So, Little Bear has these almost bare patches on the side of his arms and legs where the fur is really thin showing some skin.
We decided to take him to the vet. Since I'm the only one here today, I'm taking him to the vet which is about 30 miles away but we like her and she gives us volume discounts on our 4 cats and one Beagle for yearly checkups.
Anyway, it takes about 25-30 minutes to get there and LB is in the garage with his pal Howard, a grey tiger with black stripes, plus an honorary Lance Corporal stripe which he is very proud of. Anyway.. I figured I'd leave 10 minutes early in case of traffic or the unknown. LB is always very laid back, especially when he is out in the garage. He's usually sleeping.
I figure I'll just go out with the carrier, pick him up, put him in and be on my way.
I walked out into the garage with the carrier and I immediately see LB scampering down the wooden ramp that leads from the pedestrian door between the house and garage and the garage floor. A prior resident was in a wheel chair, therefore the ramp which starts about 3 feet above the garage floor just outside the pedestrian door from the house.
Well, LB saw the carrier and ran under the one car still in the garage. I stick a broom under the car and he ran out from under the car to under this wooden ramp. I can't reach in and pull him out from there. So, I start the air compressor that sits in front of the ramp and which makes a hell of a noise. He runs out from under the ramp to under the car again. I see how this is going to go, so now I open the side door to the garage because once outside he always just heads for the grass and eats some. I broom him out from under the car again and he runs outside this time and under the back porch. At least I've broken the Car-Ramp cycle. And made it much worse.
I go to the other side of the porch, and look under - no LB. I thought he may have kept running so now I'm frantically looking around the yard. There is a set of steps and another small porch near the fence to the front yard and he can go up there, jump the fence and get into the front yard. I run around to the front of the house. It's 97 and humid out here! No LB. I come back, look around the back yard and under the porch again and No LB. I go into the garage which has its side door still open and he's under the car again! I close the garage door and broom him out and he goes under the ramp. Ok, I open the big door and move the car out and close the door again. Did he get out again!? No, he's still under the ramp but now with no car to run under he is staying there traumatized even with the big scary air compressor running. I had to take a leaf blower and blow him out. So now he's got spider web and who knows what all over him. But I'm able to grab him and get him into the carrier. Geeeeezix this took 25 minutes. So now I'm sweating like a pig, have to go back in dry off and change, call the vet tell them I'm going to be late. Geez. At least it was an uneventful drive.
I go to the other side of the porch, and look under - no LB. I thought he may have kept running so now I'm frantically looking around the yard. There is a set of steps and another small porch near the fence to the front yard and he can go up there, jump the fence and get into the front yard. I run around to the front of the house. It's 97 and humid out here! No LB. I come back, look around the back yard and under the porch again and No LB. I go into the garage which has its side door still open and he's under the car again! I close the garage door and broom him out and he goes under the ramp. Ok, I open the big door and move the car out and close the door again. Did he get out again!? No, he's still under the ramp but now with no car to run under he is staying there traumatized even with the big scary air compressor running. I had to take a leaf blower and blow him out. So now he's got spider web and who knows what all over him. But I'm able to grab him and get him into the carrier. Geeeeezix this took 25 minutes. So now I'm sweating like a pig, have to go back in dry off and change, call the vet tell them I'm going to be late. Geez. At least it was an uneventful drive.
Regards the skin condition...
Well, the Vet said that this is almost always one of 3 things: Allergy, mites, or he is pulling it out (no doubt from watching the news).
She tested for mites, we don't see him pulling hair and are not going to let him watch news anymore just in case, and we will start him on a 5mg Zertec a day and see if that helps. Yes, in November we get to do it again with 4 cats and one Beagle. The Beagle loves to go for rides so no problem there.
Lesson learned. Go out to the garage without carrier to get him or get him trapped somewhere with no place to hide.
Baysider! Kid's waiting for a comment :=)
ReplyDeleteOf course, I LOVE THIS STORY, Kid...is Zertec a psychotropic? Kitty depressants? :-)
Z, thank you. No, it is an antihistamine.
DeleteWe should never give cats who have access to guns a psychotropic....;-)
Just reading this I got a sneezing fit and my allergies are all over the damn place.
ReplyDeleteWhat a friend you are.
IMP. You're right my friend. I should have put a warning at the top of the post. Well, I did. A picture of a cat ! ;-)
Deletehaha
I could tell you this,
ReplyDeleteOr I could tell you that,
But nothing pleases more
Than a clever, crafty cat.
;-)
FT, Heh, He's a clever one alright.
DeleteHow old is Little Bear?
ReplyDeleteAOW, he's 11.
DeleteYour Little Bear has the great dignity befitting all felines worthy of the name, even if he does act like an imp at times.
DeleteI've never met a cat I didn't like, but have to admit that some are more appealing than others.
Yes, I've also never met a cat I didn't like but have enjoyed some more than others. They're all different and unique.
Deletesee why some humans do not like cats - because cats are smarter than some humans (most humans?)
ReplyDeleteCarol-CS
Carol-CS. Yes, most humans. And black cats are particularly intelligent and sociable imo. Which is probably why the dim bulbs of the middle ages regarded them with fear.
DeleteWow. What an ordeal. Of all our cats, Felix is the absolute worst when it comes to going into the carrier and he looks just like your LB. We finally ended up calling a mobile vet for yearly vaccines and we get them all done at the same time in our house. It's less traumatic for them that way. We have a regular vet for when they have to go in one at a time.
ReplyDeleteCube,
Delete1st, no idea what causes this comment duplication, but I'd bet it's a google blogger bug that is not high on their list for fixing.
And yes, I don't know why but I had no idea what an ordeal I was in for. I should have played it a lot more careful. Not like I shouldn't know it was going to be a challenge.
The mobile vet is a great idea. we'd still have to get them coraled into one room before that person showed up or it would be a long game of hide and seek here. :)
Back when we were fostering orphan kittens, we had one small and very feisty black dude. Very small but with almost adult sized eyes. You couldn't possibly look at him and not think Felix.
We use the home-care vet for everything.
DeleteI've learned a few tricks about getting all three of our cats rounded up in the following order: close off the bedroom (easiest place for the cats to run to a place that is impossible for me to catch them), close off the upstairs and the downstairs access, scoop the slipperiest kitty (shut Mysti into the bathroom), grab the youngest (put Amber out into the enclosed back porch), grab the fattest one (Cameo can't go far in a short period of time) and put her into the back porch, transfer the one locked in the bathroom to the back porch.
The back porch has had a litter pan and water bowl placed there a few days before. They know what's coming, but when the bad thing -- the vet's visit -- doesn't happen right away, they forget or decide that's nothing up after all.
Fortunately, it's only once a year that I have to round up all three of our kitties at one time.
AOW, You've got it down. We'd have to do something similar here. As soon as one cat gets stressed, all the others sense it and hide, so yes a specific order of capture would be necessary :)
DeletePresuming your cats do not respond well to "get your ass over here," you could resort to catnip and "here kitty."
DeleteDon't feed them the day before a trip to the vet. Then, when you need to catch 'em, put food in a bathroom, laundry room, even a closet. Say nice things to them, pet them gently, then GRAB 'em before they've finished eating in the small confined space, and WOOSH! into the carrier they go! ;-)
DeleteFT, Well, I and we can usually do this without a lot or trouble. I let my guard down to about the level joe biden's is on a daily basis. But, good advice. :)
DeleteMustang, we were well beyond Here Kitty. That would have been like sending an email to obama demanding he resign.
DeleteKid @ Mustang,
Deletewe were well beyond Here Kitty
Been there, done that!
Felix is our most skittish and so we put him in a cardboard carrier to await the vet's arrival. He broke out of the top of it. Made a huge hole in it. Had to duct tape it in a hurry.
ReplyDeleteThe black ones are very crafty by my experience.
DeleteBe careful, Kid. Leftist spies lurk everywhere. Before you know it, you'll be quoted by some harebrained "progressive" and characterized as a RACIST.
DeleteThe kindest possible interpretation "THEY" would put on your observation about black cats would be that you are guilty of perpetrating a MICRO-AGGRESSION. };-)>
Not that I give a rat's rump what "they" think. I just don't want to see you carted off to a Federal Re-Education Center by jack-booted thugs.
I'm immune to re-education. Heck I haven't even Gotten an education yet.
DeleteWhen our middle daughter got married she took her cats with her (Detective Mittens and Capt. Cannoli). Since then the carpets have not been further molested and the vacuum cleaner has stopped gagging. She and her husband now have four cats. I do kinda miss the little turd factories though.
ReplyDeleteSig, They can be quite entertaining and also therapeutic assuming you're not allergic.
DeleteI could never give mine up if I became allergic to them. I'd just have keep popping Benadryls or whatever 'round the clock. ;-)
DeleteI'm one of those weirdo fanatical feline fanciers who makes every effort to see things from the CAT's point of view.
I get the feeling you're a bit like that too, Kid. Am I right?
FT, I am slightly allergic. I get up and blow my nose every 30 seconds until I walk out the door and hit the road then everything is magically well again.
DeleteYou broomed Little Bear ... ? I think I know what he's thinking. If you're smart, you'll sleep with one eye open from now on.
ReplyDeleteAlways do Mustang. Waking up with claws about to pierce the skin is not a new experience.
Delete"Waking up with claws bout to pierce the skin ..."
DeleteHow else would you expect my furry sleeping partner let me know she wanted to go out? It usually happens to me around 3:00 AM. Just goes with the territory.
Since I am wifeless, sleeping CATLESS is not an acceptable alternative. I'm too old for Teddy Bears.
FT, Mine want Fed. :)
DeleteAnd they talk about weird cat ladies? Sheesh!
ReplyDeleteCube, if we ever run out of cats, we'll go down and pick up a Crazy Cat Lady starter kit.
Delete