Orion's Arrival

LOTS of changes in the household. First, the passing away of Bruce, then we took the three cats to the vet to get their annual check up and shots (they didn't like that), and now we have a new kitten!

Before taking Orion home, the Duluth Animal Allies animal shelter checked with our landlord, had us apply for a multiple-pet permit from the city hall and called our vet to check if our current pets were up to date with their shots. Well, they weren't. So, it was a very noisy trip to the vet yesterday with Sparks and Rascals crying in the back and Meowsie meowling on my lap.

I like this vet clinic. It has separate entrances for large animals (dogs) and small animals (cats and anything else below them in the food chain). They also accept appointments and don't make you wait too long. This makes sense because the longer an animal is in stress, the less easier it will be to handle them. One of the vet assistants there is exceptional. She really knows how to gently handle cats. Meowsie was an angel with her.

Vet Assistants from Hell

In contrast, remember with much unpleasantness one of Meowsie's vets in Quezon City. She had assistants that didn't seem or act like they even liked animals. It was just a job for them. The vet also never accepted appointments and had people wait hours and hours in line before she would see the animals. It is not uncommon to wait four or five hours just to have your pet seen. I don't even know why I stayed on the occassions I brought Meowsie there. It was hell for cats as far as I'm concerned. Dogs cried all around. The garage (it was a home clinic) smelled of pee. If I had my own car, I would have left after 30 minutes of waiting. But I didn't and it was hard to get a taxi while carrying Meowsie in his carrier. Also, I had to take a half-day leave of absence just to bring my pet there. I guess I was the only working person waiting around the garage. The rest of the people there were houseboys or housemaids who were actually being paid to wait. I guess they didn't mind.

I can't wait for Shirley Magnuson to graduate from vet school. I'm sure she'll be an excellent if not the best veterinarian in Metro Manila.