Guys, think hard before adopting a pet. Especially if you are highly empathetic, sympathetic or imaginative.
Yes, the affection they show you, the companionship, and the sheer calming presence of just hanging out with them are incredible. But there are some not-so-amazing aspects to it as well. Eccentricities like our cat waking me up at 3 AM every night just for the heck of it (something she’s thankfully kind of outgrown), or suddenly deciding she doesn’t like her wet food (right when the sibling is on an out-of-town work trip), leaving me in a quandary.
I’m not even talking about the many responsibilities; feeding, grooming, bathing, trying to give them medicines, etc. I’m talking about what happens when they actually have to go to the vet.
This morning, I accompanied my sibling and her cat for a vet visit. She’ll be moving abroad soon, feline friend in tow, and the paperwork for relocating a pet is substantial and complicated. But the worst part has to be the blood test.
Cats aren’t dumb. Ours has started associating the soft cage bag and car rides with inoculations, so she was already rattled on the way there, meowing strangely, almost beseechingly. And it was no act. She was sweating from her paws, a sure sign of serious stress or fear. The mood in the car was understandably bleak, with my sibling and me taking turns trying to calm the cat down... and, frankly, each other too.
At the vet, it took two assistants to put her into a cat restraint bag and hold her down while the vet drew her blood. It was dreadful. I never thought a cat could growl, but there she was, snarling, growling, eyes dilated in pure fear and anger. It took about two minutes to draw 1–2 ml of blood, but those were the longest two minutes I’ve experienced in a while. My sibling was in tears the whole time. I didn’t cry, but I was definitely more heartsick than I’ve been in a long time.
The whole vaccination/blood drawing process is just too hard on pets, who, in this regard, are a lot smarter than human babies. Sure, some people have a fear of needles and get queasy at the sight of blood, but that is as adults. A baby getting jabbed for a routine vaccine has no idea what’s happening. They only cry after it’s done. Pets know from the start. They sense something is off, and seeing that dread is a terrible feeling.
Of course, within half an hour, bribed with treats and curd (yes, proper South Indian cat only), she was fine. But the two of us were emotionally spent. I felt the need for a strong drink (or two) after the ordeal and would have loved to take the day off work, but sadly, that luxury does not exist.
And while the cat is (hopefully) done with what she would rightly consider a ghastly vet experience, the ordeal continues. My sibling now has to take the samples to Bombay, get them shipped to an authorized lab in the UK, and ensure everything is in order for the cat to travel later this year.
Heavens, the things we do and suffer for love. 🐈
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