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Ever since I got my beloved Taz Cat back in '93, I have always taken my cats to the same vet. The vets have changed a few times over the years, but they have always been wonderfully kind and supportive and cared as much for my fur babies as I myself do. It's only a small country-type vet clinic, with one full-time vet and two or three vet nurses.
I usually go in there several times during the year for the cats' check-ups and to get their worm medications. Each time I go in there will usually be a new cat wandering around - a dumpee that the girls have taken in as the new clinic cat/emergency blood donor. They eventually find these cats new homes (more often than not with a customer), but occasionally they will take a particular shining to one of the cats and keep them there permanently.
Back in December last year I was there getting Zapp vaccinated for Feline AIDS and the vet nurse was sitting behind the counter with a fluff ball on her lap. This fluff ball was Bomber, a young female moggy that was left in a box on their doorstep on Christmas Day. Bomber had been neglected for a while and was very thin and scraggly, but she was a big sook and they all adored her. I offered to take her home but they were more than happy to keep her.
At subsequent visits over the following month for booster Feline AIDS shots for Zapp, I would ask about Bomber and found out she'd been stealing food from bins and even getting into the girls' lunches. "The place is gradually being Bomber-proofed," Vet told me. "She's a ratbag but we love her."
A few weeks ago I paid the Vet a visit with Oscar, as he'd decided to shock me by leaving bloody poo in his tray. While Vet was checking him over I asked how Bomber was doing, and was saddened to hear that she had died. Vet knew she was sick and thought she may have had a liver tumour. She went home one night and Bomber was happy and fine, but when she came in the next morning she found that Bomber had passed away. I had to fight back the tears even though I'd only seen Bomber a few times. Vet was pretty philosophical about it - Bomber had given them all a lot of happiness during the 3 months she was with them, and they were grateful that they made her last few months comfortable and loving. Her fondest memory of Bomber was when she was carrying a bowl of food through the back of the clinic to give to a sick animal that was staying with them for a while, and Bomber was so intent on following that bowl that she walked right into the mop bucket. The mental image I get when I think of that is hilarious.
Oscar was diagnosed with a bit of a tummy bug and Vet gave me a course of antibiotics for him. Before I left I ask after another cat that was there a while ago but whom I hadn't seen for many months. Larry was a handsome black moggy who had also been left on their doorstep in a box after being hit by a car. Vet had to amputate one of his front legs and after some TLC he recovered quickly and became a cheeky member of their family. He shocked me one day when he jumped up onto the counter - a 4.5 foot high counter. Having only 3 legs clearly made no difference to him. He was a great little man and I was happy to hear that he had found a loving family to go home with. Before I left though I mentioned again my willingess to take in a dumpee if needed.
This morning Vet called me out of the blue and told me she had a new dumpee. His name is Jump and his family have given him up after he was attacked by a dog. The family have a couple of dogs but didn't say whether or not it was one of their dogs that has left Jump in his current condition (but we're assuming that it was). Vet says he's sustained a lot of damage to one of his elbows and believes she may end up amputating the whole leg. He also was hit by a car a few years ago and injured his hips, but Vet is happy that they have healed well but it's likely he will develop arthritis when he gets older.
I would love to take Jump but of course I have to think of how Oscar and Zapp will react to having a new brother who is not only older than them (Oscar is 2, Zapp is 6 months, and Jump is 5) but is missing a limb. As luck would have it, Oscar has an appointment on Thursday afternoon for his annual check-up and vaccinations, so we are going to introduce them and see what happens. Obviously it's a little different having Oscar meet him in a neutral place rather than in his own home, but I'm happy it'll give me an idea of what to expect.
Over the next 2 days I am going to do some research into caring for amputee cats, and the financial side of taking on Jump and also what might happen if Oscar and Zapp don't take too kindly to him. I'm determind to be sensible about this; I would love to take in Jump, but I need to take into account all the factors - Oscar and Zapp, the Babe, costs - in order to make the right decision.
We'll see what the introduction brings.
15 April, 2008 @ 1:25pm
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