Hello,

Up until this past semester, I had never worked in a vet clinic
before.  I was excited to start in April at the Agoura Animal Clinic
in Agoura Hills, CA.
On my first day I was in the grooming room with our lockers and the
big tub.  I saw on the door to the breakroom/office a small sign
reading "Please don't let Pete out."

Pete?  Who was Pete?  Well, at one clinic I looked at, the doctor
would bring in his d*g to work.  So I figured it was a pet belonging
to one of the doctors.

I took my lunch break and went to the break room to eat my sandwich,
which happened to be roast beef.  I didn't see any animals.
I turn on the tv and notice another small sign.  "Please don't give
Pete people food.  Thx!"

I sit down at the desk and I'm about to chow down on my roast beef
sandwich when a black shape jumps onto the desk.  It's a big black cat
with yellow eyes.  Ah, I thought, THIS must be Pete.

Ironically, Pete looks EXACTLY like my Imp, but has a personality that
rivals Mischief's.  I scritched him, but of course he was interested
in something more important, like my delicious roast beef sandwich.

So I'm trying to eat when he crawls in to my lap.  I hold my sandwich
out of the way and the little brat walks up my chest and tries to
stretch out with one paw at  my sandwich.  By now my hand is
outstretched all the way, and I'm trying to figure out how to get him
off when my supervisor, Jen, walks in.

"Birdy!  Stop that!"  She picks him up and he crawls and perches on
her shoulder.  She explained to me that Pete was a stray that was
brought in a year ago that she and the doctors rescued from poor
health.  So they named him Pete and he became the hospital cat.  Jen
loves him the most, and nicknamed him Birdy because he likes to perch
on shoulders.  He's kept mainly in the office, and every morning
you'll hear him yowling to be let out so he can inspect everything.

Some days when we're opening up the clinic, Pete will be let out of
the office and follows us into the treatment room.  He then will sit
on the X-ray table on the side of the room and watch us as we walk all
the d*gs that are boarding.  Doesn't meow, and doesn't hiss unless a
d*g sees him and tries to sniff him.  I wonder what he's thinking?
Then he goes back into the office where he naps, and does all his
other cat stuff.

But if you go into the breakroom to have your lunch, be prepared to
have it inspected very thoroughly by Pete.  You practically have to
beat him off with a stick to keep him away.  There's a pillow in the
room so I like to lie down and close my eyes to take a break, but it's
only a matter of time before I feel him climb onto my chest and start
purring.  I always return to work covered in black fur all over my
scrubs.  sheesh!

More hospital stories later,

Kristi