I dedicate this post today to my first born, Harry The Highlander. At the honorable age of 14 and a half (that's almost 80 in human years), this cat has taught me patience, and how to love without expecting anything in return.
At home, he is almost human: needy for attention from people, extremely verbal, easy to purr even with strangers, and always placing himself at the center of any action. When we go to the vet (thank goodness infrequently) he has been red-flagged by the doctor as a vicious, uncooperative, scratching tiger. Even if he has to get a simple procedure, he must either be sedated or put in the Squeeze Cage.
Yesterday he had an appointment, and needed to get two injections. As Harry gets older, the doctor has advised less shots and less intervention, so it was three years since our last visit. It was a new vet, and I advised him that unless he didn't value his hands, it would be best to use the Squeeze Cage.
"But he looks so sweet and friendly," the vet said.
"Trust me." I replied.
Once caged, Harry allowed the vet and his assistant to do their work, not acting out at all, though certainly complaining loudly the entire time. No humans were harmed in the attempt.
The vet thought that I had overestimated Harry's resistance to the doctor's office.
I know I didn't. Because I heard about it all the way home, from Harry.
And finally, to show his displeasure, he ran into the garden and hid from me for the rest of the day, refusing to come inside as it got dark.
(Raphaela, who aspires to be a Veterinarian and Zoo Keeper when she gets older, found the whole experience hilarious.)
1 comment:
This blog post could have been written by me, or any other cat owner for that matter! It’s so true that you know your own cat best, but it's almost like they know what will be expected behaviour at the vets and do the complete opposite. I’m almost convinced they treat it as a game!
Elvira Mullins @ Nelson Vets
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