The Banning of the Bits and Pieces

In honor of National Cat Week, we had our new pet cat Milo neutered today. Next year, we're thinking of celebrating by taking off a limb.

We'd just taken the cat in for his rabies shot, when we were fortunate enough to get squeezed in for sterilization at the low-cost clinic that accepts the shelter vouchers. The kids were with me as I scheduled the procedure. and the whole day long they were quite concerned about Milo. They asked question after question after question, and I just held my breath, hoping I wouldn't have to explain the whole "when a mommy cat and a daddy cat fall in love and get married" bit. Fortunately, that particular part of the subject never specifically came up.

I picked Milo up late this evening and was told he would have to stay in his crate until morning. Evidently, the anesthesia they gave him makes him hallucinate and fall over. I was told to leave him in until morning, just to let him sleep the drugs off. All the way home, from inside his little bin, I'd hear skittle, skittle, thump and shuffle, shuffle, thump. I brought him home and tucked the carrier quietly away in the corner of my closet, hoping that was far enough from the kids and the dog and the noise and the lights to prevent hallucinations that would blow his little mind.

Milo stayed still and silent in his crate for about six hours, when he then began an attempt at chewing his way through the bin side. I decided if he had the wherewithal to formulate an escape plan, he was clear to leave the crate. I gingerly carried it to the upstairs bathroom where I'd prepared clean litter and fresh food. Then I let the cat out of the bag bin.

He swayed and wobbled and stumbled and fell, but perked up a bit when he found his food bowl. I stayed to make sure he was comfortable before I left the room, and not aggressive as the anesthesia could make him. I thought he was trying to flush himself at one point, so I went back to make sure he was safe from drowning hazards. While I'm sure he's much happier locked in the restroom as opposed to his minuscule crate, I do hear a thump every once in a while. Surely that can't be good...


photo credit: lolpictures.com