What greater gift than the love of a cat. ~ Charles Dickens

This morning we deposited Gracie at the Feline Hyperthyroid Treatment Center. This is a cat only facility which is just what Gracie needs. I was a bit anxious last night. She was our very first kitty. You know what they say about first borns. You always have the most photos of your first fur baby, and boy, are they stubborn. They pave they way for the rest of the fur kids. Fortunately, we knew what to expect since Ernie had the same treatment in 2018. We knew we were making the correct choice to have her treated, but it’s still heart wrenching to hear the pleas during a rather long car journey.

We had a very similar experience at this vet as we did with our regular vets. You call in the parking lot. There’s no human waiting area. Face masks and gloves during the cat exchange, and the consultation is done on the phone. At first, they thought Gracie was misdiagnosed. She’s a bit plump. The vet called her a lovely little dumpling. She’s gained weight and hasn’t lost any yet. They did find a tumor on her left thyroid. We confirmed the only other activity we’ve noticed was how talkative and friendly she’s become, but since she wasn’t playing more and wasn’t eating much more we just assumed it was from us working from home. The vet informed us that talking is actually a symptom. Gracie was trying to communicate she didn’t feel right. That’s why yearly wellness checks are so very important.

Coming home without her was very difficult, but we know she’s in good hands getting treated. We’ll receive a phone call every morning from the vets with an update on how she’s doing. She’ll receive treatment today, and then we wait for her radiation level to be safe for us to take her home. The nuclear ward is a “quiet zone”. They’ll also provide privacy boxes and curtains for kitties that need to hide along with any anxiety medication that’s needed to help stay calm. Now we just have to keep Ernie calm. He looked for her when we arrived home. He knows she’s missing.

To help me stay calm, I finished my first flower page in my adult coloring book. This sure does come in handy while I’m waiting in the car. We did have a stunning view on the way home. That’s Mount Rainier in the background.

Show someone you love them today by doing a random act of kindness or pet your fur babies. They need love too.