Today is the day I’ve been dreading since last year…..the annual physicals and “shot” time for all my kitties. It’s always a battle after the first cat is in the carrier. The other cats flee in every direction because they remember last year, too, and the hunt is on. First is always Callie, my sweet Calico. She is such a lady and therefore does not resort to commando tactics to keep from going into the carrier.

One down, three to go.

Next I decided would be Lovey. She is the Blue Russian and has always been a little strange. Like Callie, she was a stray that ended up here and we gave her a good home. She has a mysterious air about her and stays more to herself. She loves to eat and always comes on the first call. Not today. She saw or heard the carriers and she headed for the back yard. After a few minutes I managed to pick her up, something she’s never too crazy about, and headed back to the carrier.

After a few steps she figured something was up and struggled to get down. I was not going to let that happen since I wanted to have them all done in one day. I grabbed her hard behind her head like I’ve seen them do at the Vet’s and she became rather controllable. In fact she was quiet with her eyes shut (maybe I was holding her so tight she couldn’t open her eyes or cry)……sensing I had the upper hand so to speak, I dropped her down into the carrier. Door shut and I’m feeling good.

Two down, two to go.

Chevy had never been sighted through all of this but I figured he’d seen or heard enough that he hid. Therefore I decided to get Miss Sassy from the house and worry about Chevy later. I swear these cats can read your mind. Once I entered the house she was uneasy and didn’t want me to pick her up. Now Sassy is 13-pounds and has muscles on her muscles. When she doesn’t want to do something you should have a net and three people to hold her.

Knowing she would be the worst, I left the carrier right outside the door so she wouldn’t bolt from my grip and head for the hills. When she saw we were going outside she began her struggle but I managed to drop her in the carrier…….however, Miss Sassy was on the alert and had her paws on the door of the cage so I couldn’t fasten it and she kept bolting up and trying to dig out. I decided to take her to the garage for a different carrier because this one wouldn’t fasten and I knew she’d find a way to get out.

Well, if she was hard to get in…..you should have seen her when I tried to get her out. My idea was to put open door to open door and she would slide right into the bigger carrier with a good closure on it. Now, she decided she wanted to stay in the first crate so I’m over-extended with my arms and it’s the battle of the fittest. She hung on to her first crate and screaming with sounds I’ve never heard from a cat before. Her volume was also off the charts.

Here I am with her dangling from one crate on end to the other crate on end and I can’t let go because she had room to get away. I’m not sure but I suspect I did a little screaming myself. Finally with one last ditch effort I managed to shake her into the lower one and slammed the door shut.

Forget the next cat!

I decided to take the three and take Chevy on another day. I was wet from head to toe from arm wrestling Miss Sassy so I went to the house and got a glass of water and sat down to rest a minute. I drove them the five miles to the Vet and when I pressed the opener for the back hatch, out tumbled Sassy in her crate turning her over several times.

I came barging in with three crates and three wild and wooly looking cats who had their hair going in every direction and we looked like we’d been through the wreck of the Hesperus. I still have Chevy to take next week and then booster shots for these three (for the new shots to save kitties from a new kind of “whatever”) in three weeks.

Mission accomplished for today.

Until the next time, I am,
Essentially Esther