Not So Pretty Anymore

I am feeling a bit sad today (yes again...so what?)

Remember way back when I talked about how my cat is a princess.  How she can't help being beautiful and you all are jealous that she is mine..

You don't remember?  Well, read HERE so you can get caught up.

Don't worry, I'll wait.......

Isn't she the most precious thing?  Yes??  Well not so much anymore I'm afraid!!  Yesturday while I was laying on the bed watching the Golden Globes, she was laying curled up next to me like she always is.  I was playing with her ears, like I always am and suddenly I noticed that things didn't feel right.  Upon further inspection I noticed that one of her ears was all puffed up like someone injected air into it.  It's the most weird thing!  In 14 yrs and 7 cats (no I don't have that many now but I have had a total of 7 cats in 14 yrs) I have seen alot of strange things but puffy ears has not been one of them.  Todd thought she might have had a spat with one of the other cats, which was very highly possible since she can be a royal biotch at times.  But as I worried about it all night I decided to look it up online. (I love Google!!)  Anyways...after reading online and speaking to a friend of mine who is a retired vet...it's a pretty high chance that she has an Aural Hematoma on her right ear.  Because she has struggled with ear mites for quite some time and because it makes her constantly scratch and shake her head (or one of the cats really did get her good) there is now clotted blood from broken blood vessels on her ear flap.  I asked this friend  what could be done about it and after a very lengthly description of high priced treatments it comes down to the fact that I can't afford to really do anything about it.

Must you shove a camera in my face while I'm mourning the loss of my looks?

Help...I have a small pillow for an ear!!

Is this life threatning?  No

Is she in pain?  I don't know.  My friend says probably not. She is just irritated.  But other stuff I have read says that it is painful.

You think she was a biotch before? You aint seen nothing yet!  I have tried to leave her alone because she is not in the mood to be handled right now.  I feel so horrible because all I can do is sit and watch her be uncomfortable and eventually she will become like this...

Her ear will become flat and disfigured. It's like watching one of your children hurt one of his limbs and not do anything about it.  And KNOWING that they will eventually lose that limb!  I don't know what to do because I'm told to not worry to much about it but I have read that you should really get it drained at least.

Oh the agony! 

Things would be so less confusing if I could just win the lottery!!