We don’t always get to choose. Life, as often as it offers us a choice, will as equally often offer no choice. Such was the past couple of weeks for Patches.

When you are a cat of 22 years and five months in age, your choices dwindle. Patches did not choose to get sick this past month, but it happened.

I can’t recall what I noticed first – her being in the litter box repeatedly, or her grooming her nether region frequently. It was the same day. Patches does urinate often, but I realized when I got closer to the box that she wasn’t going. And she hasn’t groomed herself in months, if not longer.

I immediately contacted the Tabby’s Place vet staff for help. As we discussed her symptoms, she gave me one more item to report — she abruptly squatted in her bed and urinated. It was as if the urge hit her so quickly, she took the opportunity.

Frankly, I was relieved. My big worry was that she couldn’t go at all, which would have been a massive crisis. But she was going! So we made the best guess of a urinary tract infection (UTI) and she was off to Tabby’s Place to get checked out.

Thanks to junior vet tech Jess, Patches spent the day in the veterinary suite. She had blood drawn, a urine sample examined, and even an x-ray to compare the size of the mass in her chest.

Two things came of it: the UTI was confirmed, and the comparison of the mass showed that it had only grown slightly from last year. All in, we took it as a win — a UTI is easily treatable with antibiotics, and the mass barely grew. Patches, now back to her usual litter box habits, is again resting easy beside me.

Without your support, she would have little hope. Your support means she received the care she needs to get back to her normal self and resume her place beside me, in her favorite bed on my desk. I thank you, especially as we speed toward Thanksgiving, from the furthest reaches of my soul. I love Patches, and we send you our love and gratitude.

Have a fun, joyful Thanksgiving!