I don't know what to do.....

Well, bit of a downer at the mo..... we have picked up Ringworm.....NOT a worm at all - it is a fungal infection which comes from a fungus we all have co-existing happily on our skin apparently, but gets triggered off by certain things. One of them is pets, and as this has happened since Tabba has been with us, we have taken her to the vets and they have done a test to see if it has come from her. The results don't come back until next Monday. If she has Ringworm, it seems that there will be months of expensive treatment for her, not to mention the hygiene issues at home. It all seemed bearable until we suddenly noticed, out of the blue, a bald patch in Oliver's hair on Saturday. A visit to the Doctor confirms it is possibly the scalp version of Ringworm, and that feels like the last straw.

Now I am sat here after a sleepless night, in two minds what to do - Oliver has half-accepted that if she is responsible for causing him this, then it is impractical and unfair for her to stay here, but I know he is very attached to her, and he will be terribly upset for ages. If it is confirmed she doesn't have it then do we just accept it was picked up elsewhere (possibly abroad as that is another cause) and get on with it, knowing we could pass it on to her and it could be passed back to us, blah blah blah.......

I have, for the first time in God knows how many years written out a list of Pros and Cons about keeping her here, and on the Con side is a long list encompassing possible hygiene issues, stress, interminable vets bills, expense on top on expense and inconvenience, and on the Pro side is one thing: Oliver. And that one 'thing' carries as much if not more weight and makes this decision so, so painfully difficult. And I still don't know what to do...

Incidentally, if anyone is reading this who mixes socially with us - fear not - once treatment is underway, contact with other people is not forbidden. According to the Doctor, Ringworm is incredibly common. Funny how I never hear about these 'incredibly common' ailments until I bloody get one.