Laura, the surgeon who will do Simon's surgery is a board certified, old pro. So no worries there. I did do a Google search and found some good info but I want to hear from cat owners who have been through this. I understand that sometimes the stool starts to firm-up with time. Thanks for the link to Catster. I went there earlier and did a search but didn't find the link you posted. It gave me some insight. Ultimately, I know he will have to have the surgery. On top of all this, my 12 yr old poodle, Bink, was diagnosed with cancer and has a surgical consult with this same surgeon in week. When it rains it pours!

By the way, my husband is a riverman. He's a captain on the Ohio River. I know you do that kind of work, too. What waterway do you work on and what's your position? Jim works 3 weeks on, 3 weeks off. This has been his/our life for over 30+ years.