For those of you who’ve been hidden under a rock for the last few years, one of the most far-reaching Internet memes is that of the lolcat. Since 2007, icanhascheezburger has been the single most influential disseminator of lolcat material, and while not all are winners many are… especially those that highlight feline behaviour:
So if you haven’t already, visit the site or subscribe to their feed – well worth it.
Being someone who truly appreciates animals, both wild and domesticated, for what they are and what they have to teach us, I’ve never been one to condone the ridiculous practice of clothing one’s pets. The majority of people who do so, in my humble opinion, are anthropomorphisizing in a sad way, and generally using their animals as pseudo-people to make up for some lack in their lives and/or themselves. And I’m not the only one who thinks so, thank your-deity-of-choice.
However, be that as it may, recently we found ourselves crossing this line with Mary. Not for the reasons one would imagine, though – it was simply the least complex solution in order to stop our silly Siberian from over-grooming a wound. The Victorian collar option was out, as the wound was outside the area, meaning she could still reach it with her hind legs. We’d tried bandaging her paw, but that led to her toes becoming painfully sensitive for some reason.
As a last resort, we bought her a blue cat (or dog, more the humiliation…) shirt, tore off the very badly thought out sleeves – she could barely walk with them hampering her movement – and put the thing on over her collar. Needless to say, little Miss Fluff was very indignant about the whole thing, but it paid off in the long run (+/- 3 weeks, cringe) as her wound finally healed.
Adjustments around the collar area.
Final tweaks around the collar area.
Finally shirt is on...
And not even a solid under-shirt scratch...
... can stop Mary keeping her distance from the those shirty savages.
When outside for the first time, Mary checks to see if anyone is watching her misery.
And like many before her, uses grass to feel better.
Heading out into the cruel world.
Finally at rest, plotting her revenge.
Mary simply adores it when we are outside with her. I was sitting with Mary and Murphy outside, when a neighbour came out and started chatting to me. He told me he can see I really love my cat (YAY!!! Someone finally notices!!). Then he broke the news to me that Mary spends time in his flat as well. He told me what a gentle and good-natured cat she is, and how she loves to play – she especially goes mad if you put your hand underneath the carpet.
I was absolutely mortified! Firstly because she makes herself at home in someone else’s flat and secondly because she plays with someone else. Mary does not like to play with me. She plays with my partner yes, but not with me. I kind of feel betrayed to be honest. At least she is not a problem. I am thankful that the neighbour is not complaining about her spending time in his flat, but instead, that he welcomes it. I still can’t help taking Mary’s “disloyalty” personally. Should I?!
On a different note, we are back at the battle of the food. We managed to get our hands on a few precious pouches of that veterinary food, but that has run out. She now refuses to eat anything else. She will nibble on some biscuits, but pulls up her nose at anything else. We cooked her some liver, I even tried to simulate the vet food by boiling chicken and rice and making it in to a moosh. Not a chance. I bought her chicken loaf, but that is not good enough either. I am starting to get really worried because she is losing weight (and no she is not eating at the neighbour’s either).
Tonight we will go and get some fish. I am sure she will eat that. In fact, I know she will eat it. But that will also mean that chances are her skin inflammation will be back soon.
After all this, she still thinks the neighbour is better than us.
Damn cat.
