It's not often that I get to tell a story with a happy ending; my tail wags just thinking about it.
I have noticed that people seem to be very concerned with the way things look. For dogs, looks are something we rarely think about. If it's not functional, it's generally not worth worrying about. Some of us have warm furry coats built to handle cold weather, and yet our people, out of concern for the hair we leave behind, insist on removing our beautiful fur only to leave behind skin that feels prickly and sharp. Then there are some dogs like my friend Buddy the Bichon who can hardly see because of all the hair in his face.
Today at the clinic a long haired cat that I call Fishface, or Missy as it's known to it's family, came in to have a “lioncut” done. A lioncut is what they call it when a cat gets all of his hair removed with the buzzing machine. Now to say that this cat was unhappy to be here, would be like saying that Bea likes to eat breakfast -- clearly an understatement. Vonnie was very careful not to upset Fishface and placed her inside a clear box that got hooked up to the procedure machine. Pretty soon, Fishface was not upset anymore, in fact, she was not even moving any more. Vonnie made quick work of the hair leaving only the fluff around the cats' face and one little tuft on the tail. I'm pretty sure they leave that to make it easier to chase.
After the fur was removed and the procedure machine was all tucked away, Fishface starting moving again, and returned to her usual angry demeanor. Since I have the perfect coat that never needs to be removed, I don't know how I would feel about having it all gone. I can tell you that each cat handles it differently – some seem to relax and appeared relieved, while others act down right insulted. Fishface was mortified. When Missy's family came to pick her up, the young one with them had the water coming from her eyes, and smelled of sadness and salt. She had been told that Missy was being put to sleep when she was here, which is what had caused the young person to be upset. I couldn't see why sleep could cause such sadness, especially since I sleep several times a day. When Missy got to see her people again all of the sadness seemed to lift: Missy forgave them for removing what she had insisted was a beautiful coat, and her people were happy to be reunited with their beloved cat. In the end, it seemed that everyone agreed that appearances sometimes take too much focus, and that the most important thing is to be together with the ones you love.
Luckily, I'm lovable no matter what!


Note: mother wanted me to dedicate this blog to her best friend, Kim. Wet kisses to you Kim!