At long last, after almost a month, I got my car back! I got the call on Wednesday afternoon. The next day I drove to the transmission shop first. Then I drove to the car rental place to drop off the rental car and to pay my remaining rent. Then I drove back to the transmission place to pay for the transmission repair. I was graciously given three hundred dollars off for the rental car costs. In all I paid almost $1600 for the transmission repairs.
The transmission is a rebuild, and the lower gears are a bit stiff. But they work, and the car should last me until the end of the month, after which I intend to buy a new car.
My cat is having trouble walking on her hind legs, as if they are barely strong enough to carry her. But she can walk, and she can climb a little bit. She does not spend all her time under the stair. She spends her time in the Silverstone case box under the stairs, or under the bed, or even on the bed now that the hind legs are strong enough to get her up there.
But as her progress was not enough, I decided to stop putting the medicine in her food and to give it to her directly into her mouth via syringe, like I did before. She is not happy in the least for that, but at least she is walking better.