A couple weeks ago our clinic got a call from Health Services (not sure if that's their exact title) saying that a client of ours was recently put into the hospital for mental issues. They weren't expecting her to make it home. Very sad, because we'd known her for years and she has always taken remarkable care of her cats. Sharp, smart woman. Last time she was in (about six months ago), she said a couple things that made us tilt our heads, but we all forgot about it till the call.
Her husband is elderly, has one prosthetic arm, and sadly drinks a lot. He was currently feeding their 11 cats Trail Mix (that's right, like nuts and raisins and M&M's). Health Services came in, more or less condemned the house, and said the cats had to go. Most weren't vaccinated or vetted at all, because things had been declining for a while and no one else knew.
We took the cats for a while, vetted them (owner of the clinic reduced the cost and partially used a relief fund we have). Health Services was going to take them all to the SPCA, but before they came back, we were able to find homes for all the aging cats but one.
I realized she was a 13 yr old gal I'd seen 3 years ago, when I'd surgically removed a fibrosarcoma (a bad type of cancer that can come from a vaccine reaction) from her hip. Even with extensive surgery, this type of growth has a high chance of coming back, and when it does, it's always fatal.
Well this tiny sweet gray & white gal had no growth and was still kicking it just fine. If I sent this old gal to the SPCA without vaccines, best case scenario would be that she find a home and get vaccinated... and gets the same thing she miraculously got over already. I just couldn't. Even though we didn't have a home for her, when they came back for the others, I snuck her under the radar and kept her in the clinic.
A few days later, our very elderly clinic cat had to be put down, which was sad but she'd had a very good long life and was surrounded by people who loved her.
And, now we have a new little gray clinic cat.
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| I see you discussing me. More petting, less talking. |
18 comments:
I really believe our pets find replacements for themselves. What a sweet kitty.
I'm so glad they kept her! Most very senior cats never make it out of a SPCA/kennel situation because so many people don't realize the joy and love in and from owning a senior animal. And I'm sorry for the loss of their first clinic cat. That hurts terribly, but I'm sure this one will do a good job in the clinic care and cuddling department.
Ramona likes this story.
What a sad story that is in so many ways. I'm glad the cats found homes, but I worry about the people. I'm really happy the special kitty found a forever home.
Totally off subject. If you're the praying kind, please pray for the loved ones of the seven sailors. As I suspected would happen, they were found in the flooded compartments and their bodies have been recovered.
So many sad things going on, but good and helpful people like you make the world better. She's a lovely cat. I think gray fur is so elegant.
A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.--Ernest Hemingway
And Happy Father's Day to all our father's here. You are such special people. I hope you realize how much you are loved.
I second Julie's comments. All of them.
Little gray clinic cat,
Purr going rat-a-tat.
Tongue sticking out
In a saucy pink pout.
A whiskery charmer who escaped certain strife,
To win fans and warm hearts with her ninth lucky life.
May your 9th life be long and happy, little gray clinic cat!
And Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there :-)
I'd also like to second what Julie said about the sailors. Thoughts and prayers to those affected, and to their families. So terribly tragic.
Love her face :) Thanks, Janet, for the post!
nightsmusic, I totally agree with you about the senior pets. I have such a big respect and love for people who give any older pet a second chance through adoption.
Julie, thinking of & praying for those sailors & families.
I'm sure that little grey cat knows exactly how lucky she is, to not only have a loving home, but one in a vet clinic, where if anything goes wrong with her health, she has help.
Older pets are wonderful, though I'm a dog person, myself. Little Girl Dog is 10 years old now, though that's hard to believe, looking at her energy and sweet little face. Last year, I had her groomed by a groomer who hadn't seen her before. Afterwards, she asked me how old LGD was. I said, "Nine." The groomer paused, as though waiting for me to add a word... say, months. Then she said, "Nine YEARS?" She was flabbergasted. There's a few signs of age showing in this little girl - her joints aren't the best, and she had to have a number of teeth pulled last year - but she sure doesn't act old.
But after my experience with Koko and his kidney disease (caused by Cushing's, in turn caused by a pituitary tumour, which is actually what finally ended his life), I also know that older pets can be costly. Which is why I say that this elderly cat is so lucky to be in a vet clinic, especially with her health history.
Thank you, unidentified vet and clinic, for taking this love-monger in.
What a gorgeous puss. She certainly doesn't look elderly. It's lovely to read how something positive came out of tragic circumstances.
God bless you and all who care for species other than there own.
Thank you for sharing!
On days like this, I wish the world was less complicated. It is sad and a shame that the family fell so far but it is a happy thing that social services kept them from completely falling. There are too many holes in the bucket of humanity.
She is a lovely girl, there is something about gray and white cats. Not only do they have an elegance, they seem to live for a very long time. We had a male that made it past his eighteenth birthday and this girl doesn't even have a gray muzzle yet.
I'll pray for both the sailors and the Navy. Hopefully they will learn how to stop this from happening again, but them I thought blimps were made inflammable after the Hindenburg.
I have local friends who work at vets, and they end up with the kitties no one else will take or no one else is qualified to take care of.
So glad that beautiful kitty has a new home. So sorry for the loss of your previous clinic kitty.
So many sad threads in this story. But it has a lovely heart-warming ending, and that makes me happy and grateful. Thank you, whoever you are, for sharing it with us.
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