Round 2....

It takes a village.

At least it seemed like it today, on round 2 of attempting to get the cat to the vets for her update on booster shots and her haircut.

The day started early, way, way too early with me tossing and turning all night and finally getting up at a little before 5 to try to coax the cat into her carrier for the trip.

I tried to be clever. I tried all of the suggestions left for me on the last blog I wrote of the trying to corral the kitty.

A pillowcase was too small, so taking  the drawstring liner from a wicker laundry basket, several tries to just "scoop" up the cat were to no avail. The cat was too skittish at even seeing anything in my hands that didn't involve her breakfast.

She was hungry, she was angry, she wasn't suppose to eat anything overnight because of the having to be sedated today. She stood defiantly in front of the fridge despite all my soft cooing, and praises for being a good kitty.

She was on to me.

I went out the night before and picked some catmint. I put it in a small plastic bag in the fridge, thinking this was literally going to be in the bag. I was left holding the bag, as the cat sniffed the stuff and tried to bite my hand. I tried tying a small bundle to the end of an old shoestring and strung it in her carrier, pulling the end of the string thru a small vent hole in the back. She watched, sniffed and walked off.

I threw away the catmint.

I stuck with the shoestring and coaxed her into  playing with me, chasing it as it danced across the floor in front of the carrier. She sat on top of the carrier again and patted it but refused to go anywhere near the opening of the carrier.

I was getting peeved. My soft cooing and "nice kitty" comments were starting to turn into whining, "why can't you be good" comments. I got frustrated and logged on-line and read a bit on-line while keeping one eye on the cat, while trying to coax her closer with the shoestring.

Seven a.m. arrived and I was getting desperate. She had to be at the vets by 8:30a.m. I called in reinforcements. My mom was here, a neighbor was here, I was here. All of us for a little fur ball of pure evil, called "Stink Pot". My mom tried chasing, I tried playing, then we tried turkey bribery, nothing would convince the cat to cooperate. 

My neighbor brought over a live animal trap he had constructed years ago. One look at the cat and he mumbled, "she's too fat". My pampered pet was too big to fit in the wooden structure. My neighbor, being the brave soul that he is, returned wearing a heavy leather coat, and leather welding gloves. With a deep breath he entered the bathroom where the cat had holed up and closed the door behind him. With a commotion one can only imagine, he emerged with mutters of, "she's NOT a happy cat".

As I looked him over, looking for any missing limbs or blood from gushing sliced arteries, I was relieved to find my neighbor all in one piece and the cat secured in her carrier. Deathly looks and growls emitting from her, for all of us.

I am happy to report the cat made it to the vet's, and is now back home, a bit more subdued and a lot less furry.

It's been a stressful day for all involved, and her haircut couldn't have come at a better time. It was a scorcher today, with temps topping out over 100.

It has me thinking I am do for a haircut too. No leather coat and welding gloves needed though, I will go along quite peacefully. I promise.

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