Six cat wake up call

Well this morning was fun... NOT!

Eli is at the vet having a dental - It's been over due for a while. And to get him there I had to get up two hours early. Well this sparked great fascination with my crew. First it was Ollie Jack and Muffin. Then Eli showed up. I had the "old crew" sitting on and around me staring at me, wanting attention. Then Twee showed up followed shortly by Skippy (who is going in this afternoon for his "meet the vet" check up)

I finally convinced all the cats that the world was not coming to an end and got up out of bed and started my day. Got in some exercise, fed the fosters, got breakfast and my lunch ready and went off in search of Eli to capture and crate up.

Fortunately at one point he was alone in the bedroom, so I had shut the door. At least I knew what ROOM he was in, but catching that boy is NEVER easy. I went and got a carrier to have close by, and of course Skippy and Fleurp both wanted to know what was going on and tried to investigate. Got them out of the carrier, got the towel IN the carrier, now to catch the boy.

Sent DH in first, since Eli knows I am up to no good. No go. I think he heard us talking and probably the noises of the carrier, so he's hiding.

Finally find him, far corner of the bed. I'm of course on the wrong side. Send DH to the other side to try to roust him out of there, and he moves to an ungrabbable spot. We finally roust him out from under the bed, and now he's freaked, hunched over and squeaking like his nickname implies. Oh so upset, I snuggle him but he's not buying it. I stick him in the carrier - which he does not want to go into but Skippy does - and shut the door.

Well he has not stopped squeaking. Instead of meowing, he squeaks. High pitched 1/4 of a meow, it is how he has always communicated with us. Just once have I heard him actually meow, and it was an odd little noise.

Squeaks while walking down the hall, squeaks while hanging out in the kitchen while I get my jacket on. Squeaks while I carry him out to the car, squeaks louder due to the echo of being in the car. I try covering the carrier up, but it doesn't help. The squeaks become swear words. How I'm a horrible mom, and how life is just not worth living, etc. 40 minute drive down to the vet listening to him squeak the whole way down. Get there, carry him into the vet squeaking the whole way, get in the vet and check him in, yup.. he was squeaking.

I wonder if he has stopped yet.

I feel bad, but sometimes you just have to make them unhappy for their own good..

A cacophony of complaints

Vet day today. Yes, once again I am foolish enough to think I should take all of my cats to the vet at once. But yet again I'm glad to know I can evacuate the house in under half an hour if necessary.

I closed the bedroom doors, and threw some dry food on the floor down the hall. They 'fell for it' and went down the hall to chow down.

Eli has to be first. If he even thinks there is a trap set for him, he is off and running and then hiding very well. He saw me coming down the hall and realized what was going on. He tried to make a break for it, but I knew it was going to happen and I zigged when he zagged and into the carrier he went. The rest of my cats are happy enough chewing on dry food to not notice their ranks are being thinned out.

so then they were all in carriers. Playing Tetris, we got them all into the truck and we were off. We were surprisingly early. Ok not really surprising as I was early last time I took them all to the vet. I like to leave plenty of time. They all complained the whole way down and DH said they sounde much like a symphony does right before a preformance.

we got to the vet, and unloaded. Got into the appointment, and the cats preformed well. Tweedle surprisingly came out with a mouth like a sailor. Oh she swore up a storm. I don't think she quite understood why she was hissing and growling, but she wouldn't stop. she took comfort in the cuddling and the cooing, but the hissing still continued.

We did rabies only. It had only been two years since their distemper, and since the new recommendation is three years, I'm going with at least that. I've decided to stop giving Ollie vaccines. Because that growth was much where the vaccines are given, and he's 10 now.. better safe than sorry.

so an hour and a half later, we packed them all up, paid the $340 fee and came home.

Kit did not enjoy the ride home. she ended up salavating all over the place.

But they are home, and they are healthy and "unremarkable" medically. I knew this prior, but it good to know.

Good Morning Mom!!!

Ok, seriously, I so wish I had the ability to understand my cats.

Why oh why were ALL SEVEN cats in the bed this morning waiting for me to wake up?

Ollie was *right in my face* (whiskers up the nose in the face) on the left. Muffin was on my chest. Jack was on my right. Right behind Jack was Eli waiting his turn. Twee, Fleurp and Kit were behind the first line just sitting there amusing themselves.

Ok, so I wake up. Pat Ollie, pat Jack, snuggle Muff. Jack leaves, I pat Eli, and then pretty much I'm alone.

seriously. It isn't like I feed them in the morning - or ever. DH takes care of that. I understand the "We are STARVING! Dad forgot to feed us this morning" plea when I finally do crawl out of bed. can't blame them for trying to get more.

I must say I am amused and dismayed by one new development in the house. Fleurp has decided to bring her toys into the bed. Now she's done this in the past, but never to PLAY with them. She has started sitting on top of me and playing with things. yes, when I'm asleep. Yes, at some unseemly hour of the night - no glasses on so I have no idea exactly when. It has been belled balls, but I immediately take those away from her so she's started bringing toy mice into the bed. During the day when she brings them, we play fetch. Fortunately I'm not asleep enough to think that if I throw the toy off the bed she'll go away. I know that she'll just bring it back :)

I finally schedualed their annual exam. May 2nd. I'm still not sure what I am going to do about vaccines. I'm thinking Ollie is done since he had that growth. Rabies is required, but FVRCP isn't. The new vaccination guidelines say no sooner than every 3 years. Well I believe I'm at year three. Since I have fosters in the house, there is risk of exposure, but there are a lot of people who believe that once vaccinated that they are protected for life.

I believe in vaccines. Completely. I think every single cat everywhere should be vaccinated unless they have a vet approved reason for not being (aka known health issues that cause vaccines to be riskier than the possibility of the diseases) but our cats have been so over vaccinated over the years. I'm not 100% convinced that 3 years is when vaccines 'run out" or need to be boostered.

Guess I have a few more weeks to think it over. Although since my vet is the shelter vet, I might have to if I want to continue fostering..