Friday, November 6, 2009

At Last … With Conditions

There was something that would NOT let me put Taz in the furfiend column. Though I battled with it almost daily for a few weeks, it just wouldn’t. Like a huge mountain topped with barbed-wire. NO. You may NOT input that information.

I would start to scale the barbed wire and run away instead.

That something came last week in the form of a cryptic phone call. I thought it was a reporter at first and I was trying desperately to figure which thing that I’d sent out “about a month ago” and for which client that she might be referring to? Then she said: “So, do you still have that kitten?” Within minutes, one of my colleagues forwarded me an email trail and posed the simple question: “Do you still have Taz?” The two incidents were related and the lady at the heart of the request has decided to take Taz.

As long as she doesn’t have feline leukemia (FeLV), a lethal retrovirus that infects cats, that is. I’ve always known about feleuk but was never aware that it is so prevalent. (In part because we’ve had stray cats around my whole life and I’ve never dealt with it. The mother has – once – many years ago when it was first identified.) She is willing to pay for the test, regardless of the result. I won’t take her money though. Right is right.

This lady just lost a cat a month ago at age 14 so she’s not willing to risk another heartbreak. I don't blame her and completely understand her hesitancy. So, the FeLV test is going on Taz’s roster when I take her for her next round of shots on Monday. Cross your fingers that she’s 100 percent healthy! She sure seems to be. In fact, she has one of the healthiest appetites I’ve ever seen. Assuming that all goes well, we’ll meet up somewhere next week at a mutually convenient location for the great exchange.

I’ve been hesitant to bring it up because it’s still not a done deal. I’ve thought before that maybe this would happen. And it didn’t. So I’ve stayed quiet. I really want this to work out. Especially after an email I got from the lady yesterday started out like this: “I’m happy to say that the whole family has fallen in love with Taz. I have emailed her pics to all of my family.”

I’ve had a bit of anxiety since last week, since I knew that Taz really could be moving on to a new home. I questioned myself repeatedly. Is this the right thing to do? Really? Even the mother is back-pedaling a bit, now that the prospect is on the horizon.
But then I received another email from the lady last night that said in part: “I really look forward to meeting you next weekend and even though I will be so happy to have Taz…..I will probably cry when you hand her over because I will feel bad for you. I don’t know about you, but I get attached in about 2 seconds. Three pets can be a handful so I’m happy that you are giving Taz to me…..she will be a pampered kitty. I simply can’t wait. … Thanks again and have a great weekend and take good care of my kitty Taz.” (She even likes the name!)

Reading that melted any fears or doubts I may have had about handing her over.

Yeah. Everything has to be OK. This just seems right.

6 comments:

Kate R said...

I'm choking up & tearing up just THINKING about you letting her go! But I know this loss for you is the good kind, because it comes with a wonderful new beginning for someone else. And yeah, I get attached in about a nano-second.

Karen Anne said...

One caution - have you checked with the lady's vet as a reference?

Why S? said...

I miss her already!

Vicki said...

Tears in my eyes! I'm so glad you found someone to love her. Hopefully she'll be healthy :)

Anonymous said...

I was the same way when I started to let Dexter and Ashland's brother and sisters go. I crossed my finger that we had no FIV/FeLV. Because if we did then the whole colony had it.

Everyone is healthy.

May no disease bestow that bundle of fur that you have.

Michele

NV said...

Kate -- Thanks! It's been very hard. I've got a lot of mixed emotions, much more than I thought I would initially.

Karen Anne -- No, I've not done that. Not sure how much assurance it would be as it sounds like she has a solid relationship with them.

Why -- Yeah. I know.

Vicki -- Thanks! I SO want her to be OK.


Michele -- Thanks! Here's hopin' ...