Took Pebble to the vet’s today. The appointment was for regular vaccinations, but once there I asked the vet when can we cut off his, I mean be neutered. Doc confirmed he’s old and fit enough, so I left him there. Which was convenient, seeing as I had forgotten my wallet at home. The task of picking him up and paying was now delegated to the significant other.
On the way back I saw a van seemingly parked by the side of the road. Getting closer I saw that it was stuck in the roadside sand, apparently the driver was trying to avoid the bumps for the benefit of the cat inside. No telephone booth in sight, but that didn’t stop me from changing into my good deed clothes. I snuck the SUV in front of his van, whipped out the towing ropes, and pulled him out. Profuse thanks from man and cat washed over me.
Great right? Of course, since I left out the part where the man asks me if I had cables, I look back confused and said no, wait there while he makes a call, doesn’t reach anyone. I offer to take him back to the vet to ask around there. once there I absent mindedly sift through the stuff in the trunk and spot a utility kit I got off an insurance giveaway, therein finding the rope and other useful stuff.
Last weekend we headed out to Barasti again and returned with a snap-glow wrist band for my wife and a neck ache for myself. We were very tired after a long day and made a beeline for the bed. Shortly after lights-out though we hear a loud gagging noise – the cat had torn open the snap-glow wrist band and must have drunk some of the liquid inside.
Before going any further i would like to point out two things: 1) we are not the euphorial raving types who dance by the speakers glowing in the dark. The sticks were being given to everyone and we just did not refuse it. 2) it was by this time 3.30 a.m.
Back to the cat. She started foaming at the mouth and eyes were tearing. Being completely ignorant of what to do and afraid for the poor creature’s life, I called the vet hospital. The lady on the phone was very helpful, but couldn’t advise me to do anything except (of course) bring her in for checking. Also before hanging up she politely explained that there was a vet emergency call out fee of Dhs 700 (around €120). Fine.
The hospital was difficult to find, and we had to call again to ask for directions. Also the last stretch was completely off-road stuff, a bumpy track that would have made a 4×4 dance around. I had to crawl at a snail’s pace. We got there eventually and the Italian vet suggested we leave her there for blood tests and observation. Later during the day I received a call, she was put on a drip as was not eating much and will be kept overnight. By the following morning she had started eating again (and passing the food, nicely put) so she could be picked up. Further off-roading. At least I was rewarded with a pretty unusual sight for Dubai.
The only road I know of in Dubai with this dense green-age
Today had to go back for a follow up blood test after 3 days. Levels were improving, she was on the mend. Getting there I had a bit of an incident. The vet was still closed as I had to go a bit early, and while I was waiting outside the car the cat managed to free herself from the carrier and decided to take a better view of her surroundings.
Houdini would have been proud
Actually the carrier is of the canvas zip-up type, not the plastic cage type, and the cat managed to work the zip from the inside by wriggling forcefully against it. So we need to upgrade.
