Who ever would have thought that I could learn something from a cat?

I learned that not all of the procedures mother and her helpers do make you sore. According to Boyd, the visiting orange cat, he felt better after waking up from his drooling dream, than he had in years.
I knew that there was something wrong with Boyd after his first visit. Most of the cats that come to the clinic to have their teeth looked at by mother have the smelly fish face. The same kind of smell that comes out of the big green bin on garbage day. The same kind of smell that Bea rolls upside down in, any chance she can get. But Boyd did not have the smelly fish mouth, his smelled more of red syrup than fish. You could also tell that he had a different problem by the way he talked. Honestly, I find cats hard to understand most of the time anyway. They tend to talk slowly and draw out all of their words, they add inflection where it doesn't make sense so that everything sounds like a question, and worst of all, they do this thing with their throats that makes it sound like they swallowed one of those vibrating hair clipping machines.
Boyd was especially tight lipped when he talked, and as he got nervous, he would grind his teeth and gums in a way that made Sweet Sally shudder. This morning Boyd was in to have his mouth looked at up close. I have learned that in order for mother, or father, to look at any pets mouth up close that means nap time for the pet. Boyd was no exception. He took his pinch medicine bravely. He even sat quietly while the tube and wraps got put on his legs. His mouth must have been very interesting too because mother and Patient Pam worked on it for what felt like weeks.
“Boyd has resorptive lesions” I overheard mother telling Patient Pam. “These are like sores on the teeth that are really painful. There is no way to cure the sores so we remove the affected teeth to remove the pain.” Patient Pam worries so much about her patients that I thought the water might start coming from her eyes. That was until Boyd was all finished and he was waking up from his nap. He sat up pretty quick and acted like his mouth felt better already. I can tell you he was a lot more talkative: “ What kind of nap was thaa-at? I dreamed I was chewing on jelly-- fish? My mouth kind of stings now but it doesn't hurt like it did?” I couldn't tell if he was asking or telling, but Bea says that's just the way cats talk.

Dancing Debbie's cat Reese was visiting a few days ago and he told a similar story about his sister cat, Willow. She had the sore teeth too, and mother removed them all. Now Reese says Willow has become a real bother. She's always stealing his toys and fighting for all of the attention. Reese liked it better when Willow hid under the bed all the time. When Bea hides under the bed I miss her terribly and have to drag her out by her face. Just another difference between cats and dogs I guess.