Sassy cats – The story of Trisha

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Last Thursday morning we saw an adult cat drinking at the pond. It looked very skinny but she took a drink and left. (The “we” includes my step-daughter – she has two dogs and four cats, need I say more?)

Thursday at dinner time the cat came back for another drink. Friday morning when she came, I went out. She was tame and not at all healthy looking. I got a vet appointment but by the time I went back out she was gone and I couldn’t find her. She was wobbly so I didn’t think she was far but I couldn’t find her anywhere.

My vet said they would not be able to see her after 3:30 on Friday and definitely not on Saturday. I did not want to go to an emergency vet so I wasn’t sure how it would play out.

When the cat came back Friday around 6 p.m. (we were getting ready to leave for dinner), I went out and picked her up. She is a large framed cat who should weigh 10 to 12 pounds. She weighed nothing. (We later found out it was 4 pounds.) We carried her in the screened porch, took pictures to post and my step-daughter started calling all the local vets to see if anyone would see us (keep in mind it is now 6:10 p.m. on a Friday).

We got an appointment at someplace I had never been for 6:45 (they close at 8). I was prepared to have the cat put down as it was in bad shape. My step-daughter insisted on checking for a chip and contacting the owner.

I had a wonderful vet (I can’t say enough good stuff about this place – we didn’t wait long and it was clean). It was an older cat and without testing, she guessed it was in late stage kidney failure.

The vet said that euthanasia would be a good decision as there wasn’t a lot of hope but they would check for a chip. There was one and they contacted the owner who was out of town.

The cat’s name was Trisha and she was 16 with health issues. The owner said the cat got out. She drove back to the vet.  It’s likely the cat hadn’t eaten in a few days. In talking to the owner the next day, the cat had just been released by another vet who suggested waiting a few more days before making any decision.

Trisha’s temperature was very low and her organs were shutting down. She looked like a cadaver with sunken eyes that were unresponsive. It’s unlikely she would have lasted the night on her own. Long story short (that boat sailed) once the owner took responsibility for the cat, we left. It was someone from my neighborhood. They did euthanize the cat the same night so Trisha found peace.

If this was my cat, I would want someone to step in and do the same thing. The owner contacted me after it was all over. She was very grateful and we both cried on the phone.

I hugged my own cats relentlessly. I’m not so sure they were happy about it. They want me to go into therapy.

This better be the last of the “bad cat news” for a while.

I like my vet although the hours are limited and sometimes it’s difficult to get an appointment so I’m glad to know that there is another option other than the emergency vet. The new place has wonderful weekend hours and two locations both of which are less than 15 minutes away.

I’m very grateful to my step-daughter who was an enormous help managing an overwrought weepy human and a sickly cat and also the beloved husband who acted as a non-judgmental Uber driver for us all.

RIP Trisha, 2003 — 2019

57 thoughts on “Sassy cats – The story of Trisha”

  1. Oh Kate. I just couldn’t hit the ‘like’ button on such a heartbreaking story. This poor old cat deserved to live out her final days in a warm loving environment … not on her own in the ‘wild’. You and your step-daughter are very loving and kind people. I’m so glad Trisha’s owner got to see her in the end 💔😢

    Theo is chipped and, like you, I hope that if it ever becomes necessary, someone will give Theo and I the same kindness.

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  2. What a story, Kate. Your compassion doesn’t surprise me at all, and I’m grateful you could share this experience with a caring stepdaughter who feels as you do. Dear little Trisha. She was loved and those final acts of tenderness do indeed mean a lot. I tear up thinking about it. Bless you!

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  7. You remind me so much of my friend Carol who would do the same thing … she once was waiting with one of her cats at her vet’s office and another cat owner came out of the doctor’s office sobbing after having her cat euthanized and Carol tried to console her and they had a sob fest together. I am sure her own cat was nervous in his carrier as he wondered what the heck was going on.

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    • It’s both sad and uplifting. I’d love to know that someone would help my cat. It was great to know that the cat got out (cats leave to hide and die) and the owner was distraught rather than dumped it. Lots of reasons to be upbeat. The cat had a great life. I know the house if not the people and it’s a lovely fenced in yard (that she was able to climb out of). For a short while, I thought I’d have another cat.

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  16. Bless you for helping her….it would have been so sad for her end to have come out in “wild” with no kindness or comfort. I love stories like this where people have truly CARED. Big hugs to you and your family……and I mean that.

    Pam

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  19. Trisha went “fishing” in the right pond! I believe she showed up at your pond because a higher power sent her there. The world needs more compassionate people like you. RIP Trisha…

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    • Thanks. It was a very emotional day. We weren’t sure if she’d come back in the evening and worse yet, we didn’t know if we could do anything except protect her, given the timing. Why do cats only get sick on holidays and weekends?

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    • It was not a good day but in the end the right thing happened. Many times you can’t help a sick animal because they run and hide so I consider myself lucky. It was the pond. End-stage kidney disease makes cats thirsty.

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