Paging Dr. Morgan

Have you ever experienced love at first sight? I have. At 18 years old, I fell in love with a coworker immediately after I first laid eyes upon him. He was absolutely beautiful! He was 17 years old when I met him and he swooned me immediately with his gorgeous blue eyes, soft white hair with specks of black in it, and warm personality. He is rather tall and very vocal, always demanding attention in complete contrast to my introverted self who prefers staying in the background. He is Morgan: the coolest cat around.

During COVID-19, a lot of jobs have found themselves in need of new employees, so when I found that a veterinary hospital near my house was in dire need of extra help, I thought it was a perfect fit. I applied, completed an interview, and was hired immediately. I was so excited, but so nervous for my first day. I had already met most of my coworkers during my interview, but I was nervous to meet the rest. On my first day, I anxiously walked through the employee entrance and the first to greet me was none other than Morgan. I immediately fell in love with this cat.

Morgan is the hospital cat, and he basically owns the hospital. He’s not supposed to leave his room in the back of the hospital, but he finds his way up to the front every day. In fact, there is a large sign on the door of his room that says he is not allowed to roam the hospital, indicating the door should stay closed while patients are being seen. However, right when I get to work, he locks eyes with me as if to telepathically tell me to open the door for him to roam, and since he has so much experience at the hospital, I oblige and open the door for him. He joins me in exam rooms when I clean them to make sure I’m up to par in my sanitation procedure. He also watches me to make sure I wash the dirty laundry correctly. Morgan is basically my mentor, guiding me to ensure that I complete my work at the standards he expects of me. Morgan, however, is not an authoritarian. He makes sure to reward his staff when they have done an exceptional job or when he can tell they are stressed. He walks over to them, stands on two legs, and gives them a quick kitty massage to let them know he’s proud of them.

Part of my responsibilities at the hospital is to help restrain patients during exams or procedures. During basic procedures, such as nail trimming, vaccinations, or pre-operation exams, the patients are taken to an area towards the back of the hospital where there are multiple tables for them to stand on or lie on. Morgan likes to jump on these tables during examinations or procedures to keep the patients company and to ensure that everything goes as planned.

Another one of my responsibilities in the hospital is to restock the drawers with supplies the veterinarian or the veterinary assistants may need. This includes syringes, catheters, needles, vaccines, sterile gauze, gloves, etc. I had to learn Morgan’s preferred manner of restocking the supplies. He often stands over me, watching my every move, and if he is not pleased, he yells at me. Morgan’s unique manner of delivering criticism has made me more receptible to constructive criticism, so I must thank him for that since I used to be quite sensitive to any sort of negative comments. He also offers me constructive criticism when I feed him in the mornings. If I am taking too long getting his many, many medications prepared to give him prior to his breakfast, he sits on his bed and yells at me to hurry it up. He also a very particular way he likes his food served: he prefers his food to be cut up into small bites, so it is easier for him to enjoy.

Even though Morgan outranks everyone at the hospital, including the head Veterinarian, sometimes even he makes mistakes and gets in trouble. There is a stock of treats in every exam room to be given to patients to either calm them, reward them, or help the veterinary assistants give them oral medications. If Morgan is bored, sometimes he’ll explore the hospital and since he too loves treats, he has been found on occasion breaking through the treat bags and splurging on them. How can you get mad at him though? He’s 18 years old, he’s seen a lot in his day and can use a few extra treats every now and then.

Morgan takes his role in the hospital very seriously. He is never tardy: he is there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Sure, he takes a lot of naps during the work day, but who can blame him? With the amount of work he does everyday, monitoring his staff, checking on patients, and running security inside the hospital, I can only imagine how exhausted he must be. Morgan is the best co-worker any one could ask for. He keeps everyone in line, voicing his concern if necessary. He also makes sure to rewards his staff by giving them massages or giving purrs when he is pet. I have never met anything more deserving of EmPAWyee of the Month than Morgan. He’s worked at the hospital for years, despite battling some chronic conditions, and he has never complained about his situation.