Peanut was a female dilute tortie kitten who became one of the luckiest cats in the world about 18 years ago. Her story is not a glamorous one but an all too often familiar one that most of us working in the animal business have heard numerous times. She was rescued from the life of a barn cat to the life of a house cat. Now this may not sound like much to some people so what it means to that cat is food everyday, a warm bed, and a long life. Statistics show the outdoor cat lives on average 2-4 years while the indoor cat lives on average 12-18 years. I know which one I'd pick if I were a cat.
Anyway, back to Peanut. She was rescued by my Mom who cared for her during her life. Despite health issues, she really lived an incredibly long life. Sadly, I recently had to euthanize Peanut due to her ailing health. As the veterinarian in the family, I provide care to all the family animals. In Peanut's case that usually meant dispensing some sort of medication that Mom had to give on a daily basis. Some of her medication included inhalers that she required for an asthmatic condition as well as pills of various sorts. Cats can be challenging at best to give pills, let alone making them breath inhalers! Fortunately, she was a mild mannered cat and took her medications with little trouble. She had an uneventful life for a cat but she had the important things: lots of love, great care and safety. In the end, her body gave out and rather than jeopardize her quality of life, my Mom made the difficult decision. She crossed over the Rainbow Bridge last week.
Her long life can definitely be owed to my Mom, who rescued her from the cold and provided never ending care for her till the end. Please raise your glass and salute to Peanut. Also, a salute to Mom and anyone who has rescued a needy orphan!
