Mittens does not enjoy going to the vet. Is that a surprise to any of you? I'm sure you imagined a shy, feral cat just dying to get in a car carrier, go for a ride, and get manhandled by a stranger. Mittens had three experiences at the vet in NC.
- A checkup to make sure she was healthy enough for us to keep her indoors with us when we first got her. Getting her in the car carrier was a joke, but Robert did it. The vet was nice, but she was scared to death since she had just gotten a new home living with Robert and me the day before. He checked her out: eyes, teeth, ears, paws, booty, and fur. Everything was good. Then it was time for her shots. Poor thing was so scared that she peed on the table. The vet said that was normal, and I guess it was a reassurance that her urinary tract was working well.
- She went back about a month later to get spayed. She was scared again. You could tell she was so embarrassed to come back out with her tummy shaved. We pampered her and made sure she took it easy. Mittens has no problem taking it easy. :) However, our little stinker licked her wound too much and it got infected.
- A trip to get an antibiotic shot and the cone of shame. Our vet informed us that if we ever wanted to bring Mittens back we would have to tranquilize her. Holy cow! I had no idea we had such a terror kitty on our hands, but apparently knows what she likes and doesn't like and isn't afraid to tell people.
So when it came time to take her to her annual checkup I was dreading it for weeks. This is my first house cat, so I don't totally have a tried and true view on taking a cat to the vet for yearly exams. I would tend to think, "Mittens is never around anyone but the two of us. She's never around other animals so it would be tough to pick up a weird disease from one of them, and she's never even come close to biting anyone. Why bother with the pain and trauma that going to the vet entails?" But we're renting a house and need to provide paperwork that she's on the up and up. Also, I would hate it if for some bizarre reason she did bite someone and something happened. Finally, it's good to get confirmation that she's healthy and we're doing our best to give her a happy life.
I just so happened to be busy at the time of Mittsy Coco's appointment. Darn the luck! R had the pleasure all to himself. I don't want to let myself visualize the horror of getting her into the carrier, but R said it was bad and involved her trying to climb up a curtain. He got her to All Creatures Animal Clinic, and Robert said it was a much better experience than we had anticipated. They had him take Mitts back to an exam room and told him to go ahead and let her out to explore while he waited for the vet to come back. I thought this was a great idea. It allowed her to get acclimated to this new environment without any strangers there. Of course she went right to the window. She's so predictable!
Then she hopped up in the sink which is very uncharacteristic of her. She was just feeling so adventurous!
Robert said everyone kept doting on her beautiful fur, how soft it is, and how unique her coloring and markings are. I know I'm a weirdo, but I always like it when people brag on M. The vet said her coat is healthy, her ears/teeth/nose/eyes are great, and he trimmed her nails (the worst part of having her). It was worth paying him $4 to do that. Whew! Mitts got two shots. She came home very sleepy. We expected this. The other time she got shots she was extra lazy and reclusive for about two days. It seems to be her normal. She sleeps more and keeps to herself so she can get back to her normal self. Don't we all need to do that every now and then? We are so thankful that my parents have fostered her for 8 months, but we are also super pumped to bring her back home with us. My parents have fallen in love with her which has been fun to watch. Maybe she'll be an incentive for frequent visits from my parents. :)
And now, to solidify our status as a crazy cat family, I bring you some abstract kitty cat art.
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