It had to be a nightmare. He had been fine until two days ago. He had been doing better. The vet had said the medicine would heal him and he would be back to himself in no time. She had been right. The bleeding had stopped, he had been more active and cuddlier. Yet now he was slowly dying in immense pain and there was nothing to be done other than an expensive procedure that would not guarantee a full recovery or euthanize him to put him out of his misery.
She checked her bank account, and it was less than desirable. The emergency vet offered a payment plan that would end up taking three years to pay off in reality rather than the six months she promised. Rachel did not have that kind of money and neither did her family. The procedure was also a temporary solution, and he would likely get sick with this again within two months and be stuck in the same situation. Her mother was telling her it was time to put him down.
Diogee was about to turn three years old. She had only had him living with her on campus for the past few months. He was her emotional support brown tabby cat. No other animal could soothe her anxieties the way his fur, purring, cuddles, and playful nature could. It was an ongoing joke that he was a dog in a cat’s body with how he acted, wanting to go out for walks, loving belly rubs, and constantly seeking attention. Rachel loved that about him. Now he was leaving her.
She had returned to her room that evening to find him hiding in the cat bed she had got for him. The one he refused to use no matter what. He had been far too quiet and still. He was refusing to eat or drink anything. She had not found any more blood in the litterbox, but she had been worried enough to take him to the emergency room veterinarian. Now she was being told he was dying and only two options were available to prevent prolonging his pain.
They brought Diogee back to her to hold as she made her decision. He cuddled close, but otherwise barely moved. His eyes, always so wide and curious, stared up at her and begged for release from the pain. She wept as she made her decision. Her father was on the phone with her as she held the cat, her baby, in her arms as the vet injected him. She felt his body go limp and she broke.