A friend in the hospital where I work noticed that I’ve been re-posting a lot of funny cat videos on Instagram, that she also found those videos hilarious, and could she interest me in one of her Persian kittens? I haven’t had a cat since 1996, when Hazel was mauled by a neighbor’s dog, and Sleek was hit by a tricycle and we had to bury her in my grandfather’s lot (there’s a very old entry here somewhere where I described how she was buried standing up). Last year another patient asked if I wanted to adopt his Belgian Malinois, Giggles, and so far Giggles has been giving us so much joy, despite the fact that for all his heft he is petrified of tiny animals like rats. But I will always and forever be a cat person, so of course I would have that Persian Kitty thank you very much! I met Dr. Achie (a pathologist) in the parking lot of the hospital, where she handed me this cute little ginger we nicknamed Clawie.

I asked my sister to bring her to the vet since we know nothing about the proper way of taking care of cats these days (Hazel and Sleek never had any vaccinations or never had to see any doctor). Of course my sister availed of the most deluxe package, and thankfully she did, because we discovered that Clawie is infected with feline panleukopenia and feline coronavirus! She only had increased lacrimation at that time. The vet advised that she be admitted. Of course, to terrorize myself, I googled what feline panleukopenia means. Apparently it has high mortality, and infected cats are usually found dead! Eeeeek!

Clawie is okay now. She has been discharged, and with the discharge comes hospital bills. I want a clinical abstract so I can apply for financial assistance from PCSO, DSWD, and other government agencies.

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