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SIERRA VISTA — Sierra Animal Hospital recently lost one of its longtime staff members, leaving behind a legacy that will be tough to match.
For 22 years, Cochi, the hospital cat, greeted clients and made new friends as she wandered through the medical facility.
She died on Dec. 29, surrounded by the doctors and staff who had come to love her during her years at the hospital.
Cochi’s presence at Sierra Animal Hospital started at a young age when she was left on the doorstep in a box. She was adopted by the hospital’s new owner at that time, Dr. David Bone.
 Cochi (Submitted to the Herald/Review) |
“Cochi was probably only three or four weeks old when she came to us,” Bone said.
After some intensive care, along with a brief adoption stint with a mother cat who happened to be nursing a litter of kittens, Cochi was able to go home with the doctor. But Bone’s wife was allergic to the newcomer, so Cochi had to go back to the animal hospital where she lived out her life as a permanent staff member.
“Clients would always come in and ask about Cochi,” said Mike Falconer, Sierra Animal Hospital’s office manager.
The cat had a reputation for sitting on the reception counter, looking sweet and innocent. But people who knew Cochi well were wary of that sweet demeanor.
“Although she could be sweet and loving, Cochi had a significant mean streak,” Falconer said.
She was known for tearing open bags of pet food and would think nothing of biting or scratching unwary visitors who weren’t petting her the way she liked being petted, Falconer said.
In her later years, she became more mellow. Though plagued by liver and kidney issues, Cochi continued to wander about the hospital when the mood struck her.
“She would spend a lot of her days sleeping,” recalls Jody Moffett, one of the hospital’s veterinarians. “But she appreciated being picked up and petted, along with going for a short walk around the hospital.”
Moffett said Cochi “was quite possibly the oldest cat I’ve ever seen.” She views Cochi’s longevity as a “testament to the benefits of modern medications, lavish veterinary care and significant amounts of regular blood work,” which allowed her health to be continuously monitored.
“Cochi will be dearly missed by the doctors and staff at Sierra Animal Hospital, as well as a significant number of clients who met her during her long career as the hospital’s feline ambassador,” Falconer said.
Herald/Review reporter Dana Cole can be reached at 515-4618 or by e-mail at dana.cole@svherald.com.
Blues Mommy wrote on Jan 2, 2009 7:24 PM: