The Boys Are Back!

Reading the title, you would be forgiven in thinking that someone in the family (or someones) had returned from holiday.

Wrong. Read on.

For the last few weeks Morris the cat, (he of the bladder problems), has been going 'bos' (bush) in the evenings. Popping in and out during the day as usual, he suddenly decided that he was going to razzle overnight and pick the odd barney with whoever was around, and we have been waking to the sound of caterwauling! Alfie hates hearing cat fights, so we let him out to referee the fight and chase off the interloper. This can be anytime before dawn!

So, on Saturday night Rob noticed that Morris had a lopsided look about him, and when l had a closer look I noticed that he had a rather large abscess on the side of his head. There was a scabby area, so I fiddled and managed to clear quite a lot out of it. He was very good, but wasn't too happy about me squeezing for very long.

Sunday being Easter, there was no vet around, and Monday was a holiday too. We decided to go and see Aunty Vet on Tuesday morning!

Early on Tuesday morning we set off with Morris in the box (furious and hungry and complaining), and Alfie along for the ride (or so we thought!)

Morris being a pansy!

Yes, Morris would have to stay to be tranquillised and cleaned out and have his vaccinations, so he was carried off. As we were there and so was Alfie (who was happily chatting to all the reception ladies and cats), we decided that he should have his vaccinations too. And our vet looked in his ears and did some squeezing here and there, and checked his eyes. Sadly his right eye has gone 'misty' and he is battling to judge height and distances, but we were told that his other eye will compensate and she doesn't recommend a very expensive operation.

Then she looked at his teeth!

The result?

We drove home with no passengers.

Alfie was carried out of the consulting room leaving us alone and sad! At home, Rob kept looking round to see where Alfie was, and made sad comments like, 'He should be lying there on the couch watching us eat our lunch' and 'I'll have my afternoon sleep once Alfie is home'.

We were at the vet at the very time we were told that we could collect them. Alfie came bouncing out, wide awake and happy to see us. He had one extraction and lots of de-scaling! Talk about a sparkly smile now! Morris was in his box and was wobbly and woozy for the rest of the day. He staggered around at home from the food to the water and fell asleep literally while he was walking! We kept him in overnight in the spare room and used the mesh door that Rob made when Kindle joined our home. He has been a model patient, and we have popped his antibiotic pills down his throat with ease thanks to a scruff and our trusty pill-popper!

Alfie is another story. We cannot get his pills down his throat for love or money. He clenches his jaw so tight that we cannot slide the end of the popper into his mouth, and just when we think we have succeeded.... he goes 'ptoooe' and out it comes again. We cannot fool him or wrap it in anything tasty. Not chicken, steak, wors, bacon, cheese, ham, chicken pie, nothing.

Alfie waiting and watching for the Tooth Fairy!

There are bits of pill scattered all over the place where we have tried....and failed..... to get him to swallow them.

He will chew the Rimadyl though, it is a chewable tablet for pain and inflammation. Rob flung it at him in frustration and he decided that it wasn't bad!

Doesn't work for antibiotics though.

We tried!