Felix was more than just a pet – he was support, family and joy in difficult times. But when his beloved cat fell seriously ill, an emotional journey full of worry, hope and a decision that changed everything began.
Felix the tabby cat was only 3 months old when he came to us. We had just decided to move back to our home country, Switzerland, as pensioners. But since our pension was much too small we had no choice other than to continue working – even well beyond retirement age. Felix was one of the few bright spots in our lives during this challenging time. But whenever we were away he lacked company. So we made our way to a farm where we met Jeanny. A little creamy white kitten, barely ten weeks old and super-cuddly. Felix raised her appropriately from the outset. He played with her, carried her around the apartment, and washed her tenderly. After that – and long after our children had left home – we were a real little family again.
In the evening, the cats sit on the window sill and wait patiently for us to return home. They love their sleeping area in our bedroom and always keep us company during meals. Felix has now developed into a real “alpha male”. We are tolerated in the apartment – but obviously have to adapt to his needs and wishes. Of course, we also spend our evenings in front of the TV together. But it’s usually us who sit on the hard chairs while the boss-cat smugly occupies the rocking chair. At every meal, he insists on tasting our food – just to make sure we don't get anything better than him. One of his highlights as an apartment cat is his daily stroll in the attic. He rushes up the steps and can only be lured down again with a treat after enjoying his explorations. The two cats also have their “well-being oases” on the terrace, where they can enjoy the fine weather day and night.
One day, we noticed that Felix was starting to limp – and it was getting worse by the day. At first, we tried analgesic, but they only provided short-term relief. The vet soon established that he had to be operated on. Thus began our beloved cat's long ordeal. It was awful to see him in that state – and not really be able to help him. By rights, he should have been fit as a fiddle again after three months. But the opposite happened.
Felix became more and more withdrawn, just lying around and hiding in a corner. Even food hardly interested him anymore. He lost a lot of weight, and the limping persisted. To make his life easier, we put up little stepladders next to his favourite places so that he could at least still get up onto the bed and climb into his beloved rocking chair. He was utterly miserable. Also, Jeanny was visibly missing her playmate. When the metal that had been inserted into his joint finally loosened and two screws became loose, Felix was due for another operation. But even weeks after that, his condition had still not improved. He could only just manage to drag himself to his food bowl, and he even had to be carried to the litter tray. In our desperation, we decided to travel across the cantonal border to a reputable veterinary clinic in Zurich. There he was thoroughly examined and his legs and abdomen shaved – before being given a collar to stop him from licking his wounds. But the vet was very confident that Felix would recover completely and wouldn't need any further surgery. We were hoping for just that.
Thankfully, our fears that the cost of treatment would be beyond us were unfounded. Although Felix and Jeanny are by no means pedigree animals, we had already insured them years before with wau-miau pet insurance to cover them for accident and illness. Some of our acquaintances laughed at us when we told them that our cats have health insurance. But it’s as clear to us now as it was then: it was absolutely the right decision. Without wau-miau, we would never have been able to cope with all this. We were therefore able to refuse the advice of some friends who thought we should have our beloved Felix put down with a clear conscience. Now we’re infinitely grateful for this.
Today at last we’re a happy little community again. Felix – our alpha male – continues to rule the roost, enchanting us with his loud purring, cuddling up to us and constantly putting us right. Jeanny has her beloved playmate back, and when he makes his daily forays into the attic or climbs up the scratching post it’s clear to us that his zest for life is back. The hours we spend together in the evening are he same as they used to be: quality time that we no longer want to do without.
Our warmest thanks go to wau-miau pet insurance for its reliable support. We can only recommend every pet owner to arrange the right cover in good time. Thanks wau-miau!
Veterinary costs can quickly escalate. Animal insurance helps avoid unexpected financial burdens so you can focus on your pet’s recovery. Whether for illness or an accident, wau-miau protects you and your pet from unexpected events – anywhere in the world, 24 hours – 365 days.
