Off to a not-great start!
I knew I wouldn't enjoy having the vet come at nine this morning to give all five cats their shots, but I felt it would be a better option than me trying to borrow carriers and cram all five of them into the car to go up to their place.
I tried putting their food in the utility room (only door that I can close off downstairs, and it's where their litters are) for breakfast, but they weren't having it. With great effort, I managed to corral four of them in there, but Corrigan eluded me. When I did finally catch him, he managed to twist away from me as I was trying to open the door (which sticks, badly- BONUS!) without allowing Dash to shove his way out. Second capture, we just sat down at the kitchen table and waited. For an hour.
The vet's wife is his assistant, and they brought their 18-year-old daughter with them as a second assistant (fortunately she got home from college last week). They did fine with Corrigan, then they went to see who they could find in the room, and Pansy turned out to be next. She had gotten an irritated bladder again this past weekend, so I was worried about that. He gave her a shot of Lasix so she could at least flush things out, and they will call in an antibiotic for her. Dash was number three up, and I did make sure he cleaned out his ears (they always hold lots of crud- the vet said it's likely the result of untreated upper respiratory infection as a kitten) but I completely failed to ask about the wheezing in cold air.
Things took a turn for the ugly with Chloe- she peed on the vet's wife as she was carrying her out of the utility room. Oh yeah, you know I'm thrilled. Then they could not find Bright Eyes. They came back out and asked if I was SURE she was in there. Well, yes. But it turned out that my attempts to block off the hidey-holes in that room were not good enough to stop her from getting back under the wooden frame of a chair that's currently used to hold cat carriers, with baskets of dirty laundry parked in front of it. :: siiigh :: The teenaged daughter was elected to get down on the floor and reach for her. She was expecting to be bitten but she managed to avoid even getting scratched. Bright Eyes is still looking really motheaten from fleas, but he combed and didn't find any now, so it looks like the Frontline Plus actually worked.
After they all left, I realized the extent of my fail. I not only forgot about Dash's asthma (OR IS IT HEART PROBLEMS? Gah, so much fail!) I also failed to follow up about Pansy having developed hemorrhoids, and I completely forgot to ask that he check anal glands on the girls (who have all had symptoms of things being itchy, off and on).
Right now I can't even be happy that we all survived the visit, because he also made sure he wormed everyone, since they've had unrelenting flea infestation for over a year. I didn't even bring up the fact that I know Chloe eats at least part of her kills outside. This means I have to completely change all four litters tomorrow morning. Which means I have to go buy more litter- I only have a tub and a half right now, and that is not NEARLY enough.
On the bright side, my niece has agreed to go to Iron Man 3 tomorrow afternoon. Which should help motivate me to actually go buy the litter today and get up and do the miserable cleaning tomorrow. Also, it's sprinking and chilly today, so I don't feel obligated to drag out and attempt to mow. Which is a relief (mowing and me is not a good match these days).
I tried putting their food in the utility room (only door that I can close off downstairs, and it's where their litters are) for breakfast, but they weren't having it. With great effort, I managed to corral four of them in there, but Corrigan eluded me. When I did finally catch him, he managed to twist away from me as I was trying to open the door (which sticks, badly- BONUS!) without allowing Dash to shove his way out. Second capture, we just sat down at the kitchen table and waited. For an hour.
The vet's wife is his assistant, and they brought their 18-year-old daughter with them as a second assistant (fortunately she got home from college last week). They did fine with Corrigan, then they went to see who they could find in the room, and Pansy turned out to be next. She had gotten an irritated bladder again this past weekend, so I was worried about that. He gave her a shot of Lasix so she could at least flush things out, and they will call in an antibiotic for her. Dash was number three up, and I did make sure he cleaned out his ears (they always hold lots of crud- the vet said it's likely the result of untreated upper respiratory infection as a kitten) but I completely failed to ask about the wheezing in cold air.
Things took a turn for the ugly with Chloe- she peed on the vet's wife as she was carrying her out of the utility room. Oh yeah, you know I'm thrilled. Then they could not find Bright Eyes. They came back out and asked if I was SURE she was in there. Well, yes. But it turned out that my attempts to block off the hidey-holes in that room were not good enough to stop her from getting back under the wooden frame of a chair that's currently used to hold cat carriers, with baskets of dirty laundry parked in front of it. :: siiigh :: The teenaged daughter was elected to get down on the floor and reach for her. She was expecting to be bitten but she managed to avoid even getting scratched. Bright Eyes is still looking really motheaten from fleas, but he combed and didn't find any now, so it looks like the Frontline Plus actually worked.
After they all left, I realized the extent of my fail. I not only forgot about Dash's asthma (OR IS IT HEART PROBLEMS? Gah, so much fail!) I also failed to follow up about Pansy having developed hemorrhoids, and I completely forgot to ask that he check anal glands on the girls (who have all had symptoms of things being itchy, off and on).
Right now I can't even be happy that we all survived the visit, because he also made sure he wormed everyone, since they've had unrelenting flea infestation for over a year. I didn't even bring up the fact that I know Chloe eats at least part of her kills outside. This means I have to completely change all four litters tomorrow morning. Which means I have to go buy more litter- I only have a tub and a half right now, and that is not NEARLY enough.
On the bright side, my niece has agreed to go to Iron Man 3 tomorrow afternoon. Which should help motivate me to actually go buy the litter today and get up and do the miserable cleaning tomorrow. Also, it's sprinking and chilly today, so I don't feel obligated to drag out and attempt to mow. Which is a relief (mowing and me is not a good match these days).