At their checkups last week, both cats showed signs of needed dental work, possibly some significant periodontal problems. The result was a return visit to the vets yesterday, complete with anaesthesia (yeah, you try checking out cat teeth without it). Indy just needed cleaning, but Mist got a big molar yanked. Ouch. 

Both cats kind of slouched around the house all evening, and Mist ended up camping out down in the garage. We have plenty of stuff to squirt in their mouths over the coming week or two, too (oh, boy).

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Hrmph.

So Katherine throws on a Dora the Explorer on TV. And here we have Dora saving a bunch of cute, capering puppies who were obsessively captured by a Javertesque - yet - buffoonish dog catcher.

Ah ... what?

Okay, so this is an old meme that was hoary back when I was a kid. But, as an adult, I realize that:

1. Dog catchers don't just randomly hunt for dogs to snatch away and lock in cages. 
2. Animals captured by animal control officers (as we call them these days) are running loose -- which, in most communities I've ever lived in -- means they are lost, out of control, and/or feral, and are a potential threat.
3. Dog catchers are called out by people who see a loose animal that's a problem. They don't just cruise around, actively hunting animals to lock up.
4. If dogs are licensed and tagged, then if they are caught by the dog catcher, they will be recovered.
5. If there are leash laws in your community, that's not the fault of the dog catchers, but the populace at large.
6. For the most part (presumably they are as human as anyone else), dog catchers are hardworking people who uphold laws/regulations and actually both protect animals and people.
7. If more people bought pound animals -- and spayed/neutered their pets -- the number of animals that get caught by dog catchers (and are then put down when not adopted) would dramatically drop.

I don't know if I'm being politically correct, or incorrect, here, but I think I may have a chat with Katherine about the episode after she's done watching it.

UPDATE: Margie actually said something before the very end of the show, and I echoed it, and Katherine indicated her understanding of what we were saying.

Filed under :: Media - Cartoons :: Pets :: ZT & PC
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Margie goes to the van this morning. Opens the passenger door to put in her purse in.  There are some small rocks of something or another on the seat -- who knows? -- which she brushes off, then drives off.

Stops by Peaberry for coffee.  Comes back to the van.

There are more of the little black rocks on the driver's seat.

Hmmmm.  Margie's biology degrees finally kick in.

Herbivore. 

Open the trunk.  Similar droppings all over the car.  Something's been in the car?  Or is it still there?  Nothing to be seen.

Margie drives to the office.  She's so bemused by the whole thing she leaves her coffee cup down int he car.

Back down for the coffee.  Side door.  More "rocks" are on the passenger seat.

There's a bunny in the van. 

Well, Margie still doesn't see anything, and can't take the time to tear the van apart.  So it's still there.  Plan is for Margie to drive home in time to meet Katherine at the bus, leave the van parked on the street with the side door open.  My plan is to go home early and help clean ...

Stay tuned.  PIctures (of bunnies only) are promised.

Filed under :: Cars :: Pets
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Never mind the wrapping in a towel and gently prying open the jaws.

Forget the pill shooters.

The way to get Mist to take a small pill is to wrap it up in a large blob of butter and waggle it in front of his nose.

It's just like ever good recipe from Margie's side of the family starts:  Take a pound of butter ...

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So just before we left in December, Katherine was telling us about the school bus having to stop or get rerouted or something because there was a tiger in someone's back yard.

Ha-ha, we laughed.  At best, it was a mountain lion (interesting enough, to be sure), at worse, a mistold story repeated several times.

And then I looked at the local Centennial paper  ...

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Jim and Ginger's cat uses Katherine's stuffed animal guinea pig as a head rest.

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So are we.

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As the dearth of any text here recently indicates, things have been busy-busy-busy ... and the times when I haven't been, I've been vegging to compensate.  :-)

So I have a half-dozen unfinished posts that probably aren't worth finishing right now.  Instead:  the Readers Digest Condensed Version:

1. Travel I:  The trip to Fort Worth was nice.  Did you know that Thurber, Texas (where my mom's dad was born) is just 40 miles west of Fort Worth?  Neither did I.  I'll have to check that out on some future trip.  Aside from that, the trip was successful, and I had a wonderful post-get-together-socializing dinner at Del Frisco's (mmmm ... osso bucco).
2. Travel II:  We drove down at met the Ks down in the Springs for the weekend, staying at the Cheyenne Canon Inn, the B&B we've stayed at before down there -- Jim & Ginger's, as well as Katherine's first time there.  We did the hiking over to the Starr Kempf kinetics, a drive up to Helen Hunt Falls and hike thereof, wandering through old Manatou (was sorry to see Filthy Wilma's go, but enjoyed the "replacement" Green Horse Gallery -- pottery was obtained), ate some fine dinners, and toured Garden of the Gods on the way home.
3. Home improvement project of the visit is the Craft Room (formerly Kitten's Bedroom).  The idea here is to have a hard-floor room that all the science projects, art projects, craft supplies, etc. can go.  So, to date, we've torn out all the carpet (at least previously changed once before, based on the old staples in the floor from a previous pad), and laid out most of the new wooden laminate floor, which is astonishingly easy to install, except for a few places where the room isn't a perfect square.
4. Kitty update:  Indy did okay while we were away -- Margie seriously scored by getting an assistant from the vet come by to give him meds the two days we were gone.  Went in for a follow-up checkup today.  Indy's eye has improved, but not as much as the vet would like, so we're on new meds for another week. We can be coneless most of the time, but not when not being kinda-sorta supervised (so that he doesn't rub on it).  Follow-up appointment a week from Saturday.  Mist, meanwhile, had his "wellness" check-up -- the vet thinks he's a bit hyperthyroid, so we got a senior test panel (oh, the indignity of not being able to pee in a cup on command).
5. Weather:  It's snowing!  Yow!  Which may be sufficient (with sub-freezing temps all day) to put a kibosh on visiting with some friends up north.
6. School:  Kitten got her report card for the first trimester.  She got mostly "3" grades in all her academics (it's a 1-4 score, and "3" means "Meets Learner Objectives" -- but it's not clear if that's to full grade level, to the stuff already taught, or what -- pinged the teacher but haven't got an answer yet).  for her skills and behaviors she got all "CD" (top score, "Consistently Demonstrates") for everything, with the note, "Katherine is a conscientious, hard-working student who is making steady progress in all areas."  Nice.
7. Karate:  Speaking of which, as the pictures showed, both of us got our orange belts (7 kyu).  Woot!  So now we get to practice our next kata, Heian Sandan, together.  Yay!

And that will, hopefully, do for the nonce.  Time for a spot of breakfast, more floor application, and prepping for Thanksgiving!   Thanks for your patience ...

Filed under :: Food & Drink :: Home Improvement :: Job Jollies :: Karate :: Pets :: School Daze :: Travel :: Weather
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A sign that Katherine made for Indy. Note she's figured out how to make the letters go "behind" the drawing when she runs out of room?

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So indy got into a tussle with some cat the past few days, and got a corneal puncture ... And, now, eye drops and pain meds and (eek) a lampshade collar to keep him from rubbing. Very unhappy cat over the latter, especially as he's a walk-along-the-wall kind of kitty.

UPDATE: And, aside from our not being happy about Indy's state, either, we're doubly unhappy as this probably puts a kibosh on our going down to the Springs this weekend, as he needs twice-daily meds for the next several days.

Filed under :: Pets :: Travel
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