To the vet

One day I noticed a bit of a nick in my cat's tail. I didn't think much of it; she often comes back out of the garden with wet patches and various seeds in her fur. Something might be gluing her fur together there. She sorts that out. But then the nick didn't go away, and she developed a bald patch. Oh dear! It looked a bit like she had an irritation there, and she had groomed it bald. It reminded me of a mosquito bite you scratch until it bleeds. And I decided to phone the vet.

The vet said it didn't sound serious, but that they hadn't seen her for a fair while, so that I better come in. So we made an appointment for the next day.

Close to the time I wrestled her into a travelling basket. She didn't want to go in, but once she was in she didn't complain too much. And then we went to the vet. She meowed all the way! I don't think she likes car trips. It broke my heart. It's the first time I did anything like this to her! And she sounded so mournful.

The vet first wanted to have a general look at her. That didn't start well! She tried to explore the entire room, climb onto everything, walk over the keyboard of the vet's computer, and all that sort of stuff. But he did manage to put her on the scales. And he decided he was too heavy! Oh dear. I can feed her a bit less, but I'm not sure how much caloric value she just manages to harvest out of the garden.

He was happy with her eyes and ears, and with her body temperature. But he noticed the tip of one of her fangs had broken off. He wasn't impressed by that. I had noticed it too, but she didn't seem to be bothered by it, and I also couldn't remember that not being the case. It very well might already have happened before she got to me! I didn't think much of it. I sometimes have the top of my teeth falling off. And yes I do get the dentist to make them look intact again, but I doubt she has the same considerations about her teeth as I do. But the tip falling off doesn't hurt, as far as my experience goes.

Then he got to her bald patch. He wasn't worried about it! He said he would prescribe me some ointment I would have to put on the patch, and then the idea was that it would go away.

When he was done I reluctantly took the cat into the waiting room. It was absolutely full with dogs! And they were making quite a racket. But one after the other the dogs left and the cat settled.

The vet came back to offer me a quote for having the cat's tooth pulled. I said I would think about it! If she is bothered by her tooth then it needs to happen of course, but she shows no sign of this. And the vet said cats can hide it if they are bothered by something, and the broken bit might let bacteria in. But I am slightly sceptical; of course the vet says it needs doing; that is how they pay their mortgage. I wanted to have a bit of a look at scientific literature to see if there is evidence for pulling teeth being the right course of action here.

I then just paid, and was relieved to be able to take the cat home. She was very quiet on the way back! But luckily, when I let her out of the basket, she seemed perfectly okay again. The trip doesn't seem to have traumatised her! I'm glad.

She might have to go back for a much more serious intervention, but let's deal with that when it happens. For now she is back and I can stow that travelling basket away again!

Ready to go to the vet