Finally a cool and breezy morning! It was GLORIOUS to walk around to my morning visits. Since it was a pretty light day, I got to spend some extra time at each house and meander around the streets taking in the fall like Sunday. Then around 10 am I arrived at a cat visit in a high rise. I had planned on killing some time there until my next dog at 11. I walked in the door and was greeted by both cats, starving as usual. I said my hellos, grabbed their canned food and headed to their bowls. I emptied the first can into the first bowl and munching ensued. Then I went to grab the other can and noticed the other cat on the floor on his side stretching. I immediately hit the floor with him saying his name and he was not responding. His eyes were fixed and he stretched his legs out, made an odd facial expression, and then just relaxed. He was having a heart attack right there in my lap and there was nothing that could be done. Although it probably lasted about 10 seconds, it felt like 10 minutes. I called the owner, no answer. I called my husband to come and get me so that we could run him to the vet just to make sure, but I knew there was nothing I could do. There was no carrier visible so I wrapped him in a towel and we took him to the vet that confirmed he had indeed passed. I left 3 messages for the owner because I didn't know what she wanted to do, all the while trying to hold back tears. I loved this cat - he was one of my favorites. He did have cardiac issues and had been on heart medication for years. This cat was like a dog. He was big and gray, with huge paws. He learned tricks on command, he took his pills in peanut butter (forcefully), and he had a voracious appetite at all times. He was a handsome devil and I will miss him terribly. It's funny about animals dying from a heart attack. It is so sudden and unexpected, but it is also so quick. There is virtually no suffering, which is the only comforting factor. I'm glad that I was there so that he was not alone, but I hate that I was there because I had to watch a cat friend leave this earth before his time. He should have lived to be 20 to become a cranky old man cat that walked with a limp and demanded his peanut butter by shaking his cat walker at me. I am devastated, as is the owner. There are no words to truly describe what I felt today. He will be missed and my heart goes out to his human mom and cat brother.
R.I.P. Patrick - you were one amazing cat
After we left the vet, I wanted to cancel all my other visits and hide. Since that was impossible, I had to head to the next dog walk and luckily Mike was willing to help me out with his car. I took the dog out, we went for a nice walk in the cemetery (I guess that was appropriate), I get back to his car and the battery is dead. Fucking great! He called AAA and there was a "higher than normal wait time." While he was waiting on hold, I got on facebook to ask if anyone was nearby that could give us a jump. Thank God for social media - an old friend who I haven't seen ages was nearby and said he would jump us. Perfect! While we were waiting, 3 different people stopped to ask if we needed a jump. We said thank you, but someone is on the way. He pulls up and the jumper cables that were usually in his car were not there, so he went to go home to find them. Two minutes later a guy pulls up with an SUV full of kids and asks if we need a jump. We told him yes. He said, "I have cables, but I don't have the time." He lived down the street so he lent us the cables and said to just leave them in his driveway when we were done. (How about that??) So we called my friend back to flip around and we got the car going. Phew!
We got home, emotionally drained, and we rested for a little bit until I had to go back out for a few more visits. Mike said that he would drive me. I got back into the car and notice that he his holding a broken mirror. (Seriously??!!!) Apparently while I was walking the first dog, a truck drove by him and hit his sideview mirror. It shattered and flew down the street. The guy DID stop and apologize and gave him money to replace it. Could the day get any worse?
We then headed to another high rise for a cat visit and the front desk couldn't find the key to the apartment. It SHOULD have been there, I returned it last night. So then I had to go upstairs and wait for maintenance
to let me in. He found me sitting on the floor by her door with my knees under my chin.
So there you go, death does come in 3's. The cat, the battery, the mirror. I am drained physically. I am drained emotionally. All I want to do is watch Netflix in the dark and sleep. Today was literally "One of those days"
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