Dogs, Cats And Vets

So here I am again, yesterday morning to be exact, in the vet's office.  Now there's nothing seriously wrong with my pooch, just a case of itchy skin that none of my home remedies seemed to cure.   So off we went Friday morning hoping for the "first come/first served" vet's office to be having a light day.  No such luck.   A simple visit ended up to be hours long and most of that wait time.  But while we were there it was a window to the world.

First off in the crowded waiting room there was one seat left between a woman sniffling with a summer cold and a man rocking a kitten.  So, I'm adverse to summer colds and allergic to cats but I figure it shouldn't be that long of a wait.

Next bit of bad news occurs when I realize that there are only two vets and one looks like she may have just graduated vet college and then only if someone advanced her through school on the rapid acceleration program.  New, young and dedicated - each patient seemed to be getting a minimum of a forty minute visit.  So I settled in, after all I'd made the drive, got up early and battled the traffic - no point going home and doing it all again on another day.

Parked with only a fish tank between me and my cat allergy I watched the micro-environment play out - people and their animals - people and people and everything in between.  Beside me, the man rocked his sleeping kitten and every once in a while he would kiss it.  Others chatted back and forth with endless stories about their dogs and the calmness of the kitten surrounded on all sides by dogs and followed that up with a micro-analysis of dog interaction.  On my other side the woman continued to sniffle and proudly proclaim how delightful the antics of her puppy were.  It was disturbingly close to listening to the ravings of a parent on the abilities of their toddler. 

Then Animal Protection arrived with a ceased cat.  And everyone in the room was for a brief time, silent as if reflecting on the luck that had their animals doted and cared for and the misfortune of so many animals.  Or in this case, maybe relief at the possible turn of fortune of one lone cat.

Things returned to light-hearted talk fairly quickly as a woman and man arrived with their basset hound.  The woman was a laugher - she laughed about everyone and everything - continually.  She also had the biggest dog in the room who was terrified of everything.  So with a basset hound scurrying for her lap and safety - she laughed and gave it a bear hug. 

A woman arrived with her baby in a baby carrier which she parked on the floor.  Her cat was in a carrier that she placed on a chair - let's not even go there.  Fortunately after a time, when the baby began to fuss, she took her from the carrier and began to pace the floor which caused howls of laughter from the basset hound laugher who seemed to be under the impression that every dog in the room was fascinated with the baby.  I didn't bother to tell her that mine was sleeping and the puppy seemed more interested in smelling what I would consider off-limits areas of the other dogs' anatomies.

Then the pregnant woman arrived and a discussion began about morning sickness between her and the previously quiet kitten man.  She looks slightly green but, while her dog hid under the chair, she didn't seem inclined to head to the nearby washroom.  With a cold on one side, the allergy inducing cute as a button kitten on the other side and right next to that someone threatening to upheave their morning's breakfast - it was  looking bad all around.  The laughing woman continued to do what she seemed to do best - laugh.  In the meantime, my head has begun to pound - would anyone ask why at this point?  That's when my nose began to twitch and I sneezed - it was over - the allergy had set in.  Meantime the woman with the cold is replaced by a young man and a half-grown rottweiler with whom he has an ongoing wrangling match as the pup insists he wants to visit, fight, play, anything - he just wants at the other dogs.

Fortunately, after over an hour wait, we were called just as a noxious and horribly familiar odor settled into the room.  Someone had relieved themselves - dog or baby I'm not sure.  I scurried after the vet and the inner sanctuary.  The door closed behind me.  The vet - bless her, gave me the option as she filled the prescription of either waiting in the examining room or going back to what she called "that madhouse."  I chose the former.  And even with the door closed I could hear the laughter lacing through the barks of the many still waiting.

When I left - the laughter followed me and I passed the man still cuddling his kitten that I learned was only there for her shots.  I think he gave her a kiss as I passed by.  I'm not sure what to make of it all but it certainly was a gold fish bowl view of human behavior.

The seeds of a character are everywhere.  Today alone was enough for a book.  Any characters in your day?


Ryshia
For All Time
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