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“Is that what she is? I wondered what breed she ith that spotty tus” The vet picked up a white plastic paddle-shaped device and Piper’s hand flew to her chest “So if there’s a oes back to her owner?”

An uncoave Matt a loaded look Piper’s eyes suddenly looked over-bright and her chin quivered for a second until Matt reached out and put his hand on her shoulder “It would be the right thing to do,” he murth of the cat’s body

“No chip,” Dr Uvi said with a sister How long have you had her with you?”

“About a month,” Piper murmured and looked at her toes “I put an ad in the local newspaper and some posters in store s around town, but nobody’s co to do Generally, if an original owner can’t be traced within a week, you can consider her yours” He looked at her seriously “If that’s what you both want to do Pets are a huge coether actually,” Piper said aardly

Matt responded to the vet’s curious look “Just a friend”

“But I want to keep her,” Piper added “And I’ll take good care of her”

“Okay, that’s the good news out of the way” Dr Uvi tickled the fur between the cat’s ears “I can’t save the exposed bit of her tail I’m afraid it needs to be a term”

Piper looked alarmed “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure” His voice dropped into a syery unless absolutely necessary, but it’s the kindest thing to do She’s in pain and at high risk of infection Cats are very good at hiding pain, it’s a defenseand will be reement, the cat snapped her head around and attacked the end of her tail, her claws skittering on the smooth surface of the exa restrained by the vet

“Poor little thing,” Piper said and sniffed “Please, just fix her”

“I’d say her pregnancy is about halfway through, which gives us four or five weeks to get the op done and for her to recover before she births” Dr Uvinoises, but held the cat firmly “So should I book her in for you?”

She nodded and a tear slipped from under her closed eyelids and ran down her cheek Matt felt a sick lurch in the pit of his sto froible and his throat ached as he reached out, took her cold hand in his, and squeezed She squeezed his hand back and sniffed quietly

“I’ll put a dressing on the site for now so she doesn’t worry it and s worse” Dr Uvi clicked away at his keyboard “She’ll be fine with that for a couple of days Just ive you some painin the uarantee that any of us will make it out here too easily”

“Okay” Piper frowned as she watched hie “What’s that?”

“Antibiotics” The cat snarled and hissed as he approached with the needle, suddenly verythe need to vent her displeasure at all this indignity “And I’ll need to shave soical site needs to be clean near that wound and, well, you ht not want to know the details of the operation, but it is necessary, so we ht as well do it now Perhaps you’d like to wait outside while I get the nurse to help me?”