Pulse - August 2023 - 4

PULSE PERSPECTIVE MEGANNOWELL@GMAIL.COM
A Summer of Firsts
M
y little family has had a fun summer with quite a few " firsts. " While my husband was out of town
for work, my toddler decided he was ready to be potty trained. We took our first vacation as a
family of four. We babysat our first stray kitten since having kids. We took our first trip to urgent care
with a hurt child - don't worry, she's fine! We hosted an ice cream social in our front yard and got to
know our neighbors. My toddler said his first four letter word that he insists he learned from mommy.
We explored new parks and played all over Southern California.
Of all the firsts, the foster kitty situation was
the most unexpected for me. I am usually very
good at staying strong and refusing to get involved
with animals dumped at work. We have
plenty of chaos at home without adding random
animals into the mix. We currently have two
older cats at home, Penny and Pandacat (10
and 16 years old), who are very set in their ways.
They do not take kindly to intruder kittens and
typically steer very, very clear of the kids.
However, I inexplicably became more and
more convinced that I needed to bring this
kitten home. I knew he would be playful and
goofy and love my two energetic kids. What I
didn't expect was how precious and gentle and
sensitive my children would be with the cat.
Believe me when I say there is nothing more
adorable than a thirteen month old squatting
down to kitten-level and holding out their
dimpled hand to be head butted by a tiny cat. It
really reinforced for me what little sponges they
are - they gain so much through observation
and learn to be little people through mimicking
behaviors around them.
At the risk of sounding mawkish, I realized
for the first time that we are (probably) actually
raising good humans. While navigating all of
the disorder and mess and repetition that is life
with young children, we are helping them build
the foundation of the people they will become.
We are teaching them unconditional love and
respect and empathy and equipping them with
tools that will serve them well later in life.
As parents (and veterinarians, managers,
leaders...), we can't be present for every second
of our children's lives. We can't solve every
problem or handle every disappointment for
them, even though we would like to. We do
the best we can to nurture and encourage and
when the moment comes, hope they make their
best decision. I am fortunate to have people in
my life still helping me become a better human.
In veterinary school at WesternU, we participated
in clinical skills labs that focused on
4
communication. Our " clients " were actors who
were very good at their jobs. I'd like to think I'd
fare better today, but as a first year veterinary
student, I remember feeling like I was being
eaten alive during these encounters. There was
once a visibly distraught woman in my " exam
room " whose dog had been hit by a car. It was
my job to obtain the patient's history. At the
time, I thought I nailed it - the dog got out
of the house and was hit by a car. The end? Of
course not. What I was supposed to uncover
through open-ended questions and empathic
listening was that the dog had been a gift to
the children from their father. Before he was
deployed to Iraq. And subsequently killed in
action. Oof.
As naive know-it-all veterinary students,
we were indignant to learn this backstory and
the expectation that we should have uncovered
it (sorry, Dr Boynton). We were focused on
the imaginary dog's imaginary injuries, when
clearly that was not the point of the exercise.
I had not yet learned that treating a patient
in veterinary medicine is rarely just about the
medical procedure. It would be years before I
was able to put to use the lessons learned that
day, but am grateful that I was given the tools
in anticipation.
In the end, the foster kitten went to a great
home and now has a kitty roommate named
Kimchi. While he was with us, my toddler
named him " Electric Car " and they spent the
weekend running from room to room chasing
each other. My heart nearly swelled to bursting
as I watched them " play cars " together on the
floor. He was the perfect houseguest and now
I look forward to our next animal adventure.
Megan Nowl
SCVMA President
AUGUST 2023
PULSE

Pulse - August 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pulse - August 2023