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Tuesday 15 January 2008

A Trip to the Vets by me, Nera and Tabby

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Well it all started on the day before when I made an appointment at the vets for the annual cat jabs. It all has to be planned very carefully. I have a cat carrier and my neighbour also has one, so I am able to take two or my three cats together. I made an appointment for seven in the morning as I have to go to work afterwards and on the way to the vets I can drop my son off at work. The weather almost caused a problem as we had quite a bit of rain on Monday and as temperatures drop during the night it could have been very icy. I did not really look forward to taking two cats in the car to the vets on slippery roads. However it seems that the weather gods were being kind for once and nothing was frozen.

The actual operation started at 06.45 in the morning. First rule is do not tell your cats where they are going – you must always be a step ahead. I went carefully down to the cellar and got the two cages and placed them in front of the main door. I entered the home and my Mr. Swiss said “are you ready”, I answered “yes” and brought one of the cages indoors and opened the cage lid. Mr. Swiss packed big fat long black haired Nera by the scruff of her neck, put her quickly in the cage and before she could say “Whiskas” the lid was closed and she was in, giving high pitched miaows from herself, but she was in and there was no escape.


Unfortunately her litter sister Tabby watched this episode and decided “no way with me” and disappeared, to be found under the settee in the living room. She then escaped again but Mr. Swiss managed to catch her, I was ready with the second cage and she was in before she could looked twice.

Nera: This is below my dignity, seems like we have to put up with this once a year going for a drive to the place where we get jabbed again.
Tabby: I got you Nera, I am in the cage as well. Shall we make a lot of noises again like last year. I usually like to leave my mark in the cage, but there is always that newspaper at the bottom.
Nera: Tabby, I think the human’s have got us again where they want us, but just wait, my revenge will come.

I then went down to the underground car park with the cats and strapped them into the car. One at the front and one at the back. My son sat at the back. I was very careful driving as I just was not so sure whether the roads were frozen or not, but they seemed to be ok. First of all, to the sound of miaowing cats, I dropped my son off to work and then drove to the vets. Luckily enough the vet is only about five minutes driving from where I live.

I entered the vets and noticed that there was a new vet lady there. The boss vet always has assistants working for him. She seemed very nice and directed me to the surgery with the two cat cages. Tabby had to wait, as she decided we would first of all do Nera. She asked if they had to be dewormed, and I said it might be an idea. I usually give them Frontline, which you rub into their fur, but when I was at the vets I thought she might as well give them an injection to make it a bit easier.

Nera: Hey Tabby, did you hear that, no-one asks me, as if I have worms. I have never seen a worm anywhere near me.
Tabby: Nera, you don’t see them, but they are just there.
Nera: I don’t care, I live quite happily with my worms, they leave me in peace and I leave them alone. Perhaps I don’t want to be jabbed.
Tabby: Nera, I think what you want does not come into the discussion.

The lady vet asked me to remove Nera from her cage, but when I answered “no way” she looked at me rather strangely, so I explained that Nera does not like being touched and lifted about and can react under such situations. The lady vet seemed to think I was telling stories and tried to lift Nera out of the cage to put her on the weighing machine – you have to weigh a cat before giving worm treatment to know how much to give. After Nera opened her mouth as wide as it would go and literally screamed at the lady vet, the lady vet decided she would have to have some help and called in one of the assistants. The lady that came looked at me and said “Is that Nera in that cage?” as Nera always seems to leave people that she has met with a lasting impression. I answered in the affirmative, so she disappeared again and came back with an enormous cover and covered Nera up completely in the cage, just leaving her bottom half free for the injections. The lady vet decided Nera is about five kilo heavy, and gave up any idea of weighing her.


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Nera: And then I really gave it to them, didn’t I Tabby.
Tabby: Well I supposed you did, at least we only heard your voice afterwards in the surgery.
Nera: I don’t like having needles stuck into me at the best of times, but that was just downright disrespectful. At least three of those needles and all in my sensitive parts. Remind me to scratch my human when I get back home.

Eventually Nera was finished, still spitting and growling the cover was removed and she was put on one side in her cage. I then brought Tabby over. Tabby was lifted out of the cage, absolutely no problem, she was like a little angel. No noise, just crouched there with her head down.

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Tabby: You see Nera, you don’t have to make a fuss, I just sat there and let them get on with it. Didn’t even hurt.
Nera; No that’s where you do it all wrong Tabby. When we go again next year they will remember me as Nera, but they will just think of you as being my sister.
Tabby: That’s ok with me Nera, I wouldn’t want to be packed in a cover and have my head covered up and not know what is going on. The lady vet had a listen to my heart beat and gave me the injections. She even weighed me and said something like four and half kilo. She had to guess your weight.
Nera: Tabby, there are certain things that a beautiful, black cat with long shiny fur does not want everyone to know. It is not necessary that it is publicised everywhere that I am a bit on the voluptuous side.
Tabby: Is that why our Mrs. Human sometimes calls you Fat Nera
Nera: I didn’t hear that last comment.

And then I was given their vaccination books and took them back to the car for the journey home. I have a third cat, Fluffy, and made an appointment for him the next morning, same time same place. Fluffy is no problem. He is blind, poor thing, but never tries to escape when he goes into the carrying cage and I don’t have to plan the whole thing in detail. Eventually we arrived home and I carried the cats back into our home in their cages. They were released and with a Nera growl greeting she once again took possession of her territory. Tabby just disappeared somewhere where no-one could get at her.

Fluffy: Hi cats, back again, where were you. I felt all alone without you two around.
Nera: Fluffy, hold your whiskers and don’t ask. Hissssss
Tabby: Well Nera you could be a bit more friendly, after all it wasn’t Fluffy’s fault.
Fluffy: What wasn’t my fault, did something bad happen?
Nera: Just wait and see, it’s your turn tomorrow
Fluffy: What’s my turn tomorrow?
Tabby: So Nera, leave Fluffy in peace. Fluffy Nera and I went for an excursion in the car this morning to the vet, you know the cat doctor where they jab around at you and examine your fur and stuff like that.
Fluffy: Oh I remember, like last year. But that’s fun
Nera: Fun, fun being prodded and jabbed and insulted, you have a funny idea of fun.
Fluffy: Well I found it very interesting last year going to that place with all those interesting smells, sometimes you even meet another cat when you are waiting, and the doctor has such a nice parrot in the waiting room.
Nera: Well I didn’t see any other cats or parrots, they were waiting for us in the surgery. They even wanted me to leave my cage, but I showed them.
Tabby: As far as I could see you just showed everyone that you were scared.
Nera: Me, scared, I am scared of no-one I am Nera
Tabby: Remind me the next time a dog crosses you path in the garden.
Fluffy: Well I will let you two know how it goes tomorrow when I get back.
Nera: Yes you do that Fluffy, perhaps you might meet a nice Alsatian in the waiting room and can have a conversation with him about whether Persian or Siamese cats taste better.
Tabby: Nera, you know what, just cool it and have a sleep.

My husband asked me how it went at the vets, so I explained how Nera once again pulled all the tricks in the cat miaow book and managed to leave a lasting impression on the vet lady, her assistant and the apprentice. She will not be forgotton. Naturally I praised Tabby as being a perfect patient and no problem whatsoever. I phoned my husband up a few hours later from work and asked how things were going. He said Nera has still not forgiven him yet for putting her in the cage and hisses in his direction now and again. This evening she seems to have fogotton everything and is her normal “I am the boss cat” Nera.

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