And Now, in Cat News

I haven't written much in this space before about the cats that actually own my house and run my life. That is mostly because I have been more interested in technical topics or entertainment. The existence of cats and that they are in charge was generally not germane to either of those topics.

Lately, our oldest cat Rory (short for Rorschach for the perfect ink blot mark folded along his spine) has himself become the source of technical musing. He went lame, and the lameness developed into mild paralysis of his hindquarters. Concern for his health resulted in a trip to the vet, where attempts to cure the immediate problem revealed deeper problems and resulted in a lengthily stay. He returned home for a week, but has had further difficulties and had to return to professional care.

Because of these difficulties, we have had the opportunity to see more of the inside of a well-run veterinary hospital than we ever had before.

Some background might help here. All of our cats have been seeing the same vet since they were found and adopted. All three were originally strays that volunteered for the strenuous post of indoor cat with a small household staff to keep in order. Their vet is Dr. Sylvia Domotor who now operates Dr. Domotor's Animal House in Monrovia employing several other vets and a sizable staff. She has been their vet since well before she founded her own practice. The cats remained her patients because we have always approved of her handling of them. For that matter, we have had nothing but good experiences with all of her other vets and with the rest of her staff.

And as we go through these difficult times with Rory's health, we are touched again and again by their kindness and professionalism.