19 December - Necessary stuff

Cat sitting is wonderful both because it saves a fortune on hotels and because I get to hang out with cats.  I earned an advanced certificate in feline behavior and training from the Animal Behavior Institute so that I would be able to deal with any behavioral issues that came up while I was sitting. I’ve enjoyed every sit I’ve done – some, admittedly, more than others. My current charge is a wonderful cat named Gandalf the Grey.  He has a great personality but is a bit naughty.  A couple of weeks before we arrived, he ate half of a toy which ended up causing an intestinal blockage and requiring emergency surgery.  He’s on the mend, but it fell to us to take him for his second follow-up appointment.  I know how difficult getting a cat into a carrier can be, so I was dreading that part of it. To my amazement, Gandalf walked right in the carrier with no problem. Yay!  The vet is about a 7 minute walk from the house, so off we went at 8:45, just as it started to rain. 

We got there and the follow up went beautifully.  The vet was so young looking, and resembled actor/comedian Alan Davies, who we see on lots of comedy game shows.  You might know him from an old mystery series, “Jonathan Creek.”

We made it back home and all seemed well until I discovered the nipple of a baby bottle on the floor, with the top chewed off. Frantic texting with the homeowner and the vet followed and I was given a list of things to watch out for.  About 30 minutes later I found the top of the nipple, so I think we’re safe.  FYI, yes, there is a baby in the family. We're not starting a kinky nipple collection. (You're disappointed, aren't you?)

A bit later in the day, Gandalf threw a beautiful coral colored dish off the table and it shattered into pieces.  Maybe that was his way of protesting the vet visit. 

In the afternoon, Bruce went for a crawl and I did some voiceover work that was due, then luxuriated in a hot bath.  I try to remind myself that I don’t have to be doing something every minute of every day, and that it’s alright to just chill.  Today I followed my own advice.