The temperature hit 85 degrees (29 C) yesterday.
Beneath a glaring sun it felt a good deal warmer and the house became very stuffy, necessitating activation of the air- conditioner. This seems very premature as there is still the chance we may get frost and even snow, though that appears most unlikely at the moment!
Happy to report that the house air-conditioner came promptly to life, unlike the one in the car.
Cats that appear to crave heat never-the-less lie around looking melted and miserable when we don’t maintain optimum temperature for them.
So of course we do our best to keep them happy…
.
This morning, two more vet visits and this time I made a point of closing doors to reduce the amount of chasing about.
Which was a fat lot of good because the whole process still requires coordination. And a large amount of subterfuge. When doors that are always open suddenly get closed, feline ears go up.
They tap in to your thoughts. And if you approach them uttering endearments….time to flee.
Grant went in to get Blackie assuming that I would re-close the door.
But he said “Stand by with the carrier”, so that’s what I was doing when a black streak shot past.
.
Dropping the carrier, I went to slam the basement door and this failed too because the man’s winter gear was draped over the top.
In due course however, two cats were in carriers.
Blackie’s protests were not as pitiful as Willow’s Tuesday lament. I think Willow has been perfecting that mournful wail.
Tinkerbelle doesn’t wail. She only growls and swears.
As yet, Tinkerbelle has not been banned from the vet but her file is annotated “Handle with Care”.
.
Once the girl is removed from her carrier, the vet is on a fast countdown as Tinkerbelle’s fuse is now lit. Her initial fear today allowed for a blood draw and weight taking. After these two assaults on her person she had to be wrapped up like a burrito.
The vet didn’t need to ask her to say “Ah”. Tinkerbelle opened her mouth and spat, which exposed her teeth just long enough for an evaluation.
By the time the ears had been examined and her belly cautiously palpated, our dear little cat was in a full RAGE.
But she was loaded back into her carrier without bloodshed.
.
Today’s reports were mostly good though there is some concern about Tinkerbelle’s weight loss which is not thyroid related.
We are hoping it may be as simple as lifestyle change.
In her previous life, at the Kitty-Suite, Tinkebelle was very sedate. She had a large room that she shared with one other cat and they were quite inactive.
When we all came to our new home, Tinks gained a lot of roommates and much more room. She still sleeps a lot as all cats do, but in between there is a fair amount of activity!
Chasing other cats mostly.
That’s that for now. We have a month to plan the next sortie to the vet which will be a foursome.
.
Since Lucy went blind, I have been trying to make sure she has comfortable, “safe” places. But how do I explain to Patches and Blackie that they must not sit there?
Perhaps I should stop worrying about it and let them sort it out for themselves. Maybe my fussing is what causes Patches and Blackie to investigate Lucy’s bed? Cats always check out anything new.
Unless you want them to.
.
My first flower this year, Greek thimbleweed, according to PlantNet.
This year there are blankets of blue and white flowers everywhere, but I believe those are called Early Snow Glories.
Strange that I have never noticed them before as I have a great fondness for blue flowers, which remind me of English bluebells.
It is nice to see plants coming to life, but at the same time I dread having a garden I am unable to care for properly.
When I first came here I tried unsuccessfully to find garden help but now, even if I could find someone, I hesitate to spend money I should keep in reserve for aging cats. So I guess we’ll muddle along…
.
At the pond along the road, terrapins are enjoying the warm sun.
Although I haven’t the luxury of my own pond, there are quite a few nearby to enjoy in their ever-changing appearances.
Thank you, Carolyn, for the saga of cats’ domestic tribulations.
I love your flowers!
Joanna
You apparently have 20 species of turtle.. Who knew? Not me!
Not me!
Wow, 29 degrees Celsius … that’s Summer (although we are now in Autumn and our temperatures have been around 29 degrees for the past few days). Good news about two more cats’ vet visits – I trust Tinkerbelle is fine (she certainly gave the vet a run for his money)! Oh yes, and I love your carpet of blue and white flowers!
12C here and sunny. For this time of year in England, that’s good enough I suppose.
I had a cat in the 1970s. When I tried to get her to the Vet in a cat carrier, she could shred my hands with her claws in panic. I finally found some very thick oven gloves that I could grab her with, and I took them into the Vet’s to reverse the procedure.
Best wishes, Pete.
Tinkerbelle looks like a Tabby that I had as a child – very cute but naughty eyes.