A few weeks ago, my cat, Smidgen, started getting "sick" in her litterbox, stopped eating and started gradually losing weight. Not knowing what was wrong, I solicited advice from Pat, my neighbor downstairs who has seven cats, and she gave me some really expensive cat food and suggested I try that. For a few days, it seemed to work - Smidgen liked this new cat food (naturally - she has good taste!) and I thought we were in the clear.

Then she stopped eating again and became very skinny. Because she is 14 years old, I was arming myself for the worst as I took her to a vet I had never met before because my vet, Dr. Rubenstein, is on vacation through Labor Day.

By the time I had signed her in at the reception desk, I was crying. Smidgen has been with me for my entire adult life. She has moved with me at least six times, and has been one of the very few constants in my highly transient life. She has encouraged me through seasons of lonliness. She has kept me warm during cold winter nights. She has made me laugh a lot. And she has provided many little lessons in God's love over the years.

The vet began his examination with her mouth, and quickly discovered the problem: all of her teeth were badly decayed and her gums were infected. The infection had leeched into her sinuses. No wonder she had no interest in food!

To make a long story short, he did some other tests and took and x-ray, all confirming the initial speculation: Smidgen needs to lose the rest of her teeth.

So, this morning, my little kitty is going under the knife to have all of her remaining teeth removed.

I have wrestled with the ethical issue of spending a lot of money on medical treatment for a pet, when there are so many people in need. I do think that we need to consider this when we look at a situation like this, and I have determined that there is a limit to which I will go.

However, having prayed about it, I came to the conclusion that I can afford this surgery (I'm not going into debt for it), I have not spent much on her over the years (she has been a very low maintenance pet), and I'm not giving any less than I usually would to ministries that I support or tithing. The truth is, I just spent the last three Sundays substituting as music leader for a church in CT, and the extra income I earned from that is just going to cover the expense of this veterinary care.

I am grateful for this diagnosis. I am grateful for God's provision. If it had been a serious disease, I would not have put her through surgery or long treatments. I would have kept her as long as she still had a good quality of life, then I would have had her euthanized. But she is an otherwise healthy cat and could live several more years with this surgery, provided she comes through it alright.

Now, if I can only find Tuna Flavored Jell-O...