The following is a true account of getting our three cats into the carriers in time for their eleven a.m. appointment.
30 minutes until appointment time
Clark’s friend who was driving him and our three cats to the vet had arrived. He was standing near the door beside one of the cat carriers. Loki waltzed into the carrier and said friend nonchalantly closed the door. One cat down, two to go.
Odin
I caught up with Odin as he attempted to escape across the arm of the couch beside my seat. I grabbed him by the scruff and pinned him down until Clark could get to him. I have fresh battle wounds from yesterday’s encounter with Odin’s claws and was in no hurry to bleed again today.
Clark snatched him up and carried him to the carrier. He thought he had him securely inside. Just as he was closing the door, he escaped and took off down the hall. Our 21-year-old son was involved by this point. After some chasing around the living room, Odin was caught and finally secured in the cage.
Freyja
Freyja is tiny, and mostly black. She’s slick and sleek and used to running and hiding from her much larger brothers who between naps enjoy beating the crap out of their little sister.
After much chasing and attempts to pin her down, she was finally secured. Clark was attempting to put her in with Odin because it was the nearer carrier and we only had the two.
Chaos ensues
Odin takes off like a bat out of hell down the hall. Freyja books it into the living room and ducks beneath one of the couches. From beneath the couch, she has created a pathway inside of it. A little burrow hole. Loki seizes his opportunity and pushes his way out of the carrier that he’d been stashed in.
We flip the couch, chasing Freyja out of it and stopping her from being able to climb back in it again. Son catches (and promptly loses) the little princess. Clark catches Loki (he’s bigger and slower) and stashes him in the other carrier. He heads down the hall to locate Odin while 21-year-old and I are hunting for Freyja.
15 minutes until appointment time
Hubby, “Hey Tif, come see where your cat is.”
I start to head down the hall.
Also hubby, “Hey Tif, better call the vet and tell them we’re running a little late.”
I turn around and start to head for my phone (on the table beside my coffee which I was planning on sipping).
“Are you coming to look at your cat?”
“I was calling the vet.”
“Come look at your cat first.”
And so I headed down the hall, phone still sitting on the table, coffee cooling beside it. Odin had wedged himself behind the washing machine. He was twisted and folded in a way that supports my accusation that he may indeed be part ferret. He had his forehead pressed against the corner of the machine. He looked extremely uncomfortable. Clark moved the machines and Odin ran.
Yeah, no way we’re making it in time
I slipped into the bedroom and called the vet’s office. They were very understanding. They asked that if we were going to be more than thirty minutes late we call back and reschedule. More than reasonable. In fact, kind of awesome.
The phone call took me less than two minutes. By the time I arrived back in the living room, Clark was fed up. He snatched up Odin and jammed him into the carrier with Loki. He went down the hall to tend to his bleeding wounds. Did I mention that Odin is a fighter?
Where’d that little girl go?
Searching high and low. Flipping over furniture, sliding bins out of the way. Checking cabinets and hiding spaces. Watching the clock go tick-tick-tick.
In here? Nope. Over here? Not here, either. Under there? Not that I can see. She likes to hide in the… Already checked there. Me too, but check again. Nope, she isn’t here.
And so it went as the time ticked by and the boys shouted their disapproval. She’d found herself a good little hidey hole. I was about ready to admit defeat.
10 minutes past appointment time
I mentioned that if we couldn’t locate her soon, Clark may have to take the boys without her. I decided to check the cabinets one last time.
Just as I was closing the door, a pair of bright green eyes opened up in the dark shadow behind my cast iron dutch oven. She’d probably been sitting right there when our son had checked. I was ready to declare the cabinet Freyja free.
After I located her, Clark grabbed her up and stashed her in the other carrier. She was yelling her protestations as they carried her out the door.
Quick shout out to the vet’s office
After arriving twenty minutes late, my husband reports that they were ushered right on in. There visit cost a total of $80.00. That’s $20 for the appointment slot (or room rent if you will). This covers the visit for all three of our cats. The remaining $60 breaks down to $20 each for shots.
A little shameless promotion
For a great pet adventure kids of all ages can enjoy, check out The Adventures of Bear B and Stone: Bully Troubles. It’s a great read aloud story for the whole family. Check out my Amazon author page for more great books.
We are in serious need of a new car. I’ve started a pool on PayPal in the hope of collecting some donations towards the purchase of a car including tax, title, plates, and insurance. Any amount helps.
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