Evening of the |
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Friday |
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Eight-Carrier Post-Op Transport
One kitten wails on.
I pull off the road to check.
No one is bleeding.
Yes, boys and girls, it's Haiku Friday and the sushi chef is in, wielding a knife as sharp as the one that sliced and diced Minnie, the Moochers, and their three traveling companions in Charles County, Maryland yesterday.
On Wednesday night we took in Minnie's petite calico sister Daisy, her son Oreo (a young TJ lookalike), and a happy-go-lucky orange tabby kitten named Clinton. We stashed Daisy and Oreo in the 50K nursery (our windowless downstairs half-bath), and put Clinton in an event crate in the villa.
Minnie sniffed him through the bars, decided he was a threat to her tribe, and made it clear he wasn't welcome in the villa. We reconfigured our exercise room upstairs and transferred him there.
At 6:15 on Thursday morning I set off for the low-cost spay/neuter clinic at the Charles County Humane Society, with eight kittens and eight carriers in the back of our Hyundai Santa Fe. (I made the mistake of keeping Daisy and Oreo together, letting Clinton ride shotgun, and splitting the Moocher tribe into just two groups, which made for pretzel logistics when I arrived and had to put each kitten into its own carrier without risking an escape from the car or feline warfare.)
Having never driven from Arlington to Charles County, MD before, I assumed the possibility of crippling traffic on the Beltway or bridge, and allotted two hours for the trip. With clear sailing I made it in one. Luckily I didn't have to wait long before the clinic staff trickled in, gave me the paperwork to fill out, and helped me admit the kittens.
Eight hours later (after breakfast, lunch, and lots of reading in strip-mall parking lots), I returned to the clinic and was told the kittens could go home, even though it was only a few minutes after 4:00 pm. Lots of yowling from various carriers on the hour-long ride home.
Back at 50K, we returned Daisy and Oreo to the nursery. Oreo retreated behind the toilet and growled at his Mom, who hissed back.
In the villa, Minnie, George, Lincoln and TJ all acted ornery, both toward each other and toward us. No one wanted anyone else to come near, maybe because everyone felt sore, vulnerable, and defensive.
It was really interesting and somewhat disturbing to watch the playful Moochers hiss and growl at each other while roaming around like wounded zombies.
Spay-Neuter Hangover
George wanders, growling,
while TJ guards her corner.
Lincoln is hiding.
We put Clinton back in the exercise room, where he looked almost fully recovered, and brought Jackie-O up to introduce her. Hisses from Clinton and squawks of discomfort from Jackie-O. We relocated her to the villa, but her squawking persisted. We locked her in a carrier and put her back in Clinton's room, and she calmed down. Before going to bed, we set up a small folding crate for her, put food, water, and a bed inside, and left the door open, using a small litter box as a moat.
Rapprochement
Jackie-O hisses.
Clinton hisses, inches close.
Is the ice melting?
She and Clinton were still hissing at each other a bit this morning when they got too close together, but they're generally rambling around and playing a bit without disturbing each other. They'll probably be best friends by Sunday. Let's hope so, because we think they'll be adopted together!
And George is going home tomorrow! And Lincoln and Minnie are being adopted together! Which would just leave TJ… first to be chosen, but the last to go home?
filed by: TS
