Dennis was aptly named

Dennis was aptly named due to the menace he created as a kitten, but we loved him dearly. His menace was much loved. Today he is not with me in body, but is always around in spirit.

I met Dennis as a very small kitten who was in an ambulance under the seat in a basket, waiting to be released back where he came from. The people who admitted him had put in the wrong address and contact numbers intentionally and did not come to take him after treatment, so he was to be released in the probable slums he came from. Dennis had a prolapsed rectum--a lovely innocent ginger and white, three-month-old kitten. This is a condition in cats which has to be treated where the rectum is tucked in and sutured carefully.

He did not have a prolapse again soon and seemed alright so he had to go, but something told me this would be repetitive, and it was not the end. So I took him to bring light into his life and mine, and this way I could regularly monitor his health, yet give him all comforts and special food. I gave him special light food, kept him on liquid diets for a while.

Yet every few months, he had a prolapse. He loved to gobble the food of his teammates before he ate his own, and with his playful ways he managed to get a prolapse, This continued for three years. Sometimes he needed suturing every three months, sometimes in six months and sometimes in only one month. I was advised many times to euthanize him, but how could I? .

Dennis was so special; he fought against pain and had such a great zest to live, his energy was an example of overcoming all physical troubles, he even inspired me in life’s disappointing moments. No way would I euthanize him, I pampered him, gave him all he loved to eat, spoilt him, played with him. Till one day June 26th 2007, he had a prolapse again this time after over six months. I had been told there is a vet who would solve this permanently through surgery, and Dennis would never have a prolapsed rectum again. This surgery was very common in the USA and had a high success rate and several cats had recovered permanently from this condition. So I agreed to have this surgery done on him.

Sure, Dennis never had a prolapse again as after the surgery on June 28th 2007, he died on 3rd July 2007. He developed complications after surgery, and it was probably a surgery that went wrong. What I wanted for him was no repetitive pain ever again and a permanent cure so that he could eat to his heart’s content. Cat food, fish, eggs, anything. I would have been so happy if I could have pampered him with everything without worrying about the prolapse recurring again.

But probably God wished otherwise, and I could not see him play again.

Till this very day, I am very guilty of having him go through a surgery from which he never recovered. He is without pain and looks at me from above .

He probably knew I felt very guilty, as three days later, my vehicle was very close to being hit by a speeding bus, and if that had happened I would not have been alive to write this story, but the bus just passed by as my driver steered the vehicle just in the fraction of time, as he saw if we were hit both he, me and the vehicle was history .

I believe it was the soul of Dennis who saved my Life. So although I don’t see him playing anymore, I have kept his ashes in my closet and look at him everyday and know that he is around me.

I am grateful to Dennis for having touched my life so deeply, for giving me inspiration and motivation to find joy even in life’s most tough times, and to overcome pain by participating in all activities we like to do. Thank you, Dennis, for coming into my life.

May your Soul light up the heavens, and I am sure up there you are again creating so much fun and menace that all must be trying hard to keep up with you.

- Written by Priya Shindurnikar