It happened again. Someone came in with a cat that they either didn’t want to be or couldn’t be responsible for, and the cat definitely needed someone to be responsible for her. The backstory, of course, is different than Barnacle’s was, but similar idea with euthanasia being on the table. She technically belongs to the hospital, but she’s been living in my house for about a week and a half now.
It was my last appointment of the day on what normally is my short day. The appointment was scheduled to “check sore on back.” My tech actually asked me if I wanted to give it to one of the other doctors, since it was my last one, and she had an opening at that time. I said, “No. It’s fine; I’ll see it.”
I don’t know what exactly I was doing- probably writing up a report or answering some random question that was left in my mailbox. Either way, I was a little late getting to this appointment. My tech starts off the history with, “It’s bad.” Not what you ever want to hear, really. The owner didn’t offer too much. The wound was first noticed about a month ago. He didn’t know if it was really any different from when they had first seen it; they had been away for the last couple of weeks. He didn’t think she was bothering with it, and definitely, the ulcerations on her lips from September were resolved.
Spoiler alert: the ulcerations from September were not fully resolved. (Although from our relief doctor’s notes, they were improved.) The “small sore” on the cat’s back was ~8cm in diameter. (The cat weighs 7.5 lbs; this is a large wound for an animals this size.) The cat also had a new heart murmur. The record from the September visit stated that the owner was considering euthanasia if treatment was going to cost too much. There are previous visits with similar skin lesions (but not as significant) written up in the record as well.
I explained to the owner what I suspect is the cause for the lesions (underlying allergic disease), that it will take a LONG time for this to heal, with several recheck visits and some changes to long-term management. I also mentioned that with the new heart murmur, using steroids, which have previously been used for this cat may be risky. I presented the owner with an estimate for the visit, and he immediately stated that they had been discussing euthanasia for a while and that was what his wife was actually expecting to happen, as they had pads all over the house because the cat was just dripping blood everywhere from this wound.
The cat, according to the record, is 7 years old and seemed perfectly friendly. If she was 12 or 14 and came in with the same story, I could’ve justified euthanasia to myself, performed the procedure and moved on with my life. However, with treatment and then management, this cat is potentially only halfway through her lifetime. Maybe she has even longer than another 7 years. Instead, I asked if he would consider signing her over to the hospital. We would treat her and find her someone who was able to provide the care that she would need moving forward. He didn’t hesitate and said that if that was an option, absolutely he would do it. I called my practice manager, who, of course, approved it, and here we are.
Justin was not particularly pleased with me for just texting him that we are now fostering a cat. He did not want a new cat and is always hesitant about what kind of personality any cat may exhibit. Mostly though, it’s because there wasn’t a discussion about the cat; she was just coming to the house. With Barnacle, once I told the people feeding him that he had some issues, but didn’t need to be euthanized that day, they were satisfied with that and took him back with them. In this case, this owner did not want to take this little girl back home.
I’m pretty sure the cat is glad that she isn’t dead. Her appetite is voracious, even with ulcers on her upper lips and palate. She’s playful at times, sometimes bold in her exploration of the house (perhaps a little more cautious in the last few days after getting chased by the dogs a couple of times and deciding that robot vacuums can be terrifying) and loves headbutting hands for rubs around her face. She’s not a fan of her medications, but she takes everything easily enough. She’s great at using her litterbox. She has a long way to go before she’s healed, but she’s doing well overall, and I feel good about my decision.
The staff and I agree that she needs a different name for her new life. Justin said we can’t name her because it means she’s staying. Our families were pretty quick to provide suggestions though, and my sister told him on Thanksgiving that the cat is staying, and he knows that. He didn’t actually respond to her comment, but he hasn’t kicked us all out of the house either. To me, that’s a win because I knew he was not going to be happy with me.
My sister suggested Ferne as a name for the cat, and I think that suits her pretty well. Since Justin doesn’t want to name her, that’s what I consider her name to be, but she’s usually referred to as either “the cat” or “the crusty critter” right now. She doesn’t seem to mind, as long as I show up with food regularly. To be determined what happens from here once she’s healed. For now, she’s warm, safe, being loved and getting appropriate medical care for her most pressing issue.
“How we behave toward cats here below determines our status in heaven.” ~ Robert A. Heinlein
