Listen.
Dearest friends on the internet,
Last week was hard…full of ups and downs. Our Elizabeth Taylor was in serious trouble. There was no doubt that she was quickly dying right before us. We all were sad and the woman was beside herself. She was grieving the loss of Miss Elizabeth before she had even left us.
In her grief, the woman spent every waking moment with Elizabeth. They talked a lot. Elizabeth let her know how she was feeling. The woman took that information and spent lots of time on the phone with Dr Mark…bless him and the entire staff at Wellesley Animal Hospital for their wisdom to help Elizabeth and patience with the woman.
Now you may be saying “Bob…cats cannot speak. You're the lone exception with your ability to write. The woman could not have been talking with Elizabeth. This is nonsense! You are talking gobbledygook!"
If there is one thing I want to teach humans, it is that we speak quite loudly to you every day. The problem does not lie with us. The problem is with you. Many humans simply do not listen to us. Well, I think the issue is that many humans do not know how to listen to us…this goes for cats, dogs, birds, fish…every animal on the earth. We speak…but, sadly, we are rarely heard.
How do we speak, you ask? We speak with our eyes, our purrs, our ears, our tail swooshes, how we communicate with other cats, how we react to food or water, what we do in the litter box…we tell you quite clearly how we are feeling. That, coupled with good veterinary care, tells the entire story.
For example, the woman spent hours with Elizabeth. Her eyes were bright and clear. She would purr loudly when the woman would pick her up to love on her. She was constantly cuddling with her current boytoy, Freddy Astaire Graves III. She would come running when the woman would bring food to her, yet walk away from it once it was in front of her. Her tummy was all messed up…and so was her poo.
The woman relayed all of this to Dr Mark. I am not certain but I think he quite possibly may be the best veterinarian on the earth. His very first question every time the woman ever calls him to discuss one of us is always “what does your mom's instinct tell you is going on?”
She told him that she knows Miss Elizabeth is very ill and probably does not have a lot of time left due to cancer but…she wasn't sure it was time to say goodby just yet. The problem seemed to be her gut. She was still alert, was still very social with the rest of us (yes, she tried to give me a headbutt…more on that in another post), she lit up when the woman came into the room, and appeared to be very hungry but food seemed to upset her tummy so she avoided it.
Now let me say right now that the woman is adamant that we all have the highest quality of life as possible. And when it is no longer possible, she will make the most loving decision, yet heartwrenching for her, to say goodbye to us. She never wants us to suffer for even a single minute. If there is no hope, she will always do the right thing for us…not her. It's the crappy part of loving anyone, including pets.
Based on the physical exam Dr Mark did just a few days prior, on top of the tons of blood tests and urinalysis he did at the same time, he tended to agree with her. They agreed that if they did nothing, she was sure to pass because she would not eat. She had already lost too much weight very quickly and she was getting weaker by the minute. There was nothing to lose by attacking this aggressively.
And so they did. And…it appears to be working. Elizabeth ate like a champ on Friday, Saturday, and today, as well. She has gotten back to being a hussy as she cats around in front of God and everybody with Freddy.
Now, we are very mindful this may all be temporary. Elizabeth has cancer. Her time may be tomorrow, next week, next month. BUT…she is still with us today. She is eating like a racehorse. She is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed today. She is catting around with every boy in the house who will acquiesce.
I tell you all of this to communicate one thing…please listen to us. Watch how we interact with you and each other. Watch our behavior with food, water, and the litter box. With every action, we are sending you clear signals as to how we feel and what we want. And, make sure you are working closely with your vet. It is, indeed, true that I am not the least bit impressed with what they do with thermometers, but they save lives and prevent suffering every single day. Veterinarians are heroes.
Very truly yours,
Bob