It all started with a seemingly harmless, though annoying, trip to the vet’s office for my distemper shot. As I have said before, my temper is usually fine until I am whisked away from the comfort of my home, stuffed into a carrier and poked and prodded by a stranger! But since I had no choice in the matter, I went along and behaved myself. During the course of the vet’s routine inspection, she discovered that my back gums were verrrry red and that my lymph nodes were swollen. I spent the next hour giving up blood and other bodily stuff that I won’t elaborate on, so that they could determine that there was nothing seriously wrong with me. I was prescribed some antibiotics and a steroid and sent on my merry way.
I took my pills like a good girl, hoping that it would help keep me from having to go back to the vet. Unfortunately, exactly one week later, I returned and watched as the vet and my Mom celebrated the good news of the improvement in my condition. Good, I thought, this is the last time this year I shall have to come here!
It was only a few days later when I noticed that my food bowl mysteriously disappeared one evening. I tried sitting in the spot where it used to be, hoping one of the humans would notice the bowl was missing and do something to remedy the situation. That didn’t work. I tried yelling at them and smacking at their legs, but they ignored me. The next morning when I was really hungry and grouchy, Mom picked me up and stuffed me into my carrier. Oh great, not again! I KNOW she’s not seriously going to take a starving cat to the vet!
This time it was even worse. Mom handed me over to one of the vet techs and walked out. This did not bode well as to how my day was going to go. I was taken to the back to sit among the other poor creatures who had no idea what was in store for them. I sat quietly and listened to all the dogs yap.
It wasn’t long before the vet came to get me and put me on a table. The last thing I remember was being stabbed by a needle before drifting off to sleep. When I awoke I felt different. Boy was my mouth sore. Yikes! I moved my tongue around…something felt different. My teeth! I was missing a bunch of teeth!
I meowed loudly to anyone who passed by. I couldn’t understand that no one was concerned that some of my teeth were missing! The vet came by to check on me and she acted like she couldn’t hear me. She petted me and told me everything was alright, but it wasn’t!! She gave me a shot of something that made me not care about my teeth… or anything else.
Mom finally came to pick me up late that afternoon. I was really feeling no pain by then, and I rolled around in my carrier as Mom and the vet talked. I loudly chattered endlessly to Mom the whole drive home. I had so much to tell her! She, too, seemed unconcerned about my loss of teeth. Maybe Dad and Tristan would care!
Mom released me from the carrier and I bounded out. Then the real trouble began. Mom and Dad started to giggle at my legs. I hadn’t even noticed! Someone had shaved my one leg and put a purple bandage on the other!
How undignified! I pulled on the purple bandage hoping someone would take it off. If I had at least had one normal leg that would help.
It worked. Mom came over and unraveled the pretty purple gauze only to reveal a shaved leg just as horrible as the other one. Now I really looked ridiculous!
Oh, this was just awful!!! Everyone was so busy giggling at my legs, that they didn’t even notice my lack of teeth. I finally had enough and opened my mouth as wide as it would go and just sat like that waiting for someone to notice.
Mom came over and took a look, scrunched up her face and looked away. Then she popped the top on a can of Fancy Feast chicken and cheddar kitty food and I forgot all about my legs and teeth. I was so hungry it seemed like the best kitty food ever!!!! The soft food felt good on my sore mouth and I gulped it down. Maybe this tooth pulling episode wasn’t that bad after all!
With my belly now full, it was time to take a rest. That’s when Mom and Dad noticed the difference in my mouth. Dad announced that I now had a permanent “Elvis snarling lip” look to me. Mom checked it out and gigglingly agreed. Since Elvis Pressley was evidently quite popular in his day, I figured it wasn’t too bad a thing. What do you think?
Mom hugged me and told me I was beautiful no matter what. She promised to take me to buy a new hat as soon as I was up to it. I think I’ll milk this tooth extraction thing for all it’s worth… lots of Fancy Feast , hats and extra cuddles!
Well, I better go rest and look pathetic. I’m getting hungry and I want to make sure the top gets popped on another can of Fancy Feast!!
Have a good week!
Love and kitty kisses,
Josie
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