Wednesday 2 January 2008

Oh Dear

A cat in the (and I truly mean this) expert care of my sister has died whilst the owners were away. How very ungrateful of it. I don't have all the details, just a fraught text saying she's about to have to tell them. She is a professional cat sitter. What a nightmare.

Update: The cat was run over. The owners are abroad and can't be contacted but their daughter was telephoned and received the unfortunate news. She is travelling up from London tomorrow to identify the body. Just to make sure. Don't want to get the wrong cat after all. Pause for thought. That's nearly 200 miles.

I do wonder whether an email correspondence would have been more convenient. Or would emailing a picture be too much...I suppose even taking a picture would be a tad distressing. It does seem an awfully long way to travel just for a cat though, and a dead one at that.

I speak as a cat lover, who has buried two cats. And I suppose 'there's the rub'. You can't exactly not bury a dead cat, especially if you are a professional cat sitter. That wouldn't be very professional. And if, as the daughter of the cat's owners, your parents are away and it needs formal identification I suppose it would fall to you to identify it. As the cat sitter you can't, in the absence of the owners, house it at a vet's mortuary, running up huge and hugely unnecessary bills. And you can't just shove it out in the back garden, or hide it somewhere safe... even if temperatures are sub-zero and it would 'keep' quite nicely until their return. No, that wouldn't work because then you'd have to explain the rigor mortis. To die, to sleep...perchance to dream. Hopefully of mice, poor thing.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

My very worst nightmare. I look after other peoples pets and I am very good at it, but things happen. Horrible things. Things that are out of your control. And it's horrible.

seahorse said...

I'd imagine it's my sister's worst nightmare too, but she'll no doubt handle it with the utmost tact and sensitivity. Unlike myself. Which is why I'm not a cat sitter. I take my hat off to you both.

Anonymous said...

What an unfortunate business! I hope it all gets sorted out and that your sister doesn't get put off doing what she does! :o)

Happy New Year to you! I just wanted you to know I have been thinking of you and that I am finally back blogging again! I promise to try and keep up with all the goings on in your blog through 2008! {{HUGS}} x

seahorse said...

Talj: welcome back! Really glad to see you commenting and look forward to catching up. My sister is quite sensible. We had a chat, she knows it's part of the job and we both agreed that if a cat dies on her watch better it's a straight-forward case of being run over (no suffering, no vets, no questions from owners, no meds etc etc) than anything else.