Pansy-Paws
Presenting a Chow Chow's perspective
Other Pets in my Household - Guest Editorial
Hi! - I'm a male, neutered cat who has been Baron's little brother for 8.5 years. He's always been very gentle with me and we've gotten along really well right from the beginning - I want to be just like him when I grow up. My parents say that I think I'm a dog.
I especially like how Baron smells - almost as good as fresh catnip - and I
love to snuggle
up
with him, as you can see from the photo. His tail is one of the best areas
because it's so soft and fluffy.
It may seem seem hard to believe, but Baron lets me lick his ears -- and sometimes his paws. The other cat of the house, my brother Winston, is not allowed any of these liberties - only me.
A Great Lifestyle
I'm allowed to go outside in the daytime. I used to be able to stay outside
on nice nights, but 6 months ago I was severely attacked by a raccoon. It
happened at about 4:30 a.m. and I was lucky my parents rushed out of the house
into the backyard to scare the raccoon away. He had torn my leg and was going in
for the kill. The vet thought I might lose my leg, but with the vet's great care
and lots of pampering at home, I made a remarkable recovery -- I don't even
limp. The raccoons are still in our neighbourhood, so we have to be on guard.
I love lazing around especially in the sun, asking for food (that's when I do my best meows - otherwise, I'm not as vocal as my brother Winston) and watching our aquariums. I love dried catnip, steak and bacon. I've also established a great routine when I come in for the night -- and walk straight for the kitchen counter where the Pounce container is kept. Dedicated eye-contact and the occasional meow always gets me 3 or 4 of those treats.
A couple of months ago, I was diagnosed with a chronic bladder irritation. After a round of antibiotics to get rid of any infection, I was put on Elavil. This is a human antidepressant that relaxes the bladder wall in cats (human drugs for this purpose such as Uripas aren't safe for cats). An added bonus in my case is that I'm a bit more relaxed. I have always been a more nervous cat and my parents have noticed a definite improvement.
The only downside is that I have to receive a pill every day !! Now if you know about cats and pill giving -- it's not a pretty sight. I am particularly flexible when it comes to jerking my shoulder and head as a pill approaches my mouth. It takes both of my parents to hold me down for the procedure, and sometimes I scratch them (by mistake of course)trying to avoid the medicine. Before our vet knew me well, she had said to simply apply pressure on the lower jaw while tipping the head back, and the mouth will open automatically'. I don't think so!
Overall, not a bad life for a runty little kitten from the SPCA, if I may say so myself!
1 March 2003
Woody