6 posts tagged “cat”

The cat is much better, but extremely grumpy because he's not allowed outside.

Last night we made a decision that the daft cat needed to go to the very nice vet. He still wasn't eating (the cat not the vet), and we suspected not drinking; beginning to get a bit smelly because he wasn't washing... So I 'phoned first thing this morning and got an appointment tonight.

Handsome and myself were actually both a bit worried. Casper is at least eleven (we don't know exactly how old he is because he was a rescue cat, and they didn't know) in human years, and although that isn't really, really old, it is at least late middle-age. We were a bit bothered that he might actually be ill, rather than battered.

So I was dead chuffed when the vet said he could fix him!

The stupid cat has been in a catfight - he has a torn and infected tongue for which he now has vast quantities of pain killers and antibiotics, and to my relief, almost the first thing he did when we got home (after the pain killers) was eat... and then he washed.

Cat's lives - one for the cement last year; one for being missing for two days and being rescued by the fire brigade; one from his previous existence; two for having to be brought down from the pine trees in the garden by our next door neighbour...

I think he has four lives left.

As I emerged into the kitchen this morning (pre-coffee) I could hear a sort of plasticky banging noise, interspersed with frantic miaows. That would be the noise our rather stupid cat makes when he has lost his collar (for the second time in a week) with the little magnetic mouse-thingy on it that opens his cat-flap. And he wants breakfast. And he's stuck outside.

So, I let him in (without really looking - still pre-caffeine), and started sorting out cat food. Mad Casper was doing what he normally does at this point, walking round and round my legs in an attempt to trip me up before I get cat-breakfast served. So, I looked at him - to find that he was covered in blood. His normally fluffy white chest was dramatically gore-stained, as was his nose, mouth, chin and paws.

He seemed quite happy, so I assumed that he'd killed something bloodily and hadn't got around to washing himself, but on more careful examination tonight (and some unwelcome help with washing) he looks as though he has been in a fight  - perhaps it was a very big rabbit? Or even one of the sheep? He's curled up on the settee tonight with Handsome because that way he gets lots of love and affection, and I've just sent Mouse to tape over the magnet on the cat flap so he can get back in tomorrow morning.

I read this article earlier about how the government have issued guidelines about pet care, which include advice about keeping cats entertained and amused. So tonight I woke Casper up and made him watch Road Wars with me.

He wasn't impressed.

Actually I wasn't either, but there wasn't anything else on and the hard drive has just died with all my episodes of NCIS on it unwatched.

The cat's feeling much better now - but we're going to have to keep him in again for two days next week. The neighbour is laying more concrete, and I'm really not up for going through all that again!

Handsome's obsessive gene is fully dominant at the moment. We picked up his new bike on Thursday night after work - and it is really a very beautiful bike. It's black and sleek and so light, and it has tubular bits that start of round and finish up sort of triangulary squarish. There's probably a correct technical term for the shape... Since Thursday night, Handsome has spent hours and hours in the garage playing with his new toy. Any actual cycling has been weather-limited, but never mind, he's bought lots of stuff, so that when he can cycle he'll have every little accessory available.

There's a very definite 'Yes dear I'll be there in a minute' theme going on.

So, as the sun was shining this afternoon, we cycled down to a local furniture maker, to see if he would make us a bespoke corner table for the television, so that we can at least think about starting to redecorate the lounge. He has a fantastic workshop with huge lumps of different kinds of wood just leant against the walls all the way around - burr elm, yew, beech, spalted birch (which I didn't know existed until I saw it, and had forgotten until Handsome reminded me) and some lovely silvery-beigey-gray sycamore, which will age beautifully, and which he will keep by for us if we want... The place smells wonderful.

More to the point, he seems to be happy to make something to Handsome's design, which is really what we want. His prices are within our budget, and his craftsmanship is up to Handsome's standards... All we have to do now is measure things up and take Handsome's sketches down - before he does something else with that bit of sycamore.

Mouse 'phoned me at work this afternoon, to tell me that our gorgeous, but blind and stupid cat, Casper, had been paddling in next door's newly laid concrete. He described him as having four hard feet. My initial (but obviously very wrong) reaction was to tell him not to let the cat go swimming... but as one of my colleagues - merely from listening to my end of the 'phone conversation - was already more upset about the cat than I was, I thought I'd better stay sensible.

I suggested that Mouse phoned the vet, and asked for advice while I called Handsome and told him to be ready for a fast getaway. Mouse called me back to say that the vet said to bring Casper in as soon as possible, so we did just that (with a short delay while we located the cat basket and wrapped him in a towel to stop him licking any more concrete off his paws).

It wasn't until I talked to the vet that I realised that this is potentially quite serious for the stupid cat. Cement is poisonous, and cats automatically clean their paws, so he's probably eaten quite a bit. Also, because cement is quite acidic, it may cause ulcers even if he hasn't eaten enough to poison himself - and we won't know how much damage he's done for a few days. The vet's surgery were really good - they've injected him with antacids, given me something with a weird dropper that I've got to force down his throat morning and evening, and shaved his paws and tummy. They gave him a shower too - apparently he wasn't impressed.

He looks a bit odd and scrawny and hairless now.

The hardest bit is going to be keeping him inside, he's already scrabbling frantically at the (locked) catflap.