Monday, May 23, 2022

The Cat

 Tim is not a fan of animals. He never really has been, so he gets a little...um...let's just say he gets crabby. So, anyways, he has been less than charmed about the feral cat situation. I ignore him, because really, even if I didn't feed them, we'd still have feral cats around. 

Since discovering that one of them has mange, Tim was even less charmed. For one thing, the poor thing looks pretty disgusting. For another thing, the medicine was pricey. I also bought the expensive cat food to insure that he'd greedily gobble down the medication. 

Once again, I ignored Tim, because, really, even if I didn't get the medication, that cat would still look pretty disgusting. Even worse, once a cat gets mange, it is something very contagious. We'd have a half dozen cats hanging around looking disgusting. He'd be way more upset. 

And let's get real here. The man paid way 7 times that amount for a bunch of old oil cans just a month ago, and he ignored my thoughts on it. 

Plus, it was my birthday, so hey, surprise! I got mange medication and expensive cat food for my birthday. I would say he got off light. 

So after some math work to figure out the proper dosage for a 5 lb animal using a product made for cattle, I got it all worked out that I needed .25 ml. 

The next day, on our way out to have supper for our anniversary, Tim took it pretty well when I told him I needed to make another stop at a store to pick up an infant dosage syringe. 

I was all set, and then I wound up medicating the wrong black cat. I only saw his behind, and he was a black cat, so I treated him. When I saw him licking his smackers in gratitude for his great meal. I realized that he was not the right cat. He saw me, he grabbed the plastic bowl and scooted off to lick it clean. 

When he was finally done, I retrieved the bowl, and waited. Mangey did not show. 

I looked around for him this morning, but saw no signs of him. I began to worry that I'd spent a wad of money on a cat I was never going to see again. I walked down to the renovation and mentioned that to Tim. 

Grumpily, he said that he'd see the cat that very morning and went back to mudding. 

"Why didn't you tell me??!!" I asked. 

"Why would I?" he asked.

He's a pain in the ass when it comes to animals, really. 

Anyways, I spent the day painting, and when I walked home, there was Mangey sitting on the side steps. Long story short, I called to him, cheerfully, and he got right up and followed me to the back door. I left the door open and talked to him while I was getting his supper. Usually, he sits patiently waiting, but when I went outside with his medicated supper, he was nowhere to be found. I was sitting in the driveway waiting for him to return when Tim got home. 

I explained, and Tim went into the house in a grumpy way. He came back out even grumpier. Evidently, while my back was turned, Mangey had walked right into the house. He has never done that before. 

"Here's your cat," he snapped, and went back in the house, closing the door harder than he needed to, in my humble opinion, because heaven knows, I wasn't exactly delighted to have a mangey cat in the house either. 

Anyways, Mangey ate his entire supper, every bite of it. He was so sociable that I got the idea to get vinyl gloves on and try to get some anti itch cream on him. It was too soon. He bolted. 

But...the good news is that I managed to get a full dose of medication in him. Fingers crossed. 

I'll keep feeding him the good cat food so that he returns and I can continue to keep track of how he's doing. (Tim will be delighted.) 

27 comments:

  1. Oh well, sucks to be Tim. Really? Upset because you fed a cat and gave it medicine? I'd say it was a very kind thing to do.

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    1. He really has always had a thing about animals in the house. Not sure where that comes from.

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    1. I would call it matter of fact, Andrew. Logical even.

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  3. I love you on behalf of all the feral cats in the universe! Thank you xxx

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  4. Excellent work! Hope the anti-itch cream is okayed by one of the vet folks in your family. I'd hate for him to lick it off and get sick. If Mangey needs more doses, can you prepare the food dish ahead of time and with the medicine sitting in it? One-fourth of a cc or ml of medicine is a really small dose. Could the family vet folks double check the dose calculation? Can you give a dose to Tim to decrease his grumpies? (Just kidding, do not do that!) Thanks for being nice to the animal kingdom. Linda in Kansas

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  5. You have to understand it was a small dose because I could only buy it in the cattle size. 10 ml per 220 lbs. The cream didn't matter because he didn't stick around.

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  6. Could you ask Tim to go to the trash can and throw away his grumpiness?
    KJ

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    1. Oh, KJ...how I love this comment. You made me laugh out loud.

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  7. Black cats are very clever at sneaking in and hiding in plain sight. And the grumpier the human the more they will try to attach to said grump. Mangey has Tim in his sights.

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    1. Now this is funny. Funnier yet because it is absolutely true. Every cat I have ever known attached themselves to Tim right away.

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  8. Did Tim have any pets growing up. Every time my husband found a pet or got one it would leave in a few days as his dad told them. Later they found out he did not like pets and hauled them of or shot them. They were just not allowed to have a pet. My husband loved pets, when we got married and lived on a farm he got a dog first thing since we had room for one, His dad complained every time he came about that dog. Finally my husband got his nerve up at 20 and told his dad we paid our bills and when he was ask you to buy dog food he could decide if we needed a dog.

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    1. I'm really not sure what it is, exactly. I think being poor was a big part of it. He just can't justify spending money on a pet. Unfortunately, he lives with me. Marriage is about hashing it out so that it is fair for both of us. He doesn't always get his way.

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  9. I love dogs and cats. Some days more than people! I have a Tuxedo cat. I've had Pugs, Norwegian Elkhounds and Rottweilers. Thank you so much for helping Mangey. You'll have a spot in heaven...for sure!
    Keep us posted on his progress. Paranormal John

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    1. I just have a real soft spot for the disadvantaged souls of this world, whether they be quadripeds or bipeds.

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  10. Good luck with the continuing mange treatment. I am sure the cat will be grateful...eventually!

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    1. I was wrong to try to put that cream on him. It takes a while to build trust in a feral animal. I rushed it.

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  11. I admire anyone who cares so much for animals. I can't have them near me as I am allergic to so many things I would be in a permanent state of misery. Your cat will probably end up as a permanent fixture in your house. Sorry Tim.

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  12. Good for you. I hope you know you've now adopted that cat. :)

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    1. Well, we'll see. I did once try to bring one of them inside. It did not work out well. He preferred his life outdoors. When I continued to try to tame him, he left. I see him sometimes. He won't come near.

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  13. Thanks for being kind to the poor waif and stray pussy cats Debby.

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  14. I'm picky about the animals I would want in the house too and don't want any, even my beloved cat, in the bedroom. We all have our things. I admire you for feeding and medicating the mangy kitty. My Mari is black too; I never wanted a black cat but fell in love with one.

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  15. I would just as soon that he stayed outside until we get this health problem under control.

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  16. I'm so glad you were able to treat the poor cat, I hope he recovers. Are there no cat rescue organisations to help it like we have in the UK?

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