Smoke: The World's Most Handsome Barn Cat Ever

This weekend we found Smoke, one of our barn cats who lives in Lena's Barn, limping on a front leg and acting like he hurt.  I gathered him up and took him to the cat house.  Typically our barn cats do not ... repeat do not ... like being confined, but Smoke didn't protest when I put him in a medical cage for 24 hours of cage rest and gave him a painkiller.  The leg wasn't really swollen and didn't appear to be broken ... more like a sprain, I thought.  But this morning he still didn't want to use it, so I put him in the truck and headed to our vet clinic in Helena.  Alayne took the photo of Smoke and me just before we left. 

It's hard to tell from this photo, but Smoke has dazzling blue eyes and a beautiful Siamese-like coat.  He is, in a phrase, drop-dead handsome.  But he's the first to tell you, "I'm not a Siamese, I'm a Montanan!"

When I got to the clinic after the 70-mile drive and let him out of the crate, he marched across the floor with no limp at all.  And bearing weight on that leg, too.  "Well, of course!," I thought to myself.  Sometimes it seems all you have to do is haul an animal to the vet clinic and -- it's a miracle! -- they'll be fine when you arrive.  I call this their "show-me-you-still-love-me" test .. they just want to know if we still care enough to make the effort to drive all that way. "Oh, I'm fine, thanks, just wanted to double-check.  You passed."

But I could just see bringing the little devil all the way back to the ranch, letting him out of the crate, and then watching him limp away back to the barn.  So I left him at the clinic for one of the doctors to examine.

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I had planned to pick up Popeye today -- the operation to remove his eye had gone well last week -- but over the weekend he had developed discharges from the surgery site and the sutured eyelids had started to come open.  So our vet, Dr. Brenda Culver, was trying to determine what had happened and obviously wanted him to remain at the clinic while she treated him for this new problem.

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In the background of the photo is Widget's House, our main dog building, with all the snow on the roof.  The trees are all frosty because we had an ice fog overnight and it coated everything in beautiful white crystals.  It was one below zero this morning when I headed out to do barn chores, but fortunately the fog had lifted.  It's one above zero this evening, as I write this at 8:30 p.m.  In case you're wondering how our barn cats do in this kind of weather, Smoke and his two sisters, Smudge and Skitter, have a heated dog igloo  in Lena's Barn and a heated water bowl.  At Beauty's Barn, the two cats there -- Joshua and Rocky -- live in the medical room, which is heated to 60 degrees.  It's not exactly your typical barn cat life!

Comments

[Cat Care Information]

It was a tough weekend in the Turnbull household. Our 12 year old family cat, Jordie, had to be put down due to severe kidney failure. He had a tough life, but at the same time a wonderful life, mostly thanks to my wife Tara. She found him on the street when he was a baby, almost dead. He had everything you could imagine: worms, fleas, covered in dirt, pneumonia, infection in eyes, malnourished. Yet he purred the whole time when she picked him up and took him home. That was his signature in his life, his...

[Shirley & James, Portland, OR]

Cats rule that is for sure. Enjoyed the story and picture.

[Nina]

Steve, I am sooo glad you passed the "show me you love me" test! I am certain that all of the other animals had no doubt that you would pass!!!
Smoke is a handsome character and I am happy to hear that he is doing well. Enjoyed reading about his "miraculous" episode!!

[ginger & Tobias (the greythound)]

Smoke is a handsome guy & doesn't look like he misses any meals either. I hope he's alright. (sort of like taking the car into the mechanic when it makes a strange noise...) I hope Popeye makes some major improvements & can soon come home.
Those trees in the background photo are beautiful. I'd never seen the effects of ice fog before. Thanks for telling us what that was.
Big hugs to all,
ginger, Tobias & Tlingit

[Linda O'Neill]

Great picture of you two, Steve. Looks like it was a beautiful winter day too!

[Teri]

Is Smoke a Lynx Point Siamese? My little Serena at home looks just like him, and that's what I've been told she is. Bright blue eyes, and the same tail.

Thanks for sharing your wonderful and rewarding life with us.

[LuAnn]

So, if Smoke, the most handsome cat in the world made is mark on me (as when I was trimming his nails he scratched the back of my hand, which I might add, is STILL visible) will I find the most handsome (single!) man in the world? Okay I know that's stretching it but a girls got to try:) Glad your okay, Smoke!

[bcdandme]

Very interesting story - and a great photo with such a beautiful backdrop too. Keep us posted on Smoke -- and ongoing thanks to Dr. Culver, and Steve and Alayne and all else who keep this remarkable place thriving!

[Boundforglory]

Smoke IS incredibly handsome! There's a lot of blue in this picture; your jacket, the shadows, sky, even the snow all have a blue hue which sets off the sapphire blue of Smoke's eyes. We can't see them fully but they do look very Siamese; as well as his luxurious coat. What a lucky guy!

We hope his paw checks out fine and that Popeye's eye problem can be determined and treated so he can be a lucky guy too.