The Power of Love

At first glance, Paco was an unremarkable cat. Rather medium-sized, with a short haircoat of buff and white, he didn’t look remarkable. But my opinion was soon to change.

When I saw him on a house call that day his owner was concerned he hadn’t eaten than morning and “something wasn’t right”. As an experienced veterinarian, I give a lot of credence to what an owner observes about their pet – they live with the animal daily, I only do a physical exam at one point in time. Although Paco appeared outwardly normal, something in his eyes told me I needed to look more closely.
Since Paco had not been sick long, the blood test surprised me. Not only was Paco very sick, his kidney values were higher than any cat I’d ever seen…. not to mention higher than any cat who had ever gotten well.
Sadly, I reported the news to Paco’s “mom”, Helen. He was an old cat and his kidneys were failing. She understood when I said his prognosis was “very guarded”, but she insisted we had to try. Helen lived alone, was partially disabled, and after 15 years together Paco was her only immediate family.

As I started the I.V., I felt a bit silly talking to Paco, telling him his mom needed him to get better. Nonetheless I pursued the explanation, telling him he needed to hold still and let us try our best to treat him. He not only held still for the placement of the IV, but he never whimpered, or fussed when the next four days consisted of poking, prodding, and a continuous IV drip into his foreleg, not to mention a trip to the emergency clinic every night and a trip back to my hospital every morning. Miraculously, his kidney values started to improve, and continued to get better every day, until at last his appetite returned and he was able to return home. He was “back to normal” Helen said, except every once in awhile he would stare into space and “watch” the corner where her other cat had always slept. Her other cat had died the previous year.

Did Paco have a near-death experience during his illness that allowed him to “see” Callie in this world. Or was he just daydreaming? I’m guessing the latter, but even so, he turned out to be quite a remarkable cat. He proved even cats can be courageous, and taught me a lesson I will never forget --- never underestimate the power of love.