It’s Tortilla Time| Hi I’m Tori and this is my Story

A general reminder to everyone: If you bring in a large box of pleasant-smelling doughnuts to the work place and offer them to your co-workers, it is courteous to also offer one to the lunch-deprived co-op student drooling in the corner.

I generally try to discourage myself from ranting about the goings-on at my co-op placement, however today I simply cannot. I was ordered to clean the downstairs, a daily ritual for me at the vet clinic. As I stood alone in the basement, about to commence a bout of rigorous cleaning, a cat in a cage directly behind me let out a tiny mew. I turned around and discovered a white Persian cat with disgustingly filthy fur and a most wistful demeanour.

‘You’re a mess, look at you,’ I uttered softly. And a mess she was. I cannot recall ever encountering a cat, generally clean animals by nature, in such uncleanly conditions. The aura about this cat was one of dolefulness and dejection. I stood with the cat for a few moments, peering into its cage. She seemed immensely appreciative of any sort of attention.

I continued about my daily tasks, scrubbing the floors with an apparent lack of zeal. The veterinarian entered the downstairs and removed the filthy cat from its cage.

‘I’m so sorry. I wish so much that I could do more to help you, but your owner won’t let me,’ the veterinarian whispered with a sense of regret.

It wasn’t a few minutes later that I emerged from the basement and saw the cat lying dead on an exam table. I’ve seen euthanasias and dead animals many a time at my co-op, but somehow this one really affected me.