First Trip to the Vet

Were we betrayed by all my cat owning friends or... was it a rite of passage? Being a dog owner all our lives did not help prepare us for Callie's first trip to the vet! When you have a dog you just say "Want to go for a ride?" Then, clip on the leash and away you go. It takes them a few minutes before they go into the uncontrollable shakes as they finally realize that this is no fun trip. But... even then, when you get to the vet, you just drag them along and into the office where even the biggest and meanest Rottweiler sits there shaking. With cats, it's a little different. First of all, you have to catch the cat. My youngest sister has been a vet tech for many years and tell me there has been many a surgery canceled because the owner couldn't catch the patient!! So, you know they won't come when you call, you have to go to them. Next you have to put them in a box! They are nicely called Kitty Carriers but I now know them as a fishing tackle box with holes!!! I had NO idea! A friend of ours lent us one. I hadn't seen it since Bruce was the one to bring it home and it was stored in the garage. So the day comes to use this "box" (now referred to by me as the cat iron maiden) for our first trip to the vet for a checkup. Bruce brought it in and I was horrified! "You’re going to put my kitty in there!?" Now, she is a small cat, but I felt like we were cramming an 800 pound tiger into a shoebox! And kitty cries? Oh, be still my heart! I thought I was going to die before we got her there. First thing I'm going to ask for at the vet is if they sell larger cat boxes (and they did... and I bought one immediately) I also reminded them that if they take her out of the box, they have to get her back in!!! I'm beginning to think this trip was much more stressful on me than the cat.

So, we made it to the exam room. Now the room has two doors... one to the outside hallway, one to the inside corridor. I'm panicking... how are we going to get this cat out of the box? When we open it, she will bolt!!! Have to make sure both doors are closed... there will be no escape!!! In comes our vet tech, a very sweet young lady (I must take time to say that EVERYONE at Gresham Animal Hospital is fantastic). Now I'm worried... we have to let the cat out of the box. I'm ready for her escape (no one else seems very concerned). We slowly open the box and... she sits there! There is no running, there is no attempt for escape, there is just a cat sitting there saying "Hello, may I help you?" Well, there are now 2 techs talking to and looking over Cali who is just eating up all the attention, and me... who is standing there absolutely STUNNED that she is still in the box! This is NOT the same cat that I brought from home... it can't be... that cat would have been out the door in just seconds. We finally had to pick her up and remove her from the box. Then the awful words... "And now I'll take her in the back to get a stool sample and then bring her back." What... they are going to open one of the doors to the room... this can't be good. Callie will finally shake off her disguise of a purrrrrrrrrrfect kitty and bolt. I'll never see her again. But no! They pick her up, tuck her under their arm and away they go with Callie waving goodbye saying "See ya Mom... I'll be back soon."

I took these few moments to take some deep breaths and get ready for whatever else would be coming my way next. And then... she returns. No worse for wear, still looking somewhat happy. She sits on the counter and comes over to lean on me. Then the Doctor arrives to do the exam. He checks ears, eyes, mouth, general kitty body... you know she got "the works". We find out she is free from FIV (Kitty AIDS) and Kitty Leukemia and she is in very good general health. One small problem is she does have round worms, but this is easily taken care of. She is also pregnant (which we suspected due to her being an outdoor cat) and we will have her spayed next week. (I know... it's heart wrenching for me to, but to bring more small kitties into the world with possibly nowhere live hurts my heart also).

Now all that's left to do is make our appointments, pay for this first visit and scariest thing of all... gotta get her BACK IN THE BOX! There is a little panic in my heart... can this be done... will she finally show what she's really like? She is gently lifted up and lowered in the the new, improved and MUCH bigger cardboard kitty carrier with no problem at all. You can actually hear her saying "Bye... I enjoyed the visit... I'll be back next week." Not one cry on the way home. Wonder what's really on her mind... what will happen when we get her home and open the box? And it was not exciting at all. We got home, opened the box and she sat for a moment or two and then out she came like nothing happened. She looked like she just came back from a day at the spa! I on the other hand was a wreck and just glad to be back home and alive!

So, Surgery is planned for Tuesday and then she will be vacationing with them until the following Monday. We felt this might be best since we're not home during the day and she must be confined for up to 2 weeks. This way we know she is well cared for. She will also be wormed during her stay as well as having all her shots. Poor little thing will be hit from every angle. Now the only worry will be... can I live through this next adventure. Check back soon to find out.