Frankie Weiss and Her Magic

Chapter Four: Gingivitis Returns

In previous conversations with Dr. Rothberg, I learned dogs and cats do not chew their food. Rather, it is swallowed, with nature taking over from that point. It’s a throwback from an era millions of years ago. We see our dogs gulp down a meal in mere seconds; the house cats are a little more delicate and luxuriate in their swallowing of food. Even with domestication of both species, nature still did not interfere with their eating habits. Their ancestors had no choice, fresh kill meat was to be swallowed in chunks, another competitor with their keen sense of smell was likely to come along and try to steal the kill. No time was to waste in filling their need for food and stomachs.

Was Frankie destined to be a toothless Calico cat? How would she react having no teeth? Whoever heard of a toothless cat? Would she live the life of a normally protected cat? Would she even live through such a drastic dental procedure? Could depression set in due to loss of her teeth? Cats can and do become depressed for a variety of reasons, much like their human counterparts.

All the above thoughts were racing through my mind. I had to decide. Time was of the essence. Frankie was not eating and losing weight, the Gingivitis was unforgiving. My demeanor was that of a person deeply in love with a Calico cat who feared the worst in putting her through the consequence of the loss of all her teeth.

The cat I loved dearly, her future was in my hands, if she came through this surgery, it would be as a toothless cat. In retrospect, I had no more options.

Calling the Dental Surgeon, I made arrangements to bring Frankie in for the surgery that would leave her toothless. I felt sick inside, to think that my beautiful Calico, Frankie, if she lived through this new trauma, would be a rare cat, A Calico cat with no teeth. In my desperation, I went to the Internet on the computer; finding no reference to toothless cats. I was not favored with solace in knowing that other house cats came through such surgery and lived a fruitful and long life with their loving keepers.

Was Frankie and her keeper destined to be a first in the annals of cat keeping as house pets, Frankie as a toothless Calico, and me, her keeper?

The date was April 14, 2000; I was presented with a whopping bill for Frankie’s blood tests, X-rays and other tests necessary to the surgery in removing all her teeth.

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