Gin was an enigma. Gin was the biggest brat you could think of. He was the problem child, the trouble-maker and so judgy. That’s why he was the Quality Control Officer when we created Spanish for Veterinary Professionals. We loved everything about him.
He was found outside of the Animals Asia China Bear Rescue Center where I had just started working as a veterinarian in 2013 (more about that later!). He was the grossest, dirtiest, sickest little kitten and of course I couldn’t resist! I mean, who doesn’t rescue the first kitten they come across after moving halfway around the world to start a new job? Right?
After he got some food, some TLC and a bath, he passed a meter-long tapeworm and started growing into the little rascal, miscreant, criminal, villain, scoundrel that he was always meant to be. He was curious, brave, a bit dumb, very stubborn and fiercely independent. He got me through a lot of life changes and instantly approved of Pete when he came into our lives.
He could never stand being an indoor cat, even though I lost years of my life trying! Because of this, he fell off of a roof during a rainstorm and fractured his ischium in China; got run over by a motorbike and damaged his meniscus in Vietnam; almost got eaten by hyenas in Ethiopia and contracted mycoplasma and coccidia in Colombia. He meowed his way through all the treatments and then gave the best cuddles–usually to Pete when I wasn’t around. He demanded to be the center of attention and chose his buddies carefully. We would walk together in the forest and in the city, alone or with the dog(s) and had a few cat frenemies in various neighborhoods that we lived in.
As he got older, his rough beginning and the years of adventure caught up to him. In the last two years of his life, he was suffering from renal disease and severe osteoarthritis in all of his poor joints. Despite all the meds and all the treatments, in the end we ended up saying goodbye to him on a rainy afternoon in the spring of 2022. It was heartbreaking but of course the right thing to do.
We miss him all the time and he will always be a part of Spanish for Vet Pros!
Hope you enjoyed his little story.
Hasta luego!
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