My favorite case today...

Today was a day when everything seemed to go wrong and I got behind because nothing was simple. I think we all have those days where we just wish we could crawl back in bed and just wake up the next day.  I just kind of plugged through knowing that it would end and I would get to see my cute snuggly kid again soon.

I walked into a room assuming that hairlessness in a cat was yet another case of fleas.  This time of year I feel like I see cases of fleas at least three times a day.  It gets old.  What I first noticed was the cat was sitting on its owner's lap watching video on an I-phone.  Much akin to what happens when I take my son to doctors appointments, the owner was "amusing" her cat during the waiting time.  I was informed (and could kind of hear from the audio) that the cat was watching his favorite person- I'm not sure if she was a "niece" or a "cousin" doing cheerleading.  Yes- this cat was calmed by watching cheerleaders.  Ok- to each their own...

I then went on to examine the cat and speak with the owner.  Apparently, said "cheerleader" was the favorite person in the cat's life and he didn't really have use for others.  He was an old kitty and he knew who he liked.  As the story went on, I realized this cat most likely didn't have a case of fleas, or just arthritis- he had a lonesome heart.  The cheerleader spent long days in the summer with the cat, and now, with school started and cheerleading in full force, she tried to see him, but it was often only for 5-15 minutes.  He would calm down when he got to see her cheering on video and he liked to sleep in a blanket that smelled like her.  The owner informed me when I suggested she keep more items around the house that smelled of his favorite person that she made the mistake of washing the item and he grimaced and gave her the evil eye the rest of the evening and refused to come near her- he knew she had washed the smell out.

Now, apparently his anxiety of missing his loved one was causing him to tear his hair out (in absence of another diagnosis).  We talked about ways to reduce his anxiety and reduce the pain of arthritis if that was also involved.  We also talked about an anti-depresseant.  Clearly we can't make his loved one stay home from her life to be with him, but there's something crazy about a cat with such a strong love.  As the owner was perplexed by the cat, I think I made her feel better when I said some cats (such as my own) have separation anxiety that is expressed as inappropriate elimination, her kitty is more polite that he harms himself rather than her property.  She seemed consoled by this.

The love of this cat kind of reminded me of one of my favorite stories as a child, Shel Silverstein's "The Giving Tree".  I think as a child I was more mesmerized by the tree for all the gifts it gave and now as a parent I identify more with the tree.  I think my patient also identified with the Giving Tree. For anyone who thinks cats are aloof and don't have feelings- this case is one that shows they have feelings, they might just express them differently.