How Fitz Keeps Almost Dying
Friggin Fitz. My orange tabby likes living on the edge. He comes home on Iowa caucus night bleeding from his neck. This is about to sound bad, but since I was too busy watching the Iowa caucuses and Fitz is perpetually getting into trouble, I just locked him in my room until all the precincts came in.

The vet said he was bitten by a dog somewhere, but didn't need stitches. Now he's grounded for awhile (he had recently become and indoor/outdoor cat). Which made me think, how many times has Fitz almost died? Let me count the ways.

9th life: Being born onto the streets of South Dallas, we're talking Oak Cliff area. Somehow finding his way to "safety" on the infamous grassy knoll, which happens to be at the mouth of a major interstate. (Hence the name "Fitz", short for John Fitzgerald Kennedy Hu-St!les)

8th life: Getting taken into the Spartanburg Humane Society, which has one of the highest animal euthanasia rates in the country. He was miraculously rescued because the same day he was brought in, my friend Myra was outside doing a live report. She saw him and had to take him home with her... which is how I wound up with him.

7th life: Accidentally eating ibuprofen. It looks like he took in at least two Advil liquigels, which is toxic to cats. Almost died, stayed in the Emergency Clinic overnight with an IV in his little arm. Had to shoot him with some sort of subcutaneous fluids for two weeks.

6th life: Running away for two weeks. To this day we don't know where Fitz was during the last half of September, 2007. We thought he was a goner, fer sho. But then he just came strolling back in when October came around.

5th life: Dog bite. How he got away after a dog got him by the neck is still a mystery to me.

So by my count Fitz can almost-die another three times, and then he's gonna be out of lives. Good gracious. The vet fees have cost more than my own healthcare.