Tuesday I noticed Bunjii (golden shorthair felix domesticus, 6 years) had a large lump protruding between his right scapula (shoulder blade bone) and the first or second right side rib. Thursday I drove him to Tiffin Animal Hospital and Dr. Bob checked him out.

He told me it appeared to be a fast-mover, a tumor, and we scheduled surgery for Friday morning.

It would be a tough one, he told me. Bunjii remained at the hospital overnight.

I called Friday after the surgery and he had it removed. He was in Recovery.

This morning I went to pay and pick him up.

I had to sign-on to a thing called CareCredit, for a no-interest loan to set up payment. My budget is down to the minimum, and I don't ever eat outside my house anymore. (Except to take my mom to brunch every Sunday.) So I figured it would run anywhere from five hundred to a thousand dollars. CareCredit offers extended payments, as the vets won't do credit.

I got online last night and CC gave me up to 500 interest-free for three months. Good deal for a very broke cat owner. I wish the human medical people were so kind.

Anyway, the tab only came to $341.00. I was stunned!

The doctor briefed me over a very nervous Bunjii. He wanted to crawl in the Sherpa Bag and get the hell home!

The tumor was the size of a small lemon or a big plum. It was fibrous, and fibrous scarcomas are usually malignant. They sent it off to the lab to see. There is a chance it won't be, that's if it is a stage 1 tumor.

Having dealt in the family with sarcomas, I am not holding out much hope for a long life for the cat.

But he is home and for a while in his own room- the guest room upstairs. I got him a new litter box and put in a bed and bowls. Rosie, his sister is up with him right now. She howled all night Thursday and missed him.

Here are some pics I just took of the incision and stitching. Masterful work, I say! Now he has his own "Sign of the Cross!"