Fred 2002 – 2021

Fred was surrendered to us with the intention of finding him a new home but as it turns out, he already was home.

Every day, he would greet us with a huge good morning meow. Fred was a people cat, always wanting to be where the action was. Reception was a popular place for Fred to hang out, sprawled across the desk or lounging on the office chair. We would always make way for Fred and would rather stand than sit should he be napping on the chair. In his early days, Fred was a bit on the plump side and we started him on a weight loss program. We were diligent about making sure we didn’t leave any food bags around where he could get at them but despite our best efforts, Fred managed to chew his way through a number of bags over the years to the dismay of Dr. Barrientos.

Fred was sassy. When he wanted attention, he’d paw at your leg and stretch waaaaay up so you’d pick him up. When Fred could no longer jump onto the office chairs, we bought him not one but two sets of stairs. As he would climb the stairs, we joked that he was like royalty ascending the steps to his throne which earned him the title, King Fred. We were his loyal subjects. In later years, he would dine with us, sharing our meals. A light tap on your arm was his signal for more. He particularly enjoyed chicken, salmon and lasagna; Garfield would’ve been proud.

The past couple of years saw the beginnings of arthritis and kidney disease and with this came the addition of medication and nutritional supplements as well as laser and fluid therapies lovingly provided by King Fred’s treasured subjects. As his appetite waned, we would tempt him with a variety of special foods, many of which were not to his liking but that didn’t prevent us from trying. And try we did until Fred let us know it was time for him to leave us. He passed easily, surrounded by love and light.

We miss Fred dearly. His passing has left an irreplaceable void in our hearts. Clinic life just isn’t the same but we move forward, knowing that we gave him the best life possible and in return, he gave us his love and a lifetime of wonderful memories.