Friday, November 6, 2015

SOPHIA AND THE RABIES SHOT

air bellows gap road
 
Cat is hiding from me. I have an idea it has to do with taking her to the vet today. I found her. She is curled up in one of her secluded spots just big enough for a cat. I had a nap after returning from the trip to the vet's office, returned to this room and saw Sofia hunkered down on the smooth top of the Monitor heater. It is a good spot for a cat, smooth, purring vibration, warm never close to hot. The way she looked at me told me she was aching from the two shots she was given, not feeling good at all. I felt like she blamed me for taking her to that place. Aching all over after letting that human stick her with something twice, once in each hip. I had told her in the car on the road that she was safe, there was no danger. I told her she was safe with me and I am the one that held her while she was getting stuck. I had to hold her rather firmly for the first shot. Done, she wiggled and jumped out of my hands headed for the edge of the table to jump to the floor. I stopped her by guiding her with my hands. Vet thought I'd lost control of Sofia and started out the door to call an assistant to hold the cat, concerned I might get scratched. I said I don't care if I get scratched. She relaxed and turned around.
 
air bellows gap road going down the mountain
 
I did not need to clamp down on her and make her submit with force. I let her struggle free and stand on the table. She wanted to jump to the floor, I put my hand in front of her face like I do to stop her from stepping onto the keyboard. Her momentum stopped, I scooped her up against her will and held her firmly in my arms. I did not want an assistant, or anybody, seizing her by the back of the neck, stretching her eyes to slits. I know I can hold her without doing that. Sophia at this moment is standing on the corner of the desk, the hair on her spine straight up, tail fluffed out like a squirrel's, hair sticking straight out all over, head down low, creeping slowly, staring out the window. Two big raccoons are out there. I had just put out the leftovers from Sophia's morning food. The coons come around for leftover bird seeds. The seed is for them too. Anything edible I throw away goes outside. Possums, coons, squirrels, chipmunks take what they want and leave some for whoever comes through next. Sophia is spooked. One walks by the window from time to time. Her back went up first time she saw them. Now she watches them curious, questioning if she should run. One of them is the coon that destroyed the bird feeder.
 

air bellows gap road
 
I was impressed with Sophia during the time with the vet. Of course she did not want to get stuck again. That hurt! I don't take hold of her to control her like today. This was in case of emergency. Allowing her to follow her own will makes her easier to control when I need to take control, like to put her in a cage. This is how we go to the doctor. At home, I never force her, given the exception of putting her in the cage. The coons are just outside the window. They're beautiful. The light outside is on. They are up and alert, traveling together looking for morsels. Four of them. They ran up the hill and out of sight. Sophia sits on the back of my reading chair gazing out the window. I turned the other light off inside to help Sophia see better without the reflection on the glass. She is sitting nearby on the desk, spooked, looking at every little corner like the unknown might emerge from some unexpected place any moment.
 
air bellows gap road
 
The vet was awfully busy at something she had to take a break from to give Sophia the shots. We had to wait awhile in the room with the examination table and the scales for weighing cats, a digital baby scale. She is 3.1 pounds. I thought as an after-thought to take her toy, the sponge and string. I entertained her on the table with the sponge and string we play with every day. This was play time away from home. We'd already had play time at home. I was grateful for the after-thought, just before I closed the cage door I thought to put it in the cage with her. Didn't have a reason. Knew she would not play with it during the drive. Why not? Without our toy I'd have lost my wits. I held her  up to the two windows to let her see the landscape and sky. Found a cat skeleton on a shelf. I showed her what her bones look like. She was more curious about what it could be than what her bones looked like.

beside air bellows gap road
 
 
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