An Unbreakable Human Animal Bond – Brendan Higgins

By Brendan Higgins, contributing writer

It was a Friday afternoon. I was driving home from work preparing to start a weeklong vacation. I was looking forward to multiple things, like motorcycle riding and working around my property. In my world, that is the formula for a perfect stay at home vacation. I had no idea things were about to change forever.

As planned, I started puttering around the house before I headed out into the yard. My 16-year-old black cat, Friday, stood by the front door requesting permission to go outside. For seven years he was an indoor cat. The past nine, he has ventured out into the yard and the neighbors’ yards as well. We all live on a dead-end street in North Kingstown. The area has lots of open space. A safe place for cats and dogs to play outside. I let him out just like hundreds of other times in the past.

My cat was born on Good Friday hence the name Friday. Like most cat owners, I have a special connection with him. We have a routine. He is quite a self-sufficient little guy, but he does depend on me to feed him and supply him with treats on his command.

On this particular Friday afternoon, I was in my back yard as the wind began to pick up. I knew my cat was outside, so I began to call for him. I use a combination of sweet talk and bribery to get him back in the house. I start by yelling out, “Who wants treats?” and that usually does the trick. When he is being particularly stubborn about coming in, I sweeten the pot by saying, “Who wants cream?” That always gets him to come.

I called for him several times and he did not appear. That was pretty standard procedure though. My initial call is almost always the first of several. In the end he reminds me he is not coming because of my call. He comes in because he is good and ready. Then once he is inside, he requests his treats be presented immediately or there will be verbal consequences. Meaning he won’t shut up until I comply.

I called a few more times but I still wasn’t worried. I leave the sliding glass door on my upper deck open for him to come inside. Since we are deep into September, it gets dark much earlier. Friday always comes in at dusk. It is part of our routine. Except for tonight. He was nowhere to be found. At this point I was starting to get worried. In 16 years, he had never one time stayed outside overnight. I went out on the deck and called for him in all directions. It was getting dark fast and now I really wanted him in. He never came. The hours went by, and as the time passed, I would have been hard pressed to describe what I was feeling in that moment. It would be much later the following morning that I could put a label on how I felt when I realized Friday was missing.

The temperature was dropping into the low 40s and I felt helpless. I walked the streets of my West Allenton neighborhood calling for my little buddy. At 11pm I took a flashlight and walked in the woods surrounding my home. I was hoping to get some answers as to what had happened to him. Because at this point, there was no doubt in my mind something happened. Animals do not leave a good thing and my cat has a very good thing at home.

I started to think about where he might be. Best case scenario, he was trapped in a neighbor’s garage or basement. Worst case I was not ready to think about. It was all guess work at this point. This turned out to be a long stressful night. I left the sliding glass door open and laid down on the couch. As I laid there, I recalled being in my garden earlier in the day. At one point, I had this feeling that something had happened. It was like a wave hitting me. That was a moment I will never forget. I didn’t think much of it at the time but looking back. it felt connected to Friday.

In the morning I sat up on the couch and called for him. I already knew his energy was not in the house, but I called out anyway. Then I moved to the deck and called some more. I put on some coffee and got dressed to search the woods again. I did my best to comb the entire area. I was bracing myself for the worst.

I was finally able to put a label on how I felt the night before, and in the present moment. The feeling was loneliness. For 16 years I always knew where he was. He had seen me through marriage and divorce and other break ups along the way. Turns out, as long as my little buddy was in the house I never felt alone. That ended when he went missing. For the first time in 16 years, I felt lonely.

What happened next would serve as a reminder to me there are people who are here to help. I went to the North Kingstown Animal Shelter to let them know my cat was missing. I walked in the front door and immediately felt sick to my stomach. Not even the bunnies and cats in the cages could make me feel any better. From the rear of the building a man walked towards me. In a warm voice he said, “Good morning, can I help you?” I tried to tell him my name, and that my cat was missing, but instead I burst into tears. I had been holding my feelings in, up until this point. You have to picture me, a big guy, covered in tattoos, crying in front of this man while completely unable to form a word to explain myself. This was the way I met Assistant Animal Warden, Stephen Jarrow, of the North Kingstown Police Department. Stephen was compassionate and extremely helpful. He gave me a chance to gather myself. After that, he made multiple suggestions as to how to get the word out that Friday was missing. He told me that it was not necessary to entertain the thought of any worst-case scenarios. He reminded me that Friday was simply missing at this point.

After I left the shelter, I spent most of the day walking the streets looking for my little buddy. I asked my neighbors to keep an eye out for Friday. Everyone knew exactly who my cat was. Even neighbors I had never met before said, “Oh yeah, the black cat. I know him.” Apparently, he explored much more of the neighborhood than I knew about.

As Saturday night fall came, I had to come to grips that he might not come back. I had a supportive group of friends and cat lovers trying to help me keep my spirits up. At 10 pm I started to think about closing the sliding glass door for the first time. It was killing me to even think about this. The house was cold inside and I couldn’t help but think if Friday were outside, he was cold and hungry.

My friend, Maria, lives in Florida. She had called to update me on Hurricane Ian. Maria assured me she and her children were safe. Then without warning, I heard a meow on my deck. I told Maria Friday was back and hung up the phone. I’d know that meow anywhere. I ran out on the deck and there he was, standing at the top of the stairs. I was stunned. I was overcome with joy. He was meowing over and over, so I picked him up and brought him inside the kitchen and finally closed the sliding glass door for the first time in two days.

I turned back to Friday to see his front right leg was badly damaged. I gave him some food and water. I had no idea where to take an animal on a Saturday night at 11 pm. I quickly became aware of a 24-hour animal hospital ten minutes from my house called Ocean State Veterinary Specialists. As I drove to the hospital, I called my friend, Lynn. She is the biggest animal lover I know. She also has two cats of her own. I announced that Friday had returned. Lynn was so happy to hear this news. It felt like a miracle.

When I arrived at Ocean State Veterinary Specialists, I was operating on pure adrenaline. The people at the reception area were calm. They deal with situations like this all day and night, seven days a week. They took Friday in the back. Once I was alone in the waiting room, I finally caught my breath for the first time. It would be a while before I would get any news, so I called a few friends who had been offering support during this crisis.

A few hours passed. They took me in a room to get an update on Friday. It was getting a bit confusing because I have a cat named Friday who was born on Friday and went missing on Friday. When I was informed of his injury, the news was not good. His right front leg was broken in two places. Other than that, he did not have a scratch on him. The vet I spoke with was kind and answered all of my questions. I was still in shock, so I never got her name even though she probably introduced herself right away.

I had two choices, to try and surgically repair his leg or amputate. I sat there for a minute in silence. I remember feeling that I wasn’t wired to make decisions like this. It was not in my wheelhouse at all. I wanted to do what was best for my long-time pet. I asked, “What would you do if it were your cat?” Without hesitation but with complete compassion she said she would have them amputate. Both of these procedures came with a heavy price tag. Surgery would not be done until Monday at the earliest. I decided to take Friday home for the night. It was already 2:30 am at this point. I needed to think about this when I had a clear head. I also wanted to talk to my regular vet. They sent me home with pain medication for Friday. The following day would be both educational and stressful.

I kept Friday way more comfortable at home than he would have been in a strange place. He is used to being catered to and that is exactly what I did once we got back home. I was able to consult with several professionals to help me decide what to do. My friend, Chris Thompson, worked in the veterinary field for years. He helped me to understand my options and weigh them out. He felt Ocean State was the best choice to care for my cat. All the other professionals I spoke with also recommended taking him to Ocean State. That pretty much sealed the deal.

On Monday morning, September 26, 2022, (my birthday) I returned to Ocean State and met with Dr. David Sweet, DACVS, to discuss Friday’s options. I liked him immediately. I was sitting in a small examination room dreading his arrival because it meant I would have to make a final decision. Dr. Sweet knew I was distraught. He informed me of all possible options.

At one point I said, “Doctor, I’m not wired for this. I need you to tell me what you would do if Friday was your cat.” He told me he felt the best chance for him to have the least amount of pain and discomfort was to amputate. There was something about the way he delivered the news that made me realize I trusted him. In one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made, I chose to have Friday’s leg amputated.

I kept telling my friends and loved ones that I was not wired for this level of trauma. My cat is a super athletic animal. He is a skilled hunter. The thought of having him wake up with his leg gone was heartbreaking. The alternative was reconstructing his leg and there was no guarantee this would work due to the fact that Friday had broken his leg in two places. He broke his leg completely in one spot. Dr. Sweet sat with me as I told him about my cat. I never felt rushed to make this decision. He answered all my questions. He listened to my story of how I rescued Friday as a kitten in 2007. How I walked into the Smithfield Animal Shelter and met Animal Control Officer Bob Salisbury. At that time Friday fit in the palm of my hand. Officer Salisbury looked at me and said, “Looks like a perfect fit to me.”

I left Friday in the capable hands of Dr. Sweet and the Ocean State Veterinary Specialists’ staff. I planned to stay, but he convinced me I should go home and get some rest. I had been running on pure adrenaline for three days. I sat in the parking lot feeling helpless. I called my friend, Lynn. She had been helping me deal with this ordeal since the moment it happened. I spent the afternoon with my friend Bobby doing some repairs on my Harley trying to keep busy. That night I asked God to take care of my long-time pet during his procedure the next day.

The following morning Dr. Sweet called me. He wanted to report the surgery was successful and Friday was doing fine in recovery. All I felt was sadness that this beautiful cat was now missing his right front leg, and nothing could change that. Then I began to turn my attention to educating myself on how to care for Friday moving forward. I found a support group for Three Legged Cats on Facebook. There were multiple people going through the exact same thing at the exact same time. I started reaching out to other group members. The information and tips being provided were astounding. I was able to get a section of my home ready for Friday’s return.

On Tuesday, I was told to come in and pick up my cat. I walked into the lobby of Ocean State Veterinary Specialists with no idea how I was going to feel. Like I keep saying, “I’m not wired for this”. I stood at the front desk and waited for Friday to be brought out. Everyone was friendly and kind. Friday was delivered to me in his carrier by Dr Stephanie Friece, DVM. To put it in layman’s terms, she was awesome. Like Dr. Sweet, she was compassionate and informative. She had all kinds of suggestions as to how to care for my cat moving forward. By this time Friday had become a celebrity in the lobby. Everyone was wonderful. I walked out of Ocean State Veterinary Specialists ready for this new chapter in mine and Friday’s life. We give them a big paw’s up.

When we got home Friday wanted out of his carrier right away. He kind of slid out and fell on his cheek. My heart dropped into my stomach. He looked like a cat in a horror movie. His side was shaved. He had stitches covering the shaved side of his body. Most of all, his leg was gone. I did my best to keep him comfortable and spoil him in the coming week. Anytime I had a question for the vet I called Ocean State and they either answered my question on the call or quickly got back to me. I never spoke to anyone from that office who wasn’t familiar with my cat and his case.

The first few days he was heavily medicated and didn’t do much other than sleep. Then in true kitty fashion he started to amaze me. He tried to learn how to walk on three legs. It was trial and error, for sure. He started eating more. He was urinating but hadn’t pooped in a few days and then one day he pooped! He resumed his role as King of the house. He returned to his throne in front of the wood stove. He even had the crazy notion to go outside. I still haven’t broken the news to him that he is officially an indoor cat for life.

It’s been a week now since surgery. Friday is well on his way to a full recovery. I’ve already mentioned some of the amazing people who helped him (and me) get through this ordeal. Some others I would like to thank include Janean, Joe, Jimmy, and Melissa. The North Kingstown Animal Control Warden, Brittney Curran. North Kingstown Animal Control volunteers Kara and Dave for giving me the push I really needed.

Throughout this article I mentioned I wasn’t wired to make a decision like this. I was wrong. We never really know what we are capable of until we are forced to do so. The love of an animal is infinite. My cat was missing for almost two days. We will never know where he was or what happened to him. The most incredible part of this story is the way he managed to climb two sets of stairs with a shattered leg to reach the top of my back deck in order to get home.

He needed help. He did what he had to in order to make it home. Over the next few days following his injury, we encountered some of the kindest people in the Rhode Island animal community. The network is impressive. It’s filled with loving, caring people.

Friday asked that I give a big MEOW shout out to everyone who helped him along the way. He is safe and sound at home.    

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Brendan Higgins, writer and author, RIPTA bus driver, former professional wrestler (Knuckles Nelson), and North Kingstown resident.

We welcome Brendan as a contributing writer to RINewsToday.

To read a story about Brendan, from our sports department, go to: https://rinewstoday.com/knuckles-nelson-waking-up-from-the-wrestling-ring-to-the-yoga-mat-john-cardullo/

To read all stories by Brendan, here, go to: https://rinewstoday.com/brendan-higgins

Higgins is the author of “Waking Up: From the Wrestling Ring to the Yoga Mat