The wrath of calico

Pip is not a happy camper. We decided it was time to scrape some money together and take one of the animals in for a teeth cleaning. Even though everybody needs it, at an average of $500 a pop with exam, blood work, and the dental, it doesn’t happen often enough.

So, we chose Pip, because she is the senior cat (at 10, and now that Connecticut is gone, she is the cat friend I’ve had the longest, although Nevermore and Gordy are about 10 as well). Pip seemed to need it most, and we also wanted to get her checked out in general, as she seems to have been drinking extra water in the last few months.

She came through the dental fine, having one small tooth pulled, which is not too bad considering the length of time since her last cleaning. And her blood work showed a small creatinine elevation, which could indicate a preliminary problem with her kidneys, but nothing major yet. She obviously is out of sorts, a bit groggy, and she’s a little pissed. We have 2 meds and a mouth rinse to administer 2x daily for 5 days and she is going to be a pain in the ass, living up to her calico reputation. Pip is a beautiful, smart, curious, independent, and lively cat, but at the same time she is quick to show her displeasure.

The weekend is supposed to be sunny. I have been very under the weather the last few days, but I think it will do us both good to go out in the yard and get a little sun, if it’s warm enough. Pip is constantly begging to go outside or trying to escape (sometimes she is successful—she never goes far, but we try to keep it from happening as we live by busy streets). I take her out once in a while with me, but I have to keep a close eye on her because she likes nothing more than to jump the fence and explore the sagebrush field behind us, or the neighbor’s yard, keeping just out of my reach while I try to grab her. I adopted Pip from the Santa Cruz SPCA in 2001. She was a four-month old gregarious stray kitten who had been found in a parking lot. Even then, her adventurous spirit was evident. I hope she is back to her old self soon.