Entre Les Murs

Visit to the Vet

Into every cat's life a little rain must fall - and of course for a cat that implies more hardship than it does for we humans.  But there's no avoiding the fact that an occasional trip to the vet is one of life's tough realities, replacing taxes on the short list of inevitabilities for domestic animals.

Finding a vet was the first challenge.  I stepped into a local dog-grooming salon and asked for a recommendation.  There the young lady obligingly gave me clear directions to a vet a block away and then confusingly handed me a business card for a vet in a nearby suburb.  After some headscratching over the miscommunication (a friend told me that she envies, living here as Janet and I do, our inevitable bilingualism.  If only.), I made an appointment at the nearby vet.  Emma and I strolled over to the clinic yesterday (the less said about the kitty carrier oh-no-I-won't-oh-yes-you-will struggle preparatory to that stroll, the better).  I'm sure Emma doesn't appreciate her good fortune, but the doctor turned out to be an older German lady.  Perhaps it's a bit of a cliché, but if you're going to look for a health care practitioner in Europe, you could find a whole lot worse than a seasoned professional with German training and outlook.

And in truth the woman gave me not a moment's doubt as to her capabilities and competence.  The one unusual aspect was that they whisked Emma away to draw blood for her blood test.  I don't have a lot of experience with current veterinary practice, but I expected them to want the owner there, if only to help calm the animal into whom they are trying to stick the needle; but I was clearly not to be a part of that drama, and after ten minutes I was reunited with Emma in the vet's office.  Emma seemed calm and neither the vet nor her assistant were visibly the worse for wear.  Indeed, perhaps there's something European vets really ought to be imparting to their colleagues back home because the doctor told me that Emma had been very well-behaved, indeed called her "sage" (sensible).  I glanced quickly at the kitty carrier, but they had the right cat.

In the last day or so since we got home, Emma has been exploring our home, climbing up on things and opening cupboards, as though she has found a new appreciation for the things she used to take for granted.  Such a drama queen.

posted 1.11.06