've all been thinking positively, and praying for him during our Christmas lunch prayers. Belle the dog has been sobbing, which she does when she's sad, and Valentino's sister Coco Chanel, has been walking around the house meowing the loudest we've ever heard her. The most noise she's ever made is a tiny little squeak and we've had her 3 years. It's funny, how they make out that they hate each other, but when something like this happens, they all fall apart.
Well I will e-mail again in the morning, unless there is bad news between now and then.
Thanks again for your prayers, my family here and in NZ are praying too, so he cant go wrong with us, you and all the rest of my family thinking of him.
Take care and hope you are having a nice day. Karin. Xo 25/12/09

Good Morning Sue,
Our update today on Valentino is VERY GOOD chance of survival. He can meow today, and wiggle his legs a little. They won't let us see him, as they don't want him to get anxious and want to come home with us. I can understand that, but at the same time I know he's going to be wondering where on earth he is, and what on earth has happened to us. The vet said we probably can't take him home until the end of the week, and now that things are looking so much better, he did admit that things were every bit as bad as I thought they were on the day it happened. He said it was VERY touch and go, and that you can't get any more paralysed than Valentino was. I only knew it was that bad, because my other Siamese Simon had gone exactly the same way. I would swear Valentino passed over for a few seconds, I think it's only my bawling and pleading that bought him back to us, I picked him up and held him to my heart as soon as it happened, but I truly felt the life go out of him, and then come back very slowly. I'm dying to see him, but I bet if he's meowing now, the surgery staff are not going to hear the end of his LOUD pleading to go home, and he has all different levels and pitches of pleading when he wants something and no-one is listening. They don't open for business until Tuesday, by which time he will be well and truly fed up with not being heard!! I would say they will be so glad to hand him back to us by the end of the week.
Well I'm so happy to send you good news, and so grateful to Noel for finding him when he did, and getting us to the vet so quickly, and most grateful to God for choosing to save my precious so-loved cat.
Noel has checked, re-checked, and checked again the enclosure, and swears that there is no way anything (not even a spider) will get in there again. He got out there yesterday afternoon, and cleaned it from top to bottom just so he could make sure he hadn't missed any spots, and when he disappeared this morning, and I went to see where he was, he was out in the enclosure... "just making sure nothing can get in". I have a sneaky suspicion that he might just be a little more attached to Valentino (Belle and Coco) than he lets on to us.
I hope you are having a lovely day, and when I get my beautiful boy back, we will take some family photos and send them to you. Lots of love and thanks for your kindness and support Karin and family. 27/12/09

Hi Sue, Thought it appropriate that I send pics of the infamous Valentino home safe and VERY cuddly).
His walk has a bit of a tiddly wobble to it, he's as thin as a rake, and won't eat at the moment (any ideas Teeny's other Mum??), but other than that, he's purring like a train, and smooching all over us.
Of course I'm over the moon, and left all my housework, to smooch the cat all afternoon and take pictures for you all. 30/12/09