Good night my grouchy duke, Galen Galadmir

When I was 15 and very soon to turn 16, I told my parents I didn't want a birthday party or anything big. I just wanted a cat for Yoda, my other kitty. My Dad groaned about it but my Mom was all for it. She found Galen, who was really too little to be taken from his Mama at the time but the old couple who had him and the rest of his litter were just going to give him away any way. So I got this cute little black cat who had to be fed kitten formula via an eye dropper. He grew up grouchy and was an ass to mostly everyone but he had really sweet moments. For instance, he loved your pain. If I cried, he would let me pet him. He also really loved pizza. He'd steal it right off your plate if you weren't paying attention. 

Saturday night we took Galen to a 24 hour emergency vet clinic to be put to sleep. He'd had bronchitis for quite awhile and we'd tried medicine, antibiotics from the vet, and nothing seemed to be working. He lost weight and muscle mass could barely walk much less breathe, and Amanda and I both think he basically hung on long enough for us to return home from our trip to Seattle. We told him it was okay to go. We think he passed before the euthanasia was injected into his system. 

I miss him. I keep thinking he's in the other room drooling on something or glaring at someone. 

I am pissed at the nurse at the 24 hour clinic. I am not angry with her for telling us that by law they have to report and take a brain sample to test for rabies. I understand that as much as I know and understand that Galen was an indoor cat his whole life and only bit Amanda's Mom by accident when she was giving him his medicine while we were gone. What I am angry about is that she decided to tell us how they were going to do while he was still alive, in the room, and after we'd already decided and given in the okay for them to keep him and cremate him for us. We didn't have a place we could have taken him to for burial that night and we have dogs in our neighborhood. And I am angry with how long the nurse drug it out. I am angry with the doctor because she came in and wanted to put my cat on a cold metal slab when we'd already said we wanted to hold him. 

The only reason I didn't wait to take Galen to my vet was because he was suffering. I will be writing a review for the clinic. I will be writing a letter to the clinic's management but this will be done when I have had time to cool down and get my head on straight. I don't want the nurse to lose her job. I just want her to think before she speaks next time.