As a part time resident of Virginia, I was adjusting just fine.  I had my buddy Andrea as a roommate, a new neighborhood of birds to watch, and a big window to lay in for my afternoon naps, soaking up the sunshine.

But a few months later, I got sick.  Real sick.  I wasn’t myself at all.  Andrea rushed me to the animal hospital and they had to do an emergency surgery to remove little crystals from my belly.  I try not to remember this day, mostly because Andrea was so upset.  She cried a lot.  I had to sleep there overnight so I could get better. I hated that she was alone. See the pink band-aid on my paw  to the right?  That was my warrior badge to show how brave I was, according to the girl nurses.

After a few days, I was all better.  I said goodbye to the nurses who had taken such sweet care of me, “bye-bye Van Diesel” they said, and I went home with my Andrea.  We spent all afternoon sitting on the living room floor watching tv and relaxing; she even let me have the green bean bag seat.

My illness experience wasn’t all bad though, because it led to another great addition to my life, a new premium, organic, prescription food, with big pieces of chicken, carrots, and rice.  This food was one of my favorite things to enter my life. All of a sudden, I had more energy than I’d ever imagined; I was lightning fast in my laser runs, laying down record speeds. My coat was even more beautiful and shiny, according to Andrea. She said my lustrous fur gleamed in the sunshine like the Lion King standing tall on Pride Rock. And most importantly, I was so healthy that I only needed go to the doctor once a year for my checkups, ---which I’m sure you understand, was a big deal for me; doctors are zero fun.

Yep, this new food was a game changer. I was healthy, happy, and most importantly---had a full belly. 

Coming home from the Kitty Hospital

LISTEN to the Chapter

Chapter 8:  The Kitty Patient