By Megan Soppe
Cuba City, Wisconsin
I'd like to share the story of my beloved cat, Dean Winchester.
I work at a veterinary clinic and back in October of 2020 he was on our schedule for euthanasia because the owner said he had medical issues and could no longer afford him. He was only 4 years old.
Before they got to the clinic, I asked my boss if I could ask the owner to surrender him to me. Of course, she said yes. The owner did agree and it was love at first sight.
I was now the owner of a polydactyl Siamese. His original name was Sparky, but I wanted to name him after a character on the TV show "Supernatural."
I ran every test on him and he was healthy in every way. When I went out to return his carrier to the owner she thanked me and said she couldn’t have him scratching her furniture anymore. She put him outside and he kept coming back, so she put him in the basement. I knew I had my work cut out for me: He needed to know he was loved.
We did all we could at home. Feliway
diffusers, calming spray, giving him his own safe space and so much love. We have made small strides little by little and we're never giving up on him. We recently started him on my sister KJ’s Storms and Melodies collection, and gabapentin for anxiety. (KJ is the Pet Pals TV Kitty Correspondent and has seven kitties of her own!) Out of nowhere, on National Siamese Cat Day, he climbed up on my lap and curled up in a ball FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. It left me in tears. He did it again the next night, and the next night he laid in my son’s lap. It took a year and a half of love and lots of patience but Dean Winchester has been worth every ounce of effort! ❤️