The NINE LIVES of Chico Morales

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After six weeks of confinement and pain medications, Chico was ready to venture out. He walked with a wobble and a sway, but walk he did. We all figured the injury would slow Chico down, and the Morales were optimistic that more of their hard-earned income could cover something other than vet bills.

AUGUST 1993

It was only a couple of months before Chico found more trouble. The family found him bleeding from several gaping wounds on his flank and chest, probably the result of an encounter with a bullying dog taking advantage of Chico's handicap. Miraculously, none of the wounds had penetrated his chest or abdomen. Somehow, Chico escaped before the injuries became fatal. A little patchwork, IV fluids and antibiotics put the old boy back together again. Outside cats live a risky life. The average outside cat lives to three years of age, while an inside cat can be expected to live 12 to 15 years, or more. Chico was defying the odds.

OCTOBER 1990

Mr. and Mrs. Morales decided to give Chico a new setup in the garage attached to their house. They had long since discontinued using toxic antifreeze, and in fact rarely drove the vintage Willys jeep parked in the garage. Chico had a comfy cat bed with catnip mice and an unlimited food supply.

The spaces above garage doors are cat magnets; one day Chico got caught up after the Morales installed an automatic opener. Chico yowled convincingly enough to be heard before the door crushed him to death, but not before incurring some injury.

Chico's spine had been damaged, and he was paralyzed. I figured this was the end, and mentally lit a few prayer candles. After three days of treatment and I-V steroids, Chico wobbled and swayed out of his cage, meowing for food. The cat was back.

DECEMBER 1998

After the garage-door incident, Chico moved into the house, where he was enthusiastically spoiled. Mrs. Morales loved to babysit her new granddaughter, and Chico would often sit nearby. One day, Mrs. Morales gave Chico a jar of leftover Gerber's beef baby food. Several hours later, he collapsed.

I rushed to their farm, and took a small blood sample. The blood had a brown tinge, a clue that Chico was suffering from methoglobinemia, most likely from onions in the baby food. Onions and Tylenol (acetaminophen) cause a fatal change to the hemoglobin in a cat's blood so that it can not carry oxygen.

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