Do I Really Want to Move?

On Friday I had fun playing with friend L. We went to see "The Inside Man" directed by Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington. Excellent movie. I love heist movies and this was a good one. It wasn't very violent (hardly any blood - a pleasant change) and showcased some gorgeous art deco(?) architecture. Excellent acting, thumbs up.

Yesterday tho was a misery. Part 1 of what will surely be the ongoing series "Do I Really Want to Move?" Not that I actually have a choice - we ARE moving. But I gotta whine about it. If you're not interested in cat going to the vet stories, feel free to skip.

We borrowed even more cages so my hubby and I could get the cats to the vet. Can I just say, haven't ever taken all four cats to the vet at the same time before and Howler and Bibi haven't been in cages since they were younger and slimmer and easier to bribe with food.

Knowing Howler was going to be difficult, I gave him a sedative in some canned food. He wandered off to sleep under our bed. Figured he'd be last since he was now going to be so controllable. HA! Rookie mistake.

The next problem child was Lily. She's just so quick and loves to play games like chase and hide and seek. Nabbed her all unsuspecting while sweetie got sweet, innocent all-unknowing Pokey. Next we went for Bibi. Big, sweet, loveable lug Habibi who was now warned that something was up. He was not going willingly. Scrambling, hissing, dodging... Awful. Twenty-something pounds of mad cat. Never seen him hiss or be mad before.

Okay, leave him in the study hiding behind the tangle of computer wiring and we'll go get Howler. Another big problem. He's woken up and is very unhappy. Poking him with the broomstick to get him out from under the bed, not working.

Back to Bibi. Managed to get a backbone and just grab at the ruff of his neck (in my well-gloved hands) and march him on his hind legs over to that cage. Between hubby and I we manage to shove him in and get the door locked before he can make it back out (like he'd done previously). Back to Howler. Finally realize the only way to do it is to take the bed apart: mattress and box springs leaned against the bureau. Eventually manage to corner him and get him caged as well.

Get to the vets office later than planned and there are a few other pets ahead of ours. I sat next to a woman who has rescued six siamese cats, three of whom she had with her. The controllable ones. She wasn't quite sure how she was going to manage the other three. Oye.

I go in with the cats. Hubby has done his job getting us all there; he's such a softie, he gets to wait outside. First problem, vet only has two microchips, so only two cats can be done. Vet says bring the two easier ones back tonight. Fine, just fine.

First Bibi, who's held down by three guys, but isn't kicking up a fuss. Two shots, he's fine. Phone rings loudly and he loses it, gets away. Tries to scramble his huge bulk behind the doctor's bookshelves. A bit of fussing, but get him back up on the table. This time I go over and help hold and pet and soothe at the same time. Get that nasty huge microchipping needle in and done. Whew.

Next Howler. I make the mistake of telling the vet that Howler has been sedated and is declawed in the front (don't hate me - it had to be done. Howler has the world's longest claws and they don't retract all the way in. His hind nails still click as he walks down the hallway.) So vets think this one'll be easy. Ha! Howler gets away from them pretty damn fast and starts trying to force himself under the gap of the refridgerator. I have to admit I was laughing my ass off. He was just too fat and the doc managed to get three shots (one a sedative) into Howler's hindquarters that were still sticking out.

Well he showed us. Managed somehow to get all the way under the fridge. What a fiasco. In the end they got him out, another sedative shot into him, and were able to chip him. Since Howler was so drowsy, asked the vet to take a look at the cat's teeth. He has one fang that sticks way out - our snaggle-toothed boy. It has apparently "dropped" whatever that means.

Vet discovered that Howls has gingivitis and a nasty abcess. Poor kitty is prob always in pain, not that it has slowed his eating down any. The only thing the doc says can be down is for us to apply dressings to Howler's mouth. That is impossible. We'll take him to a vet in the states and see what can be done about it there.

So we get all the cats home and that would all have been over, except the girls have to be taken back in the evening. (Hubby realizes later that we should have had their shots down and then they could have been chipped when we go back for the big blood draw- d'oh) Don't know if they pick it up from us, but the girls remain tense, staying away from us.

Amazingly Bibi is loving and sweet. Don't know if he was showing us how sorry he was for hissing and kicking up a fuss, but he kept rubbing against our legs and head bumping us. Howler wobbles around the house, only settling for short periods, but seems surprisingly friendly as well. Esp for Howler. He doesn't object to being petted, which rather shocks me after the events of the day.

I drink three Diet Dr Peppers during the course of the afternoon, even tho this is the first time in months that the drink has been available and I should be limiting my intake to make them last. I shouldn't drink it at all because diet soda just chews holes through my stomach.

At 7:00pm, take the girls back to the vet. They are so much more controlleable because of their small size, although Pokey does manage to gash my chin with a toe claw as she flails to get away from me. In the waiting room this time I talk to a woman who has rescued 27 stray dogs. And a water buffalo. She's lived here for four years but is now moving to asia. With all 27 dogs. And worrying her water buffalo.

The girls were very well-behaved getting their shots and chips, even with three adorable bichon frisees barking their heads off in the waiting room. The girls seem to hold more of a grudge and keep away from us the rest of the night.

I have never seen Bibi so affectionate, I swear. He rarely sleeps with us, and it's always after we return from a long trip. He'll appear during the night for awhile. Last night he wanted to sleep ON me. I had to keep tossing him off, just like I usually do with Lily. But this time it was the heavy guy. Big sweetie.

I can't believe how well Howler came through this. Let us sleep all the way through the night, although I swear he jumped up on the bed at one point. Or was that a dream? Lily forgave us by bedtime. Pokey had a bright red nose last night - Rudolph red - and she wanted nothing to do with being held. She stayed hidden for quite awhile this morning, but has since since been her noisy, bread crumb-eating self.

Don't know why I felt compelled to write about this ordeal in such detail. As ordeals go, it wasn't that big of a deal. I guess it's the knowing that we have many more vet visits to go that makes me so shaky.