It was only a year ago that I held my dying baby in my arms. I’ve always hated picture day, and fourth grade’s was not an exception. Needless to say, after school I was cranky, uncomfortable, and a surprised to see my mom’s car in the driveway. Rushing in, hoping for cookies, my mom greeted me with a scrawny, ugly, sickly, black kitten named Elvis. Nursing him back to health one could say we established a “special bond”. Cheesy? Yes. True? You have NO idea.

Our little life together was going just swell until sophomore summer I noticed that Elvis was getting too skinny for my liking. My pride and joy was wasting away! I took him to the vet to find that his kidneys were failing. I was devastated. No, I was probably worse. It also didn’t help that good doctor, who I affectionately nick named Dr. Sahaga-hoe, recommended putting Elvis down. Trying not to cry, but failing miserably, I carefully explained to the mistaken man that “that” was not an option.

Demanding a second opinion, I took him to the Animal Hospital where he received a weekend of intensive IV treatment. Those vets also recommended the unthinkable, but decided to take a leap of faith and try to help us. Simply put, that Monday a miracle happened. Elvy’s blood levels were back to normal. We took him home, but had to take him to the vet for IV daily. Did I mind? No. I took great pride in shoving it in Dr. Sahaga-hoe’s face that MY cat was a fighter. Towards the middle of the summer I decided that I could inject my cat and demanded to be taught. “Juicing” him twice a day, I was once again nursing him back to health.

Too good to last, Elvis’s blood levels were all out of whack and his weight was back on the decline by mid January. I was forced with the toughest decision I’ve ever made. My baby was dying, and there was nothing I could do. The unthinkable soon became a reality and we were forced to say our goodbyes. That day I managed to cry off waterproof mascara and the only thing that comforted me was the awful vet, “You fought for him harder than any MOM would.”