A man left a message for me to call back and didn't give a reason.
I rang back and he settled down as if he had all afternoon. He said he got his cat from the Dover branch in 1999. I said we weren't connected to them. He said that he keeps trying the number but it is dead. I told him the branch no longer existed and he would need to call Folkestone branch. He asked for the number and I said I had it indoors (I was in the garden
) - he said there was no need as I could probably answer his query. To cut a long story short (ish) - He repeated that he got the cat in 1999 and even told me the name of the woman at the branch. He said the cat had always hissy & scratchy but had calmed down over time - at least with him but still hated strangers and would attack or run. He said he always dreaded the first time the cat needed to see a vet and the day had arrived
- I said "you have had your cat for 9 years and it has never been seen by a vet?" - He said that it was impossible to catch the cat and he didn't like it. He said a lady vet and a vet nurse came round the other day but the cat escaped - the reason I'm phoning is to get some tips on how to get the cat to the vet. I said I don't know the cat but if it is as aggressive as he says, it may need a sedative but a vet would have to advise on that because he could have liver or kidney problems and sedatives could be harmful or fatal and as he has never been to the vet, who knows? - he said "yes the vet said a sedative in his food was a possibility"
- I said you could get a carrier and wait until he is relaxed and put him in. I said he probably has no fear of carriers as he didn't know what they were for
- I said maybe he could leave it out and see if the cat goes in it. He said the vet had loaned him a carrier and the cat did go in it but came out again
- I said you could ask the vet if they are flexible given the situation and when you can catch him you don't mind waiting. He said the vet had suggested that
- I said another idea was to get some gauntlets and bite the bullet. (I was getting annoyed
) - He said another thing I wanted to ask is if the cat is quite sick, there has to be a point when you decide to let it go and did I agree?
I said yes, if the cat is suffering and can't be treated to give it some quality of life, then it is the only thing you can do, BUT that is for the vet to advise. I said that it could well be, the cat has an abcess and once it has had a dental, it will be fine. He said he just wanted other people's ideas of how to deal with his problem
- I said the cat is probably in a lot of pain and he needs to act quickly. He thanked me and that was that (15 minutes later
)
I really wanted to have a go at him about not vaccinating etc but he was insistant the cat wasn't handlable.
Sigh.....
