It is with great sadness we report the passing of Cat's Meow Veterinary Clinic's mascot of the past 10 years, Dusty. She was euthanized today after a long illness.
Born in Ft. Collins, Colorado, Dusty adopted my grandparents as a kitten and spent her first 8 years with them, demanding endless brushing and petting, chewing holes in oxygen tubing, and in general living the life of a princess. When my grandparents eventually both passed away, I was assigned the task of dealing with Dusty, so I brought her to California in late 1999.
After a few days, I decided I liked her well enough to keep her rather than place her with a new home, and because Mummy liked her too, she made an excellent mascot. So she settled in here. For many years her days were spent at the front desk, eagerly awaiting petting from anyone and everyone who came through the front door. She was especially fond of elderly men, who obviously reminded her of my grandfather. One of her favorite activities was sandpapering the skin right off you if you lingered too long at the front counter.
In 2006 we diagnosed Dusty with hyperthyroidism and kidney disease. It took quite a balancing act with multiple medications, supplemental fluids, and lots of follow-up blood and urine testing, but we were able to keep her happy and eating very well until the last few months. A grand mal seizure in the spring of this year marked the beginning of her final decline, and a week ago she stopped eating and clearly wasn't feeling well. We adjusted her treatments to buy a little more time, but it became obvious that we were reaching the end of the line.
Dusty was particularly loved for her odd meow ("that's not a meow, that's a QUACK!"), those gorgeous blue eyes looking at us in slightly cross-eyed confusion, and her total obsession with being brushed (until the past couple of years).
She will be greatly missed. In lieu of flowers, her family and friends request that you make a donation in her memory to the animal charity of your choice.
