Cat Fight!
I went to the ER yesterday.
I got bit at a clients house. It was bound to happen, but I wish I could say it was a big butch dog that did this, or I got bit saving some poor defenseless creature.
Well, let me back up. I was bit saving some poor defenseless creature, if by poor and defenseless, you mean Pathetic- and by creature, you mean Sadie. The It, in this case was no big dog- instead, It was a 13 pound cat. A very angry cat. Angry cats don't like to be shooed out of the way, and as a way to let you know of their discontent, will sink their razored teeth into your hand, go all the way to the bone, release, and then run like the wind.
There is a specific bacteria that cats have that humans really can't do too much with. And even if we could fight that off, the fact that their teeth are so needly, they push the existing surface bacterias on your hand into the muscle, tendons and inner workings of your limbs (or whatever they manage to sink their teeth into.)
After 2 days, a round of Antibiotics and some Ibuprofen, the swelling and redness is starting to go down. My range of motion is coming back, but not quite to where I can do a 5 dog house call by tomorrow. And that upsets me because I was looking forward to it.
However, I love my job: See?
This is Sarah. Sarah is owned by an older woman who lives in Cambridge. She really doesn't have the mobility to take care of what will eventually be a 150+ pound dog. Right now, Sarah is only 10 pounds, but at 11 weeks old, that's to be expected. The owner can't walk Sarah, nor can she really do too much with her. At first, I thought "What on EARTH would a such a woman do with this dog? Is Sarah just fluffy arm jewelry to her? This was really not in the best interest of this dog..."
Until today. Now I understand why someone who knows she can't take care of something would still go ahead and get a puppy.
This woman lives alone. She doesn't have anything else in her life that is just hers. Her daughter lives in England. She's never had cats, but grew up with dogs- Newfoundlands as a child, but Poodles as she got older. She wanted another Newfy since she really loved the breed- and I personally believe it has something to do with regressing to a happier time in her life.
She wants companionship in the worse possible way- a reason many of us turn to our 4 legged friends. She wants something that she can take care of instead of her visiting nurse just taking care of her all the time. She wants to feel useful and important, even if she can't walk this puppy, train it, or do anything but feed it and love it. That's what it comes down to for her, and I can't look at her now thinking anything different. She has her reasons, and they are valid. It's not to say it's fair for Sarah...but Sarah is serving her purpose with this woman, and she is a smart, forgiving puppy. I think this won't be quite as bad as it could be...
Especially since this woman today asked me something
She sat down after my excursion with Sarah and told me she was living on borrowed time. She knows she doesn't have long for this world, and she wants to make sure Sarah is taken care of. She didn't come right out and ask if I could take Sarah, but I could see she was heading in that direction. It then dawned on me that I'm the only person in her life right now that isn't telling her what to do. I show up, I help with the puppy, I leave. I say "I'll see you tomorrow" and that's my visit.
She has put finding a new home for Sarah-when the time comes, and we all know what that means- in my charge. She doesn't want her daughter to have Sarah- that would mean Sarah would go to England, be quarantined for a period up to 6 months, and that's not fair to Sarah, or her daughter to suddenly have a dog, a LARGE dog, in her lap. Most likely, quite literally in her lap as Sarah is a cuddly dog. She didn't say "take Sarah", but I did say that I have plenty of friends in the industry and using my resources, I would find Sarah the perfect home, and I'd personally see it through. She thanked me, then asked if I knew anyone that would be willing to move into the upstairs apartment- which I didn't but told her I'd keep an eye out for her. I then said "I'll see you tomorrow."
And that was my visit.
I got bit at a clients house. It was bound to happen, but I wish I could say it was a big butch dog that did this, or I got bit saving some poor defenseless creature.
Well, let me back up. I was bit saving some poor defenseless creature, if by poor and defenseless, you mean Pathetic- and by creature, you mean Sadie. The It, in this case was no big dog- instead, It was a 13 pound cat. A very angry cat. Angry cats don't like to be shooed out of the way, and as a way to let you know of their discontent, will sink their razored teeth into your hand, go all the way to the bone, release, and then run like the wind.
There is a specific bacteria that cats have that humans really can't do too much with. And even if we could fight that off, the fact that their teeth are so needly, they push the existing surface bacterias on your hand into the muscle, tendons and inner workings of your limbs (or whatever they manage to sink their teeth into.)
After 2 days, a round of Antibiotics and some Ibuprofen, the swelling and redness is starting to go down. My range of motion is coming back, but not quite to where I can do a 5 dog house call by tomorrow. And that upsets me because I was looking forward to it.
However, I love my job: See?
This is Sarah. Sarah is owned by an older woman who lives in Cambridge. She really doesn't have the mobility to take care of what will eventually be a 150+ pound dog. Right now, Sarah is only 10 pounds, but at 11 weeks old, that's to be expected. The owner can't walk Sarah, nor can she really do too much with her. At first, I thought "What on EARTH would a such a woman do with this dog? Is Sarah just fluffy arm jewelry to her? This was really not in the best interest of this dog..."
Until today. Now I understand why someone who knows she can't take care of something would still go ahead and get a puppy.
This woman lives alone. She doesn't have anything else in her life that is just hers. Her daughter lives in England. She's never had cats, but grew up with dogs- Newfoundlands as a child, but Poodles as she got older. She wanted another Newfy since she really loved the breed- and I personally believe it has something to do with regressing to a happier time in her life.
She wants companionship in the worse possible way- a reason many of us turn to our 4 legged friends. She wants something that she can take care of instead of her visiting nurse just taking care of her all the time. She wants to feel useful and important, even if she can't walk this puppy, train it, or do anything but feed it and love it. That's what it comes down to for her, and I can't look at her now thinking anything different. She has her reasons, and they are valid. It's not to say it's fair for Sarah...but Sarah is serving her purpose with this woman, and she is a smart, forgiving puppy. I think this won't be quite as bad as it could be...
Especially since this woman today asked me something
She sat down after my excursion with Sarah and told me she was living on borrowed time. She knows she doesn't have long for this world, and she wants to make sure Sarah is taken care of. She didn't come right out and ask if I could take Sarah, but I could see she was heading in that direction. It then dawned on me that I'm the only person in her life right now that isn't telling her what to do. I show up, I help with the puppy, I leave. I say "I'll see you tomorrow" and that's my visit.
She has put finding a new home for Sarah-when the time comes, and we all know what that means- in my charge. She doesn't want her daughter to have Sarah- that would mean Sarah would go to England, be quarantined for a period up to 6 months, and that's not fair to Sarah, or her daughter to suddenly have a dog, a LARGE dog, in her lap. Most likely, quite literally in her lap as Sarah is a cuddly dog. She didn't say "take Sarah", but I did say that I have plenty of friends in the industry and using my resources, I would find Sarah the perfect home, and I'd personally see it through. She thanked me, then asked if I knew anyone that would be willing to move into the upstairs apartment- which I didn't but told her I'd keep an eye out for her. I then said "I'll see you tomorrow."
And that was my visit.