Scratcher of heads, rubber of bellies
Boo was in a playful mood after each of my three hikes this weekend so we played until he tired, my apologies to this banana cat toy that got the thrashing of its life. He’s an introspective little fellow so it delights me to also see him play with such reckless abandon.
I was looking at this picture of Ellie in my office, taken a week after we adopted Boo in July 2013, and what struck me is that she is wearing her collar. I can’t remember when we started taking it off when she was at home, only putting it on when she went out or when someone like the cleaners would be coming to the house. When I was in bed Ellie wouldn’t wake me directly to get some love and attention, the only time I remember her doing it was when we moved this year and in her senility she was stressed from not knowing where she was. But in her younger years she had a couple of tricks she’d use to “accidentally” wake you, such as standing beside the bed and quickly shaking her head back and forth so her dog tags jingled, which we solved by taking off the collar. The one that made me laugh the most was when she’d jump up into the empty side of the bed after my wife got up and dance around and around and around and if that happened to wake me, well it couldn’t be helped could it? But say, now that you’re awake …
Sam got his stitches out yesterday and his mouth has healed nicely so he was given the all clear to eat the hard treats I give them after dinner, which made all the cats happy as I cut out treats for all while they were forbidden for Sam. You can just see a few of the stitches in this picture in the shaved area behind his shoulder.
Boo may have hissed at Sam when we brought him home after his surgery but he was the opposite for me after getting a wisdom tooth removed. They put me under for the oral surgery so I was pretty out of it for a while and slept when I came home, bleeding a little onto the pillow. Perhaps between the smell of blood and seeing me so woozy it alarmed the little fellow, given how upset he got when Ellie died this spring, as he was glued to me for the first few days. At first he insisted on snuggling up tight between me and the arm of the couch, or if he needed more space on the floor near my head, until eventually he relaxed and moved further down the couch. He’s a sensitive sweetheart, our Boo.
When Sam came home after his surgery the other cats weren’t quite sure what to make of him, Boo would hiss at him and Trixie mostly avoided him. We saw this years ago after Templeton’s surgery when Scout hissed at him at first, I’m guessing it’s the different smell when they first come home. Once his wound healed enough that we could take off his onesie and he could give himself a bath, Trixie recognized her hero once more and buried her head in his belly as he slept on my legs. He gave me a look and I was poised to move her lest she bump his sore mouth or shoulder but she instantly fell asleep. He decided to tolerate her affections despite not feeling well, curling up around her and joining her in slumber.
Sam a week and a half ago after his surgery to get a few teeth pulled and a cyst in his back removed. He was in pain and the other cats didn’t fully recognize him yet, Boo in particular hissed at him, so we let him hide in the cabinets as much as he wanted and even let him eat in there. Thankfully as the sedatives wore off the little fellow’s appetite returned, sore mouth and all.
The vet reported that the cyst that suddenly appeared in Sam’s shoulder was a reaction to his steroid injection so while it will change the way he gets his shots in the future there’s no other underlying issue we need to worry about. He’s healing well from the shoulder surgery and will get the stitches out soon. He’s also healing well from his dental surgery and will be able to enjoy evening treats again, as will the other cats as I’ve put them all on hiatus until Sam can join us once more. Here as he sleeps on my legs he was still wearing his onesie in the early days after surgery but he hasn’t had to wear it for a while now.
I’m not the only one recovering from oral surgery as Sam went in last week and needed four teeth removed, including three of his front teeth. Making matters worse for our twelve year old, they discovered a cyst in his shoulder they hadn’t noticed on his previous visit (we hadn’t either) so that was removed and we are waiting on results of a biopsy to learn more. He has stitches running behind his right shoulder so the vet suggested we get a baby’s onesie for him to wear at first while the wound was healing. He seemed disappointed it wasn’t adorned with Jedi Knights or Boba Fett but otherwise put up with it tolerably, here he’s resting on my legs.
Boolie 