Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Spring Cleaning

Yesterday was a super rough day for the kittehs. (Have you met the rest of the kittehs? Warning: highly addictive.) I took them to the vet to have their teeth cleaned and shots updated, which I'm not good about since they're indoor cats. Kitty is brave and adventurous and doesn't so much mind a ride in the car if she's free to roam about the interior, but B.C. winds up beneath the driver's seat trembling in terror and shedding massive clumps of long white fur, so I stuffed them both in the big carrier and put them in the hatch. B.C. howled plaintively all the way so I sang lullabies and wheedled in my best reassuring voice, which made Kitty howl, too. Luckily it's a quick trip. I felt awful.

When we got to the clinic an older gal was dropping off two elderly dachshunds, Fritz and Hans, both waddling, hearty, inquisitive fellows with graying muzzles and lovely, liquid brown eyes. Fritz was black and Hans was tan, and Hans didn't want to be left. Too bad for him the floor was tile.

Kitty didn't need dental work so much as Big Cat, who could make me gag from across the room when he yawned, and his gums were red and raw. I haven't had their teeth done for a few years (they're both about 8 years old) because the first time was so traumatic for them, but now they're both recovering from the anesthesia, which left them drunk and miserable last night and most of today. I could see the relief on their faces when I picked them up, which is sort of gratifying, and B.C. spent the rest of the evening glued to my calves, staggering a little as he made laps around my legs while I washed the dishes and brushed my teeth. Whenever I sat still he was in my lap trying to burrow into me, which is awkward with a giant cat. I tried to hide his antibiotic pill in sliced turkey, but he wasn't too interested so I wound up having to stuff it down his throat anyway and apologize profusely. They forgave me a lot sooner than I expected.

In other news, no matter what I try to make brie palatable, it's still just the most unappealing thing to me. Even trimming off the rind and attempting a very simple fondue grossed me out tonight. I can't get past the moldy taste, and once it's heated, the smell nauseates me even more. I hear people just rave about it, and I want to love it. I like the texture and it seems fabulously creamy, and I am a girl of eastern European descent who loves all things dairy, but no matter how fresh the brie is or how it's packaged, I just can't stomach it. I guess brie is not for everyone and I should quit trying. Incidentally, I love the squirtable cheese that comes in a can. Go figure.

Jeff said "exposably" when he meant "supposedly" today. That is just how Jeff is; he speaks his own language anyway and often makes up or combines words when he's flustered. But his meaning is invariably clear, and somehow I have to love a guy whose powers of communication transcend mere words. The four of us at the plant have a bet on regarding when the big snow pile behind the generator building will be completely melted. Travis picked the 10th of May, Bud the 18th, and Jeff the 10th of June. I took the1st of May, because you never know if we'll get an early spring, and I'm an optimist.

4 Comments:

Blogger femaleatlarge said...

Hope your cats get to feeling better -- I'm going through dental issues with a couple of mine, and I know how hard it is on them.

March 12, 2008 at 8:51 AM  
Blogger A said...

Thanks! They seem very nearly back to normal tonight.

It would be another thing altogether if we could explain it in a way they could understand, because then they would be the unreasonable ones. But as it stands, we're the villains and they're the victims. Poor wretches.

Good luck with yours, too!

March 12, 2008 at 7:57 PM  
Blogger mister anchovy said...

It's amazing how much dental problems can affect a cat. In the last couple years, we've had to have William's and Jerry's teeth done. Jerry, an old street cat, had to have most of his removed, but he was a new and improved Jerry after, all spunky and full of piss and vinegar.

March 12, 2008 at 10:21 PM  
Blogger A said...

Isn't it remarkable? I never would have thought about dental care for cats, but I've heard of them getting gum infections that kill them and all sorts of awful things, so I decided to take the preventative route.

After all, in my experience dental pain and burns are the worst, and I don't want them to have to live with that sort of discomfort and not be able to tell me!

I'm glad Jerry's got a new lease on life. I enjoy your cat portraits. How many are there now?

March 12, 2008 at 10:38 PM  

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