A Rare Night Off
After finishing a consultation and seeing a client out, Lee Jun turned around — and there, sprawled across the cat tower, were Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi.
Hoesaegi lay curled into a round ball on the clear acrylic hammock at the very top. A little below him, Gkamnyangi occupied a fabric hammock in the exact same pose.
Watching the two of them lounging in perfect comfort, gazing out the window, Lee Jun asked,
"You two not going to the park today?"
"Not going-ong."
"We're taking the day off."
Their long tails swept slowly back and forth as they let out lazy, drawn-out meows.
Lee Jun looked at them and shook his head.
"Until yesterday they were carrying on like the world would end if they didn't go to the park. And now they flip like this in a heartbeat."
He was still shaking his head, turning back toward the exam room, when Go Gi-jin's voice came from behind him.
"Must be 'cause the weather's gotten so hot, y'know? Sapsaree did one lap around and then flopped right down under a tree in the shade. That says it all, don't it?"
"True enough. It has gotten a lot hotter."
"But if they keep this up, ain't they gonna get fat like last year? I always felt so much better when they were out runnin' around the park."
Lee Jun stared at him.
Sensing that look, Go Gi-jin leaned his face back a little.
"W-why're you lookin' at me like that?"
"It's weird hearing you of all people talk about their weight. Who was it that snuck Churu to them last summer while they were on a diet?"
About a year and a couple of months earlier, Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi had endured truly miserable days. The days of that dreaded diet.
Clutching their empty stomachs, so hot that just standing still made them sweat — or rather, made their paw pads prickle with moisture — they still had to run, panting for breath.
Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi, who normally got along with such loyalty, had squabbled over a single piece of kibble, a single treat. And they had learned just how delightful, how intoxicating, a secret snack eaten behind Lee Jun's back could be.
Of course, it had come back around like a boomerang in the form of an even harsher diet.
The provider of those devilish snacks had been none other than Go Gi-jin.
"Ahahaha, well, I, uh, I did do that, yeah."
Go Gi-jin turned his head slightly and went on.
"That's why I did a whole lot of reflectin' after I read that paper you gave me, Hyung-nim."
"Ah, the one from the university in New Jersey?"
"Yup, that one. Truth is, back then I thought you were bein' too hard on 'em. Figured as long as they ate well and slept well, that was enough."
Lee Jun understood how he felt. For Go Gi-jin, who had spent his career treating livestock, the best life an animal could have was one where they ate well, lived well, and were comfortable.
"But then I saw that obesity can cut five to ten years off their average lifespan, and that's when I realized just how wrong I'd been to 'em."
Lee Jun smiled.
"Looking at your face, I don't think you'll be fattening up any dogs or cats from now on."
"You bet. Once they get fat, anesthesia don't even take properly, and even if it does it's dangerous. Can't have that."
"And what else gets dangerous?"
"Insulin resistance goes up."
"Hmm. Try explaining it the way you would to a client."
"See, when they put on weight, they get more fat cells, right? And when there's more fat cells, insulin resistance goes up. Once that happens, their blood sugar don't come down easy. Past the age of seven, that blood sugar just keeps climbin'. They could get diabetes, and that's a real scary thing."
"And if a guardian says, 'But not every chubby cat gets diabetes, right?' — what do you tell them?"
"Well, that's true. They might not get it. But if our cat does get it, we might lose a little one who could've lived fifteen, seventeen years — twenty, even, with good care — way before their time. How sad is that? How heartbreaking? If they're overweight, they could cross the Rainbow Bridge five, even ten years early."
The words that came out of Go Gi-jin's mouth, his face gone as piteous as if a diabetic cat were sitting right in front of him, were exactly why Lee Jun took a healthy weight so seriously.
Quality of life was what Lee Jun valued above all else, and he wanted to give that quality of life to Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi. He wanted them healthy, wanted them to live long, wanted them comfortable. That was why he had put the two of them through such a harsh diet.
"If a cat loses five years of life, how many years is that in human terms?"
"Way more than twenty. If they don't get diabetes, that's that much longer they get to live easy. Point is, they really, truly cannot get fat. Their joints go bad, then they stop moving, then they get even fatter. It just goes round and round like a hamster wheel."
Lee Jun smiled at the answer.
"From now on, whenever a guardian with an obese cat says they just feel too sorry for them to cut back on the food, make sure you tell them that. Diabetes, and a shortened life."
Obesity brought on any number of diseases. But if guardians simply remembered those two things — diabetes, with all its complications, and a life cut short — they would take it seriously.
"Got it. I'll be sure to tell 'em. But, Hyung-nim."
"Yeah?"
"How many times a day is it good for them to eat?"
"Them? The cats?"
"Yup. If a cat that's been free-fed starts puttin' on weight, you've gotta switch 'em over to portioned meals, right?"
"How many times a day do you two eat?"
Lee Jun asked, glancing over at Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi.
"Well, they eat breakfast, and lunch, and dinner… but Hyung-nim, do treats count as meals too?"
"Yeah. It's better to count those as meals."
"Then they get a treat when we come in to work, a treat in the afternoon, and a treat before bed at night, so that's about six times?"
"That's right. Somewhere between six and eight times would be about right."
"Ah, that makes sense. But Hyung-nim, what about guardians who go out to work?"
"Just hide kibble or treats around the house before you leave. The cats go looking for them, which wakes up their hunting instinct, and they wander around, so they get exercise too. It works out well."
"Ah, that would do it. But Hyung-nim. Do the ones living in the wild eat that often too?"
"Yeah, they're about the same. A lot of the prey they hunt isn't all that calorie-dense. So to hit their daily energy needs, they'll eat eight meals? Even ten, I'd bet."
"Heeh, that many? That'd be real hard work."
"Living's hard no matter who you are."
Lee Jun and Go Gi-jin looked over at Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi.
Whether they noticed the attention or not, the two cats were in the finest of moods.
"Solbangwool was so surprised-ong."
"Heh heh, he sure was. When I found that Jeombaki fellow, everyone jumped out of their skin."
"I was surprised too-ong. Gkamnyangi-ong. You were really something-ong."
"You looked pretty cool yourself when you found Daebak."
Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi were still riding high on the thrill of having tracked down the culprit cats the day before, preening and thoroughly pleased with themselves.
Hearing those sweet, affectionate meows, Go Gi-jin smiled, thoroughly delighted.
"Aigoo, those two really do get along somethin' wonderful, don't they?"
"They do. It's nice."
Lee Jun was glad the two of them got along so well too.
"I like that they and Sapsaree are like siblings."
"That's right. Look at 'em and they really do seem like brothers. But Hyung-nim."
"Yeah? What is it?"
"What do you do in a house that keeps two or three like them? These ones get along, but there's plenty that don't, y'know. So what if one of 'em finds the hidden treats and wolfs down the whole lot?"
"That's the thing. Hmm… the guardian could split it up — two portions before they leave for work in the morning, two more after they get home, and one more before bed. Something like that."
Lee Jun's face turned thoughtful as he added,
"There is something called an Individual Recognition Feeder, but that has its pros and cons too…"
The best approach, of course, would be to sit them down — two of them, or three — warn them about the dangers of obesity, and tell them to share nicely.
Not that I can think of anyone else who could pull that off.
In the end, talking them into sharing nicely was a method no one but Lee Jun could use.
He closed his mouth and looked at Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi, still sprawled out in perfect ease. The cats of Neulpureun Park rose unbidden in his mind.
I'm so glad I can talk to them.
The park cats had a set time to eat in the morning. For the rest of the day, they helped themselves to their own treats and kibble. Each cat had a snack container tucked inside their hiding cubby, stocked with food, and whenever they got hungry they simply helped themselves. That was why the park cats never did what vets called hunger vomiting — throwing up yellow stomach bile when their stomachs ran empty.
And there was one more thing. Because Lee Jun could speak with them, he gave each cat the particular kibble and treats they liked best. The incident of Sogeum-i's stolen snacks had happened for exactly that reason.
Sogeum-i, a little under two years old, was small-framed. Being small, she ate less in a single sitting than the other cats — but she was on the active side, so she needed to eat in several smaller portions. The same was true of the others, each in their own way. That was why Lee Jun had given them containers to store their treats and kibble, so they could eat from them whenever they got hungry. For the younger cats who needed to eat more often, like Sogeum-i, he packed extra treats, and kibble that ran a little higher in calories too.
It was right in the middle of Lee Jun thinking about the cats of Neulpureun Park that the hospital phone rang.
"Hello, Mongmong Animal Hospital."
A few seconds after Jang Sora picked up, she turned to Lee Jun.
"Director, it's Dr. Choi on the line? Dr. Choi from Life Love."
"Ah, right."
He must have left his cell phone in the exam room. Friends who knew he didn't take calls during surgery or consultations often phoned the hospital instead — if Lee Jun picked up, great; if not, they could leave a message.
Lee Jun took the receiver, and Choi Woo-jin's voice came through.
"Jun, you going to the high school reunion?"
"Oh, you mean the day after tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Looks like a lot of the guys are coming."
"I'd like to, but I'm on call that day, so I don't think I can make it."
"Yeah? I was hoping the three of us could go together with Suho for once. That's a shame."
"I'm disappointed too. We'll go next time we get the chance."
That was when Go Gi-jin spoke up beside him.
"Hyung-nim, I can take the on-call that day. You should go."
"Come on, I can't let you do that. You're on call tomorrow too. That'd be two days in a row."
"Since when have we been countin' that kind of thing? Just last year we pulled on-call all week long plenty of times."
"Still, no. I'll just go next time."
"I'll take the shift. Please go, Director."
The voice belonged to Yoo Mu-hwan.
"That so? Dr. Yoo, you sure you'll be alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Director, switch with me."
"You sure?"
"Of course. You should get out and see your friends for once, Director. Go enjoy yourself."
"When's your on-call, Dr. Yoo? I'll cover that day."
Lee Jun added, smiling at the quietly beaming Yoo Mu-hwan,
"Thanks, Dr. Yoo."
Having thanked him, Lee Jun spoke back into the phone.
"Woo-jin, I can go after all."
"I heard. Anyway, maybe it's because the director's such a good guy, but everyone who works at Mongmong Animal Hospital is just good people. You lucky bastard."
The staff really were all good people. Since Choi Woo-jin's words were the simple truth, Lee Jun laughed without a hint of reservation.
"Hahaha, I suppose we are."
Two days later, Lee Jun found himself on a rare outing.
"After running on the same hamster wheel every day, the thought of seeing those old classmates actually feels pretty good."
"Same here. The only people I see every day are folks from this field, you know. I'm kind of looking forward to it, honestly."
Lee Jun and Choi Woo-jin stepped into the barbecue restaurant where the high school gathering was being held, hearts quietly lifting. It was the kind of place with a large private room, easy for a group to settle into.
Rattle.
The moment they slid open the door to the room where their classmates were waiting, a wave of noisy chatter rolled out, and familiar faces came into view one after another. And among them, the most familiar face of all — Kwak Suho — raised a hand and waved.
"You made it?"
The two of them waved back, then greeted the rest of the class.
"How've you all been?"
"It's been a while. You all got here early, huh?"
"Hey, hey — we didn't get here early. You two are late."
One classmate, his face already flushed, held out a beer glass to Lee Jun with a grin.
"Sorry, sorry. I got held up with a consultation."
"There he goes, making a point of it."
"Jun, you're doing pretty well for yourself these days. You're on TV a lot too."
Lee Jun took the glass as the greeting landed and shook his head.
"Doing well, nothing. I just ended up on there somehow. It's all thanks to Kwak."
He passed the credit straight over to Kwak Suho.
"Me? You're the one who earned it."
Kwak Suho laughed easily, and another classmate picked up the thread.
"Incredible. You used to go on and on about becoming a vet, and look at you now. Seriously, congratulations."
"Jun, if I ever get a dog or a cat at my place, I'm coming to your hospital. Take good care of them."
"You're really something, you know that? Making a living is hard enough, and you're out volunteering at shelters on top of it. I saw you treating animals down at the beach. I was genuinely moved."
"Same here. You son of a gun. When you were on TV, you should've heard me bragging to everyone around me! That's my friend, I told them."
"I bragged too. That passionate friend out there volunteering for all those poor animals? That's my friend. Just like that!"
"Hahaha. Thank you. Really, thanks."
In the middle of all that congratulations on Lee Jun's success, a sullen voice cut through the room.
In an instant, every pair of eyes in the room snapped toward the owner of that voice.