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Of all the routes we frequently travel, the one that takes us to the veterinary hospital changes most with the seasons, at this time of year becoming a deeply shaded tunnel.
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Little Man was unimpressed.
It was time for his first annual check-up, but at least this time we managed to capture him and get him there at the right hour of the right day.
Previously he conjured disappearing tricks that defeated us, which was embarrassing.
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The secret to capturing a cat for transport, I believe, is for the trapper to avoid thinking of the job at hand until the very last moment because cats read minds.
Start worrying too soon and they pick up the vibe.
Get the cat container out the day before and place it in a location where you can enclose your captive easily.
Whatever you do, don’t rattle the container until the cat is in hand!
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Our other cats are past resisting being carted to the vet. Some, like Lily, protest loudly en-route but we no longer have to chase around the house to catch them.
Six years ago, when we had 13 deal little darlings, vet visits were traumatic because while you can be sneaky about capturing one cat, rounding up three or four is a challenge.
By the time the first one is enclosed, the rest will have fled to parts of the house you didn’t know existed.
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Of course, they didn’t all have to go on the same day, but we didn’t really want to make 13 separate trips, so we did 3 visits with 3 cats and one with 4.
It was rather a circus.
Luckily, once we got our cats to the vet, they behaved well, with the exception of poor Tinkerbelle whose file was annotated “Handle with Care”.
Or words to that effect!
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Tinks was our problem child. She loved Grant but everyone else was likely to be swatted if they went near her and she was spiky with the other cats.
In particular, timid Sophia.
With each loss from a multi-cat household, the dynamic changes and sometimes it is very poignant.
With Tinkerbelle gone, Sophia feels safe and she has emerged from hiding.
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Willow, on the other hand, no longer comes to play as she used to every morning after breakfast.
She was not bothered by Tinkerbelle, but she is not keen on the rambunctious Little Man.
Fortunately, the boy is nice-natured and doesn’t tend to pester his aging lady companions.
At night, he goes downstairs with Grant, Dee Dee and Lily.
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Blackie and Willow both clearly decided from the start that I was their person, yet they would not sleep on the bed with me while other cats claimed the right, even though there was space for them all.
Now, Willow sleeps by my feet for the first part of the night while Blackie tucks herself under an arm.
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Muffin restricts her bedtime visits to 20 minutes after which she retires to the living room with Sophia until her appetite wakes her in the small hours.
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“It’s all cat politics.”
“Just remember who’s Boss!”
Dee Dee gets the job by default because Lily doesn’t want it, although she reserves the right to claim seniority in other matters, should it seem like a good idea.
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June 14th will be Little Man’s first bush day, the celebration of when he came in from under a bush.
This picture was taken the day before he made that great move. Having a kitten was the last thing we planned and we expected that someone would be looking for him but before long it was obvious he’d moved in and he has been a ray of light.
He passed his check-up with flying colours.
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Thank you, Carolyn, for your delightful stories of cats being more intelligent than humans, the wonderful portraits of your charges, and the beautiful green tunnels of pathways. It is such good news that Little Man is well and will bring joy to your life for a long time. And reading your posts will bring joy to mine!
Joanna
Well, WordPress has a habit of hiding your wonderful photographs from me and I have to go searching for them one way or another, but today no photos at all, however I view. I am guessing it will all sort itself out tomorrow – I hope so, they are always beautiful. Meantime, I can read the words (which in my head comes out as pronounced by Oliver Hardy) and I’m pleased to know that the vet’s visit went well 😊
There is no doubt whatsoever that cats can read minds, just as dogs can read emotions!
I believe many animals are intuitive, not just cats and dogs. Little Man’s eyes are so green – beautiful!
Not a birthday, but bush day – that’s a cute name for a special celebration! I can’t believe it’s almost a year since Little Man became part of your household – it’s as if he has always been there. I’m always amazed at how each cat’s personality is different … and even more so to see how you keep up with it! Love all your cat photos.
Oh, and if I forget: Happy Bush Day on the 14th of June Little Man!!
When I had a cat, I used to have to wrap her in a large towel to get her into the basket to go to the Vet. I would take gardening gloves with me to use to get her out at the other end. She was a sweet and affectionate cat, but not when it came to the basket. Then she was determined to draw blood!
Best wishes, Pete.