You guys are awesome!

Wow, thank you so much to my kind blog readers (some of whom have been lurkers!!) who have donated to our Ontario SPCA Friends for Life! walk this Saturday. You blow me way with your generosity.

This week has been crazy. Alex, who is the star of my "ads" for our walk...

...had to go to the ER vet on Monday night (yes, we have had five different cats to the vet in the past two months, and at least two cat ER visits, not to mention a couple of pony emergency vet calls!) When I put him on the bed that night, he growled at me. SO out of character. When I stroked him, he growled at me. Uh oh. So I figured if I brushed him (his favourite thing) and he growled at me, something was desperately wrong. Brush, brush... GROWL... bingo.

He was acting like he was in pain and uncomfortable, and was licking his nether regions, and had weirdly pooped on the bathroom rug a little earlier. For some reason, I thought he might have a urethral blockage. I told Gordon he had to get Alex to the vet (at 10 pm) and fortunately Gordon took him in, because Alex's urethra was completely blocked. Just call me the amateur vet. ;)

This is a very dangerous thing and cats usually die within 2 to 3 days (potassium build-up stops the heart) but we were very lucky to get him in in time. The vet put in a catheter and Alex peed on him in the process, which is a good thing! He is still at the vet clinic and we are hoping he will be able to come home today, poor guy. He was horribly uncomfortable on Monday night.

At the vet's office.

Sedated for the catheter.

We miss our three-legged boy and are looking forward to him coming home!

Meanwhile, this week I am doing "horse camp" every morning at Havencrest Farm, where I take my riding lessons. It's like summer camp for adults. There are four of us participating and it's a blast. I rode my horse Roo for most of yesterday, but then my teacher Linda switched things up and put me on this Percheron/Quarterhorse cross...

This photo does not do justice to the size of the horse. I am 5' 7" and have very long legs. They thought this gal was 17 hands high. Anyway, it was quite something being up there and I even managed to get myself on the saddle from the ground.

Before I go off to camp this morning, here is one more plug for our walk this Saturday, in honour of Alex!

If you would like to sponsor us, you either click here to sponsor Gordon, here to sponsor me, or here

Thank you so much for all the kind comments you leave on my blog!! I need to catch up and answer them, but I love hearing from you.