“Doctor...” the accented male voice on the other end says with a rolled R. “I’m sorry to bother you. My friend’s left your contact information. It’s their cat. I’m worried about it.”
“What’s going on with it?”
“My friends are out of town, and it’s been hiding since I arrived to watch it. I don’t know what’s going on. He’s supposed to be friendly. I thought he’d want to come out and play with me.”
Cats are masters at hidingsigns of an illness or injury, but since this guy mentioned pet sitting, I have a hunch it’s something far simpler. I just need a little more information to confirm it. “Has it eaten? Or used its litter box?”
“I think so? There was a hole in its food bowl this morning. Unless the dog ate the cat’s food. Or the turtle. And I think it used the litter box. Do you mind if I go and check?”
“Sure.”
I hear the man place the phone down and then footsteps echoing against a wooden floor.
As I sit, my eyes search the room. My stomach clenches when they settle on Dylan’s empty desk. There’s a giant gaping hole where his collection of things he’s removed from dogs and cats used to be. It’s yet another reminder he won’t be coming back.
A moment later, the man returns to the call, sounding slightly out of breath. “Yes, it looks like it did. There’s a big dark spot in the corner.”
“That’s all great news.” I sigh. At least this case is an easy one. “Based on what you’re telling me, I’m confident your cat is going to be just fine. It’s a case of what I call stranger danger. He’s hiding from you because he’s shy. Cats are creatures of habit. They have rituals and routines they don’t like interrupted. When something is off or different, their instinct is to hide.”
“OK. But shouldn’t he have comeout by now?”
“Not necessarily. Cats are like people. They do what they want, when they want, on their own schedules. Until he gets used to you, he’ll probably only come out when he thinks you aren’t around. Which means when you’re out and about. Or at night, when you’re asleep.”
“You’re sure?” he asks.
“Yes, I’m positive. It happens all the time. There’s no need to bring the cat in.” I give the guy a few tips on cat care and remind him if he’s worried, he can always call me back.
“Gracias, Doctor. I know you’re busy. I’ll let you go.”
I disconnect the call and replace the phone in the cradle.
“Dr. B?” Vicki pokes her head in the doorway. She’s dressed in teal-blue scrubs with dogs in sunglasses today. Her curly brown hair has been tied back into a low ponytail. “I saw the line click off. Was everything okay? He was talking so quickly that I forgot to ask his name.”
That’s Vicki for you. She tends to struggle with getting people to get to the point of their stories. She’s too indulgent. While it bothered Dylan to no end, I don’t mind it. It makes the owners who come and see us feel like we’re more than just a business.
“It’s fine. And it was just a guy who was cat sitting for the first time.”
She laughs. “Phew. That’s a relief.”
“How does our morning look today?”
“Empty. We had another cancellation come in a couple minutes ago.” Vicki shoots me a sympathetic look.
“Another one of Dylan’s clients?” I guess.
She nods. “They didn’t specificallysaythey were leaving us, but I could hear the Lake Wakahanra Animal Clinic’s receptionist in the background. She’s got that distinct gravelly voice.”
“We knew this was gonna happen.” I squeeze my eyes shut. “I just didn’t think it would be three-quarters of his patients.”
When Dylan and I first opened the Grizzly Springs Animal Hospital, we thought we’d have no problems attracting new patients.It’s a small town, and the closest vet practice was two cities over. But as the last four years have proven, I was naive.
Our first year, like most new businesses, we struggled and weren’t profitable. But that didn’t stop us. We worked our butts off doing low-cost vaccination clinics, performing free spays and neuters, and sending out coupons for fifty percent off first-time visits. And in year three, it started to pay off. We began to break even and pay off a good chunk of our debt.
But we had one problem: Our clients were mostly female and flocked to Dylan. Not me. They wanted the “handsome” and “attractive” vet. Which I can’t say I blame them for. Dylanishandsome. He’s five-ten, and has a year-round tan and the smile of a toothpaste model.
But unfortunately, it meant I became relegated to playing the role of vet tech most days. At first, I didn’t mind. We weren’t in a position to be able to hire a tech. But as time marched on, I did grow to resent it. I wanted to see patients. Not stand in the background and be the one taking the pet’s weight and history to pass on to Dylan.
“Don’t worry, Dr. B, I’m sure things will work out. Just because Lake Wakahanra’s clinic has all male vets who happen to look like models doesn’t mean they’re any good. You’ve been in the area a lot longer than them. Plus, they’re three times as expensive as us.”
