Dobby the House Cat

On September 28th, 2007, my family adopted a 14 week old formerly stray kitten at Pet Connection in Mission, KS.  This was the first time i had ever adopted a pet before.  I expected the whole adoption process to cost around $100 (tags, membership  & administrative fees, etc...) and was very surprised that it was only $45.  I ended up donating $55 to the shelter before i left.  Two months later he had to go back. 

Dobby the house cat (named after the house elf in the Harry Potter books) was only at home for one day before he started coughing, wheezing, and kitty gagging.  At first we just thought that our place was dusty, but then decided that he needed to be looked at.  Pet Connection offered a list of "first visit free" vets that they were associated with, so we picked one.  Turns out that Dobby had a respiratory infection that he probably picked up before Pet Connections.  My first thought, "It would have been nice to know this before i adopted him."  I remembered that in the Pet Connection Membership program, there was a medical guarantee for 10 days. Well, this was only 7 days since the adoption so i gave them a call. Turns out i didn't purchase the guarantee which was only, according to them, a "$25 donation fee".  I guess the $55 that i did donate goes to lunch for the staff or something.  Anyway, two weeks worth of antibiotics later and Dobby's little coughing, wheezing, kitty gagging had gone away, and he was back to being the playful little kitten that he was born to be.  

Less than a week after the respiratory episode we start noticing that Dobby has been spending a lot of time under our bed.  Sometimes cats do that, so we didn't think much of it.  Then we start noticing that he has been eating less and less of his food each night.  It got to the point where he wasn't even touching what was in his dish.  When we would force Dobby out from under the bed, he just seemed so depressed or something.  Definitely sick again.  So we call the vet and set up an appointment.  In the days leading up to the vet visit, we wonder if the Science Diet kitty food is too tough for little Dobby's teeth.  I open up a can of tuna and Dobby digs in like there's no tomorrow.  He eats about four times a day for two days and starts showing little signs of life again.  The vet, without going into lots of vet detail, says he definitely has something wrong with him.  The do some blood tests, prescribe more antibiotics, and send him home.

Before Dobby, i have only owned one other cat, Kitty.  She lived 14 great years before having to be put to sleep.  Her last two days were awful.  It was like she had just decided that she didn't want to live anymore.  She went from mobile, verbal cat to blind, stinky, on death's door.  The vet said she must have been fighting it for some time.  It was like she was old and didn't want anyone to know she was old, so she kept it a secret until she couldn't keep it no more. Well, those last two days of Kitty's life is kind of what Dobby has been for three weeks.  

Blood tests came back positive for F.I.P. and the vet believe that Dobby would die from it.  My first thought, "It would have nice to know this before i adopted him".  As angry as i am with Pet Connection, i can't help feeling sorry for this poor cat.  There is no way we can keep him. There are still more tests that could be done that might help him, but i have to agree with the vet, this cat will not live.  

So i contact the evil Pet Connection place and inform them of Dobby's status.  After about a half an hour of them trying to tell me that the vets were wrong, they ask if i wanted to return him.  Dobby went back the very next day.  I signed the papers and turned Dobby's ownership back to them.  I feel incredibly sad.  Dobby was a wonderful cat.  Cute face with an awkward nose.  Squeaky meow. Very loving.  He loved to be held, pet & snuggled.  He was one of those cats that attacked your face with his own.  Even when he was burdened by sickness, he would still yearn for human touch.  We all miss having him here.  I told Pet Connection that we would like to be updated on his status.  Either way i will be sad.  If he doesn't make it, i won't be surprised, but i will still be sad.  If he somehow pulls through and makes a full recovery, i will be extremely happy, but very sad.  Because i know that we won't get to live with possibly the sweetest house cat there ever could be.