Adventures With Murray Cat

Friday evening before heading North to visit with friends for the weekend strange black semi bulbous thingys where noticed in Murray's ears. Sunday evening I got back and checked them out again, they didn't seem to be any bigger or smaller than they had been on Friday, they also didn't seem to bother Murray in the slightest even when I was poking, prodding and pinching at them.

Monday morning I called the vet and setup an appointment. So I took off from work early to get him a harness and to fill my tank. Once I got home I put the harness on him and he pretty much just laid down and pretty much only moved by rolling about with the harness on. Which was sort of cute and sad at the same time but also reassuring that he would be less likely to run off with it on as he didn't like to move much with his harness on.

We get into the car he lays down on the passenger seat and hides his little kitty face and starts mewing as we drive to the vet. He seemed to mew more when we were stopped at stop signs. I picked his head up and petted him which also seemed to help with his nervousness.

Upon arrival at the vet he was the only pet in the waiting room, aside from the vet cat who was asleep on the front counter. While filling out some paper work a couple of dogs showed up and Murray didn't really care about the dogs or the people. He was quite the topic of converstation cause of his size, the fact he was on a harness and how calm and good he was being. At one point 3 kids came out of one of the exam rooms with their cat in a box and they were soon upon Murray trying to make friends, he was friendly to them and let them pet him.

Soon it was our turn. Time to get Murray's ears checked out. Turns out white cats get these cysts that he has and orange cats get freckles. The bad news is he needs some dental work which will cost anywhere between $530 to $600something. They did recommend a mouth wash type stuff to put in his water to help out with his gums, breath and teeth, which I ordered once I got home.

While signing the paper work on the way out the cat that had been sleeping on the counter was now awake and wondering around and checking things out. Murray did not approve. Murray let everyone know he didn't approve, he meowed something evil and growwwled just as angrily at this other cat, whom the vets and vet techs said was a trouble maker. The cat had no concern for Murray's protesting or warnings and proceeded to approach Murray. Murray started to lunge for this other cat I pulled him back with the harness but now they were in a corner and there were all sorts of those nasty loud cat fight sounds one only expects to hear in an alley full of strays. I'd finished the paper work and was free to now get down and extract Murray from the situation, but not before having my left hand and wrist torn to shreds by none other than Murray while he was unleashing some kind of cat berzerker attack on the other cat. Nobody won the cat fight, as far as I could tell the cats never made contact. But I was the clear loser with no less than 5 or so bleeding scratches on my left hand and another good one on my right wrist/arm. About the time I had extracted Murray the other cat had also been extracted and tossed over the counter and I was on my way out with Murray and one of the techs asked if I and Murray were ok. Murray seemed to be much better already, as he was now outside and away from the action. I assured her we were well and took Murray home who laid on my lap this time but he laid down like he meant it.

Later in the evening I got a call from the owner of the clinic and she offered to pay any medical expenses and wanted to be sure we were ok and she apologized several times as well. She asked if I got scratched I said only by my cat and it was really no big deal and that we really were fine.

I wasn't worried about medical expenses cause there are none from it. I'm also not going to sue over the actions of two animals. I know how cats are, they do what they want and can be very stubborn and what have you. To expect to have total control of any living creature all the time is insane.

I think Murray will get his dental work sometime in may after hes used the mouth wash for a while.

Posted by Ben at March 19, 2008 11:27 AM