We had to get two of our three cats to a rabies clinic today to get their booster shots. One of them was no problem, he is a big, mushy tabby but the OTHER one is a feral cat who showed up at our house several years ago. I trapped him and got him neutered, wormed, and immunized.
I had told YoungAtHeart and Christine13 how anxious I was about this day. Nancy sent me a message asking how it went...the following was my response and she asked me to post it as a blog:
OMG...yes, we got the cats to the clinic. Mike went to the basement to catch the feral cat and then came back upstairs and said he could not do it and that he could not FIND the cat after he tried to stuff him into the cage. Gee, I wonder WHY. I went down there with the flea comb, he LOVES to be combed, and I talked to him and combed him and then I tried to get him into the cage. He was fighting like a wild cat, he was biting and scratching and hissing and yowling and I told him that he could yowl all he wanted but that I am bigger than him and I will pin him down. I ended up putting him in the cage upside down. He couldn't splay his legs apart when he was so confused about being upside down. I had ahold of him like he was a turkey about to go into the oven and I was bound and determined that I would not let go and I DIDN'T. I got him into the cage and closed the door and went upstairs and yelled for help to get him into the car. He had pee'd himself...he NEVER does that. Mike insisted on cleaning him up and on cleaning the cage. I told him that if that cat got out, I would shove HIM in the cage WITH the pee. Yes, it smelled and it was gross but we HAD to go. Damon, our son, came over and carried the cage to the car and also carried the other cat to the car. He had to leave because he was working so he could not go with us. We got to the site and I explained that the feral cat was really, really upset. They gave him his shot while he was still in his cage in the back of the car. I opened the other carrier and mush ball got his shot too. They are done for three years. Sweet Jesus. I do believe that he nearly killed me. I was about to wet MY pants, my chest, arms, back, and legs are throbbing. I am not a wrestler but I am stubborn as Hell and there was no way I was going to give up the possibility of getting that shot for him. When we got home, I carried him from the car to near the side entrance. Mike was just going to open the cage and let him out near the road. I said no damn way. I carried him down the driveway and set the cage down with the door open. Mike crouched down and kept trying to coax him out of the cage. Are you KIDDING ME? Leave the poor cat alone and let him come out when he is ready. What a damn afternoon, BUT it is done. I have no visible injuries, I was wearing a heavy jacket and gloves so he did not put holes in me. He has apparently forgiven me because he took treats from me and he spent a very long time cleaning himself and looking embarrassed. Poor guy, I think he is about 11 but I am not sure, he showed up here years ago and was a kitten. As I said, I had to trap him and get him neutered and get his first shots and get him wormed. He took off for four days after that because, once again, Mike did not listen and he opened the cage when we got home and the cat jumped up onto the railing of the deck and to the ground. The deck was ten feet off the ground and the railing added another three and a half feet...OMG. I was so mad at Mike that I wanted to kill him and, keep in mind, I was still a smoker back then. I so hope that I can sleep tonight because God knows I didn't last night. I was too worried about catching that cat. Now I just have to deal with recovering from my wrestling match.
BUT, I didn't smoke over it and it never occurred to me...not ONCE.
