When owners and clients come in telling us they have a missing pet, I’ve always thought it was sad, but I could never imagine how painful that feeling is. I’ve lost a few pets of my own to disease and old age- but those situations always had some closure to them. I always thought euthanizing a pet was the hardest part of being a pet owner, until last week.
In January I adopted a kitten that my cousin had rescued. She caught two kittens that were hiding under her step in the middle of a snow-storm by using a live-trap. She immediately contacted me, knowing I am a veterinary technician and started asking lots of questions about proper care and steps to take. After talking to her on the phone and explaining the importance of a health exam with a doctor she booked an appointment with us at Clayton Park Veterinary Hospital. Minnow and Morti were 4 months old when they arrived in our exam room. Both were long-haired dilute calicos with bright green eyes that pierced your soul. Minnow was timid and hid in my cousin’s elbow during the entirety of the appointment. Morti was biting and hissing and wanted to rule the world immediately! By the end of the appointment it was determined that I would take Morti home and my cousin would take Minnow. The kittens weren’t interested in each other and wouldn’t have a problem being separated at this point. After a month of being homed, Morti became the cuddliest kitten I could have ever wished for. She won over my heart and got along great with my other cat, Charmander. Her sister, however, did not get along with her house-mate as easily. My cousin has a wonderful energetic dog who loves to play and wanted to do so with the kitten since day one. However, Minnow did not want this. She hid and cowered away from the dog and did not come around the same way Morti did.
Next, the unexpected happened. The last of my childhood pets passed away. She had progressing kidney disease that finally took her from us. A huge thank you was given to all of the staff at Clayton Park Veterinary Hospital for helping me through this process. I knew this was coming for a while, so I had the courage and the understanding that we needed to let go when we did. But my mother was heartbroken. She mentioned several times she would never get another pet, she didn`t want to go through that again. To my surprise, my mom and my cousin had been talking. Minnow needed a quiet animal-free home to live, and my mom needed some furry paws to fill the silence of her house. My mom and cousin agreed that mom would take Minnow! I was ecstatic. I didn`t know when mom was going to get her, but I knew she was going to- and that she was excited!
I received the call at 12pm on Monday night, “Your cousin`s friend dropped off Minnow. She came in the door, placed the bin on the ground, and opened it. Minnow immediately ran outside. We can`t find her.” My heart dropped. The next 3 days were a rollercoaster of emotion, I felt so guilty for convincing my mom to adopt this kitten, just to have her run away and experience another loss so soon. Also, my cousin was distraught. The combination of emotions was too much. That week at work was one of the hardest so far, it was busy as usual- I couldn’t think straight. I realized that Minnow may not ever come back. There was a huge difference between this loss and the loss of my childhood pet’s life. I didn’t have closure. It took 4 days, but in the end a fresh piece of KFC chicken, 3 live traps, and lots of determination bought Minnow back to us. She now lives happily with my mom. It’s been a week and she is slowly warming up to humans. She cuddles right into you when you pick her up, wanting to nestle into your neck and stay there all day. Knowing she is safe and sound is the best feeling I could have imagined.
Losing a pet is hard, whether it’s to disease, old age, or to the wild. I’ve learned never to underestimate the pain and love animals can provide. Because of this I will strive to be the best Technician I can be to all animals in need.
Written by Tamara Tupper
