Get Me To My Food On Time!

Courtesy of: Wiggles

I must say – Victor is the King for getting fed, not only on time, but just about whenever he wants! I am still learning from him, but he is a very good coach.  He starts off by simply stating that he is hungry…at the top of his lungs!  This often happens even when he was just fed five minutes earlier. I think Victor is starting to forget things in his old age – either that or he just really enjoys bugging the girls at the desk.  I haven’t decided yet which one it is.

If the vocalizing doesn’t work then he will be sure to block the girls’ vision by standing in front of their computer screen or the phone.  Sometimes he even walks across the keys on the keyboard or phone.  If he’s lucky, he lands in just the right spot to hang up the phone while the receptionist is still talking.  That REALLY gets their attention!  They are tough cookies, though, so most of the time they don’t get up right away and go get him his meal.

His next tactic is to start to knock things off the desk.  He will take a paw and shove papers, entire files, pens or pencils over the edge.  He will do pretty much anything to get their attention!  Usually the girls will be so fed up at this point that they go out back, make him up a fresh meal and deliver it right to him!

Victor being served!

Personally, I don’t believe in being a squeaky wheel like Victor.  I will often simply go and sit by the door to my room and stare at it for awhile – hoping that maybe they will see me looking sad and come and feed me.  This used to be really effective, but lately something seems to have changed.  I’ve heard a lot of talk about “overweight” this and “diet” that and the food definitely doesn’t flow like it used to!  The good news is that when they do feed me, it’s really yummy and I’m not hungry all the time like I used to be, but I still feel like I’ve lost my touch.  Maybe it’s time to look at little closer at exactly how Victor manages his staff so well!

Mmmm...good!

 

Cat Napping – An Introductory Lesson

Courtesy of:  Wiggles

I am sure most of you can guess my favourite activity?  If you can’t then you obviously haven’t been into the clinic enough to see me doing it, so book an appointment and come in for a visit!  Any guesses yet?  Well if you said napping,  you are right!  Cats all over the world have perfected the art of cat napping, and yes it really truly is an art – ask any cat you know!  After all, people don’t take “dog naps” do they?  No, cat napping is named after cats, because we know how to do it purrfectly (sorry I had to).

It might seem easy, but there are a few rules to cat napping.  If you want to perfect the art form, listen up.  The first rule is that ANYWHERE can be an adequate cat napping location.  Don’t get picky about where you decide to nap, any spot will do.  Some will get too focused on a soft and comfortable place, but if you want to be more then apprentice in cat napping you need to remember that although soft spots are a bonus, they aren’t necessary.  You can lay on (or in) just about anything. I particularly like boxes or baskets, but will also settle for chairs, window ledges, computer keyboards…you get the picture.  Although there may be some places that your humans may think is  their territory, you must not let them think such crazy things and continue to nap in your chosen spots.

Now once you have your spot you need to make sure that you take up as much area as possible. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I like to curl up in a cute little ball.  Generally, though, it is important to fill in any extra space with your body in your designated napping spot.

Above all, you mustn’t forget to purr…that is very important!  It helps get the humans’ attention and you might get a nice ear or chin rub as you cat nap.  If anyone out there would like to learn more about the art of cat napping I perform it daily at the Truro Veterinary Hospital from 8am-8pm during the week and 9am-3pm on Saturday.  Sunday is a private cat napping day.

 

I Don’t Know Why I Swallowed A Fly

Courtesy of:  Wiggles

Warning:  The following contains graphic details which may not be suitable for insect conservationists/lovers.

I have to tell you all about my great day!  There I was sleeping peacefully in my basket (everyone says that it is Victor’s basket but they are just saying that to be nice to the old guy – everyone really knows that it is MINE).  Anyway, where were we? Oh yes, sleeping peacefully until I heard a buzzing noise, my ears twitched and I looked around to try and find the source. There it was! I spotted that little black housefly buzzing around the front desk, taunting me! I tilted my head to the side and watched it buzz around for a few moments hoping that it might come closer, but it was playing hard to get.

I jumped down from my perch and landed right in front of the bright screen the humans insist on staring at most of the day. I was apparently in the way of Kaila (one of my many slaves) who was trying to make the black rectangular thing in front of her click as she pressed the keys.  She picked me up and set me off to the side. This was perfect, as the fly had come to rest on the edge of the desk. I crouched down, ready to go in for the kill. I pounced and missed, knocking some papers to the floor.

Then that silly fly was off again, buzzing around.  I leapt gracefully into the air reaching my paws out to try and grasp it, but this wasn’t just any ordinary housefly, this one was skilled in escaping my clutches. I chased it around the room, diving and pouncing but the fly kept getting away from me. It finally landed on the floor, so we played the waiting game, the fly and I.  I pretended that I had lost interest and groomed my paws while the fly sat there quiet and still, until it broke under the strain and took off again.

This time it was desperate and flew up to the window and crashed into it time and time again. I leapt to the window ledge (ignoring the crashing of insignificant objects as I scattered them to the floor). I had the fly now, he had no way out!

I chased him back and forth across the glass for a few moments until finally I knocked him on the head skillfully with one of my paws, stunning him. He fell to the window ledge buzzing slightly. I poked him with my paw, taunting him to try and get away from me again. He just lay there pathetically… he had given up.

I pretended I was disinterested again, just to see if he would try and escape.  He buzzed a little bit more and tried to escape. I pounced on him again, both paws this time and held him there for a long moment. I slowly pulled one paw away to see that I had won the game, the fly had given up. He sat there buzzing, possibly with a broken wing, I decided it would only be fair of me to put him out of his misery so reached down and ate him. He was crunchy, and certainly didn’t taste as good as my normal treats – but I knew it was the right thing to do. Maybe next time a fly will think twice about buzzing around in my front office!

 

Wiggles’ World

Courtesy of:  Wiggles

Hellooo there!  Welcome to Wiggle’s World, my new monthly blog.  My name is Wiggles and I’m the newest member of the Truro Vet team.  Many of you have seen me romping around the waiting room, keeping Victor young (he’s 16, which is 80 in people years) and greeting all your pets.  Maybe you are wondering how I arrived here and why on earth they named me Wiggles?

When I was just a baby (maybe 3 months old?) some kind people found me outside.  I was shaking and trembling all over and feeling really really sick.  The nice folks brought me to Truro Vet, but since they weren’t my family and they couldn’t afford to treat whatever was wrong with me, they left me at the hospital.  At first my doctors weren’t sure they could help me.  They believed that a flea product that was good for dogs but very bad for cats had been applied to my neck.  Treatment for this problem involves a good bath, intravenous fluids, hospitalization and medication, sometimes for a few days.  This can be expensive, but luckily for me there were funds in the Lost Souls Fund, so they gave it a try.  Without treatment I may have died. 

As you can tell, I did get better, but for a long time I had muscle tremors and I wasn’t very coordinated when I walked.  Can you tell why they called me Wiggles now?  Luckily my symptoms are almost entirely gone, and while I was recovering, Victor asked if he could have me as a friend.  I work very hard here, being nice to all the dogs and cats who come to visit. 

I want everyone to know my story, because it doesn’t have to happen to any other kitties.  By reading the label on all flea products carefully and making sure the product you use is safe for cats and the right dose for their size, you can prevent any other cat from getting sick this way.  If you have any questions, just call me at Truro Vet (893-2341) and I’ll have my people get back to you!