Happily Ever After

Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running

Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.

A Subdued Cat and A Speedy Spring

by admin - 20:42 on 14 March 2012

Bess, much to Matchgirl's chagrin, prefers the boys. The Rural Retreat's resident moggy is more likely to make friends (insomuch as she ever does) with male visitors and turn her tail to the females.

The one exception to this rule is at the vet's, which possibly dates back to her mystery accident and Dr Death's suggestion to a horrified Matchgirl that her beloved pet might be better off not alive. The patient survived, helped by the love and care of the largely female staff.

So the absence of our moggy's favourite (female) vet when she returned for her latest check-up was a blow. As Dr Death himself was otherwise engaged, much to Bess's relief, the examination was carried out by a male sidekick.

After he'd made a brisk inspection and asked a few questions, Matchgirl and I left the patient to be weighed and have her blood tested again – a procedure that would take an hour. We returned to mixed news (the pills have improved her thyroid condition; her weight has increased; renal function is still impaired; the heart murmur is no better) and a distinctly subdued cat.

Back home, she slunk upstairs and stayed there most of the day, although she'd perked up enough by the evening to go outside where she likes to sit on the old chopping block and keep an eye on things. She wasn't quite herself, however, because she didn't play her new favourite game of knocking the martens' egg off The Feeding Stump.

The patient's diagnosis is still incomplete, despite much Googling by Matchgirl. As she'll be hard at work tomorrow (Matchgirl, that is) I've been left with a lengthy list of questions to ask Dr Vet when she becomes available again. Bess will never suffer through lack of care.

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Spring Update: The Bushnell revealed that garden activity was fast and furious last night. First to drop by, at 8.14pm, was Mrs Marten, followed at 9.05pm by a young marten and a well known cat at 11.45pm. Then, at four minutes past one in the morning, proof of spring's imminent arrival was captured in a snap of the first member of the Speedy clan to emerge from hibernation. There's a bit of motion blur in the picture, but that's no surprise – those hedgehogs just can't keep still.

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