Today I took our cat Cookie to the vet. I felt like a fraud. I answered the receptionist's basic questions then sat consulting a pamphlet about cats and casting glances into the cat carrier on the floor. Cookie looked nervous, irritated really, her green eyes blazed at me when I asked her how she was holding up. In the office I asked the vet about hair balls. I told him that she had puked up an incredibly large wad of hair a couple of times. I did not tell him that the first time she did it I thought it was a tampon. Or a whole mouse. I had spent the past few weeks telling all of my friends and relatives the story of Cookie and the oddity of her spewing forth a mouse - whole. No one questioned my rationale, though we all thought it strange. It never occurred to me that something so huge and elongated could be a hair "ball" until Isaac's 10 year old friend Micheal stopped in shortly after the second puking episode and said "that looks like a hairball", very matter-of-factly. "Not a whole mouse?" I inquired. "Ahhh, that does make a lot more sense". So today I was able to speak with confidence about hair balls and not the likely-hood of her swallowing a mouse (or tampon) whole and the vet gave me some nice tuna flavoured vaseline type cream that should help. Then he gave Cookie a few vaccinations and worm pills while I recoiled inwardly and tried not to visibly gag. They also sent me home with a nice parting gift - a pet kit with a hairbrush, toothbrush, cat toy and flea powder - which feels like a present, but is really something that they picked out and we paid for. When we arrived home the kids were gushing with concern over her needles, they cuddled her and crooned to her. They all swore their undying love and devotion to her. Grace said "you know what Mom, I love that Cookie loves me and I love her right back". Right, right, that's why I'm doing this I reminded myself. She's a pain, she's destructive, she's sometimes stinky, she's getting expensive, but our kids all love her madly. And THAT'S why we have a cat.
2 comments:
Oh Jane! I laughed until I wheezed about the tampon. You didn't mention that on the phone. Awesome post!
Jody pointed out to me today that Cookie is not actually our first pet. It's true - we've had fish, bunnies and a brief stint with a puppy - so this post could be more appropriately named Our First Cat, or My First Visit to the Vet, or We Don't Really Love Cats, So Why Do We Have One?.
Post a Comment