Our weekend and life were turned upside down.

Earlier in the week, we noticed that our cat’s voice became high-pitched and his breath was shorter and faster. On Friday, we took him to a vet for a checkup. We were hoping that it was not serious. Unfortunately, we were wrong.

The vet ran a test and said that there was fluid around his lungs. It was unusual and might turn to fatal very quickly. She wanted to draw the fluid and some blood out, as well as recommended that we go to the Iowa University Small Animal Hospital in Ames. She thought there was no facility in Omaha would accept my cat on short notice AND do a full workup to figure out the cause of the fluid.

We went home to get ready. The clinic called us. The news got worse. Our cat was tested positive with leukemia. We couldn’t believe what we heard. We both cried after hearing the news. How could it get to this point? What did our sweet boy ever do to deserve this?

But the immediate concern is to take him to Iowa so that we can save him and give him a chance against leukemia. No matter the shock, our family must go to Ames. After a 3-hour drive, we checked in him the ICU and explained to the doctor everything we knew. Unfortunately, because it was already 4pm on Friday, we would have to wait till Monday to have all the advanced tests done. In the meantime, we could either roll a dice by going back to Omaha or stay in Ames and have our cat in the ICU. We went with the latter. It is going to cost some money, but we can’t risk going back home and our cat’s condition deterioriating.

A lot went through my mind in the last two days. I don’t think there is nothing more that my wife and I could have done for him since his diagnosis. However, I wish we had taken him to the vet earlier. Even 24 hours earlier would have been better. Better for him. Better for us as the hospital could have run more tests. I was dumb and careless. The best that we can do is to learn from our mistake and make sure it won’t happen again.

At the moment, there is nothing that we can do, but wait and hope for the best. All that we can think of is the health of our cat. No office politics, no work, no meetings, no promotions. We just want him home, alive and well. When things like this happen, you learn what really is important. Family. Our hearts ached whenever we thought of the time when we focused on work over the weekend and we did not play as much with him. Stupid humans.

We felt fortunate because our companies let us take Friday off and work remotely for a couple of days. Our earnings and savings allowed us to give the best possible care to our cat; which is something that is not available to many pet owners out there. We don’t like the position that we are in, but we are aware that it could be much worse.

To cat owners, pay close attention to your cat behavior every day and act at once. Don’t make the same mistake we did. If you can afford it, consult with your vet on whether you can test for serious diseases like leukemia and get vaccinated. Our cat was tested negative when he was younger, yet positive two days ago. Early diagnosis can increase odds of survival and give you more time with your pets.