By Jeff M. Brown
www.boredfactoryworker.com
“People who don’t like cats just haven’t met the right one yet.” – Deborah A. Edwards, D.V.M.
“Okay, I admit it. I don’t mind cats.” – Jeff Brown
“I need to make one thing clear: The day I have to clean the litter box will be the day we get rid of the cat.”
I said that to my 12-year-old daughter the day we brought him home- a little black and white kitten she’d soon name Waterfall. Yeah, as you might have guessed, that speech didn’t work out quite the way I had hoped. I’ve cleaned his litter box hundreds of times over the years and, yes, the cat is still living here in my house.
Waterfall is eight years old now. He was recently extremely sick and nearly lost his life. This tough experience got me remembering what it was like way back in the days when he was just a kitten. Waterfall always greeted me when I got home from work.
Jeff: Hi cat.
Waterfall: Cough, cough. (Puked on the floor.)
Being the responsible adult in my household, I reacted in the most responsible way I could think of- I called for my daughter to come clean it up.
Jessica went over to the cat and asked him, “What’s the matter, Pookie Baby?”
“He made another mess.” I said. “I think it’s time we took him to the vet.” When we arrived at the clinic, the doctor was sitting behind the counter.
Doctor: What’s wrong with him?
Jessica: He’s been throwing up quite a bit.
Doctor: Boy, he’s grown since I’ve seen him last. Hmmm. (He got up and checked in the cat’s ears.) It looks like he’s finally rid of those ear mites. Does he have any other symptoms?
Jeff: This is the most hyperactive creature I’ve ever been around. He meows incessantly and he doesn’t pay attention to my commands. (I threw my hands up in the air.) Do they make Ritalin for cats?
Jessica: (Ignoring me.) Except for the barfing, he seems perfectly fine.
Doctor: (Also ignoring me.) Jessica, don’t worry. I’m sure your cat just has a hairball. (He grabbed a toothpaste-like tube from a shelf and removed the cap.) This stuff is called Laxatone. (He put a dab on the cat’s nose.) Smear about half a teaspoon on his paws or nose for the next few days. He’ll lick it off.
Jessica: What does it do?
Doctor: It’s a lubricant. It helps hairballs move through a cat’s system.
Recent trips to the vet, unfortunately, have been more serious. Waterfall hadn’t been eating or using his little box much anymore. He was losing lots of weight.
Doctor: I have some bad news. His blood work shows that his kidneys and liver are failing.
Jeff: What’s wrong with him?
Doctor: It’s hard to say without doing more tests, but his symptoms are consistent with a virus cats can get at his age.
Jeff: Is there anything we can do?
Doctor: The virus, I’m afraid, is untreatable.
The news seemed pretty grim- multiple organ failure and an incurable virus. I couldn’t believe that this rambunctious creature that once tore the garbage disposal rubber right out of my kitchen sink was dying. I felt so bad I could barely hold myself together as I left the office.
My daughter was equally devastated when I told her the news. We didn’t want our little family member to die, but he was so sick his fur was falling out. That’s when I decided we should have him put to sleep. I couldn’t bear to see the little guy suffer anymore.
Then something amazing happened.
On the Friday morning of the dreaded appointment, Waterfall began to eat and groom himself. I saw flares of his old self again, flares I hadn’t seen for a long time. The clock was ticking away and I had a heart-wrenching decision to make- should I keep the appointment or keep him home? It would be incredibly selfish of me, in my opinion, to give him more time if that time was full of misery. After a few agonizing hours of decision making, I decided to keep him home.
It’s been about a month now since that awful morning and Waterfall seems to be doing pretty well. In that time the vet has given him two immune booster shots and antibiotics. I’m cautiously optimistic that the cat will be living with us for a long while to come. His eating habits are back to normal, he’s gaining weight, and, yes, he’s pooping nearly every day again. But, that’s perfectly fine with me.
I’ve never been happier to clean a litter box in my life.