Pinto

One week to the day. That was how long it took for my cat to once again stay at my lap. I could sense that she felt hurt and was very upset with me. She couldn’t understand how I could have left her on her own at the vet clinic.

For six days she was confined for a kidney problem. Her fondness for eating is directly opposite to her habit of drinking. Thus, an old problem with her kidney came back again. And this time, it was harsher. For almost six months, we observed her. But nothing changed except with her peeing habits (she had a harder time urinating, often there was blood in it). We tried giving her antibiotics and vitamins as prescribed by her doctor but it was so hard to make her take her medicine. She was losing weight. We had to make a decision.

And so one Monday morning, my brother and I braced ourselves for a difficult taxi ride to the vet. But it was okay, she was just meowing a lot. Just complaining for bringing her outside. We knew that we must leave her. She must pee . A lot. So that those things blocking her kidney and lining would be washed away. The best way? Dextrose.

I saw her again after 3 days. I myself called in sick at the office that day for a stomach problem but I just had to visit her. From the vet, I learned that she’s a crier. She kept on complaining and complaining all day and all night. Maybe calling out to us to bring her home. She shakes away hands that try to touch her paw that has a needle inserted into it.

I got so teary-eyed seeing her inside the cage, constantly crying yet not moving when I called to her to approach me. Even when the cage was opened and I tried to comfort her, she kept on meowing. It was like she was pleading to please take her back to her home.

I had no choice though. We still needed to wait for the second blood test that would show that her kidney is much better. And so I left.

Saturday evening we took her home. I noticed that she felt a bit lost. I know that she felt happy to be home yet still afraid that someone would take her out again. She was quiet for several days. Then I heard again those familiar sounds she makes whenever she is hungry and asks us to feed her. She began to brush against our feet.

But it was only today, as I did the signal of tapping my lap, that she came forward and jumped on my lap. She stayed curled for a few minutes, letting me hug her for a while. And then she jumped and left.

It might take another week or two before she returns to her usual self. I will just let her be. I know that as the days go by, it would become easier to call her to stay at my lap.


P.S.

She might not have understood why we left he for a week. Or maybe she has forgotten already that frightful experience. But she has learned a very good lesson, she is now constantly drinking! :- )