It was time to take Six Toes to the vet for a check-up on all his problems, so I got him a new carrier for the occasion. He seemed to like it, going in and sitting in the box...not much stresses him out in our home. When he gets into a moving car, suddenly all bets are off and he's terrified. All the way to the vet there were little cries of fear...he doesn't like being driven anywhere. We tried to keep him calm so he wouldn't hurt himself or cause himself a heart attack. Heck, I even gave him a small piece of crisp bacon (his favorite) just to distract him, but it did nothing to alleviate his transportation nightmare.
Once there, we let him out and he explored the office, crying just a little and trying to spray everything (he can't do it because he's fixed). Nerves, I guess. Of course he came up to me more than once, head-butting me and rubbing on my legs just to let me know he belongs to me and to remind me to bring him back home. The assistant came in and wrapped him in a warm towel so they could draw his blood. I waited and then they brought him back, still chipper and alert. "We'll have the results back in a couple of days." So we left and I drove him home, where he happily got out and promptly laid down for a cat nap.
Transition to today: I get the call. "Well, we got back Six Toes test results....overall they look pretty good BUT there's some odd things going on with his blood platelets that we'd like to have checked out...." The next thing I know, we're given the number to a cat cardiologist to schedule an appointment and told to pick up a supplement....a kind of vitamin....to protect his immune system. The vet said that it might be necessary to put him on Plavix, which is something humans take to prevent blood clots for those at risk of heart disease and stroke. Poor Six Toes.
I suppose some folks out there are thinking "My gosh! If it's that bad maybe you should put him down. After all, he's just a cat." But he isn't just a cat....he's Six Toes. He's the little fella that greets me every day and always asks for a treat with those sparkle-filled eyes, full of mischief. He knocks things down and gets into trouble racing around with his friends playing. How can I say no?
So I guess I'll be on the phone tomorrow scheduling an appointment. He just celebrated his first birthday....he's made it a year so far. We keep hoping and praying to have him in our lives just a little longer...he's so darn cute.
Pray for Six Toes. He needs it.
