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My black kitty, who I loved very much although she was always a little iffy with visitors, died this morning after a routine procedure at the vet. I don’t know what to do with the body, or whether to have an autopsy. Should I still pay the vet that killed my cat? She was only seven. Today is a crying day.
Jeannine Hall Gailey served as the second Poet Laureate of Redmond, Washington and the author of Becoming the Villainess, She Returns to the Floating World, Unexplained Fevers, The Robot Scientist’s Daughter, and winner of the Moon City Press Book Prize and SFPA’s Elgin Award, Field Guide to the End of the World. Her latest, Flare, Corona from BOA Editions, was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award. She’s also the author of PR for Poets, a Guidebook to Publicity and Marketing. Her work has been featured on NPR’s The Writer’s Almanac, Verse Daily and The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror. Her poems have appeared in The American Poetry Review, Poetry, and JAMA.
Jennifer
Oh, Jeannine … it hasn’t been a good week to be a poet’s cat in Seattle. What a shock. I’m so sorry …. I’ll give you a call tomorrow. Lots of love, Jen.
Lana Hechtman Ayers
Oh Jeannine, your kitty was a sweetie. I am so sorry. What a shock. I wish I had something helpful to say about whether to have an autopsy. I guess, if it could ease your mind, go ahead.
I had a very healthy dog who died at 7. He just laid down on the carpet and a stream of blood trickled of his mouth. We had an autopsy and the Vet told us it was a brain aneurism (who knew dogs could have those too?). We were still grieved but at least we knew it was nothing we could have reasonably known about.
My love to you dear one,
Lana
Kells
Hope you’re feeling better.
Take care of yourself.
Love
Kels
Suzanne
J, I’m so sorry. Love & Kisses, S
Anne
Oh, I am so very sorry. I once had a cat who didn’t get spayed until she was seven or eight years old, and threw a clot during the spay & died — so I understand the shock of something like that happening when it’s not “supposed” to. I hope you can find some sense of peace through the grief. Be good to yourself.
Ivy
Sorry to hear this, Jeannine. 🙁
32poems
I’m so sorry. Lots of love to you.
Deb
cornshake
oh my goodness, I just now read about this–so sorry to hear of this. i can’t imagine the shock of hearing the news. my heart goes out to you…
Ann
Jeannine –
I’m just reading this. It is so hard to lose our beloved animals and especially when it’s unexpected, as it was with your black kittie, who’s such a handsome looking guy. I lost a dwarf rabbit an hour after a trip to the vet and it tore my heart out.Take care of yourself and let yourself grieve.