I brought Houdini home late today. He seems much better than he was yesterday, in that his breathing is less labored. The vet’s concern has been that he hasn’t eaten on his own, but once at home, I got him to eat some torn-up bits of cheese.
Houdini is happy to be home, but he’s not happy about the crate. He cried quite a bit at first, which upset the kids. Now he’s calmed down. He did manage, even, to drag himself into the tiny litter box, but then he spazzed out and got litter in his food and water bowls and all over the crate. The lady at the cat store told me to go with this certain type of litter because of its absorbency, but I might need some of the recycled newspaper pellets. They’re bigger and less likely to get kicked all over the place by a cat with a fractured pelvis. Plus it’s always fun to let your feline piss on yesterday’s news.
Thus, this week, I become Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy in a big way. Imagine a giant muskrat caring for a small cat. All I need is the full-sized white apron that Nurse Jane wore. Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy is a character from “Uncle Wiggily’s Storybook,” which was one of my favorites as a child. Uncle Wiggily is a rabbit gentleman who dresses quite nattily in a top hat and carries a cane. Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy is his sidekick and a muskrat. The twosome have adventures and teach life lessons to the animal children of the forest.
At one point, I tried reading some of the Uncle Wiggily stories to my kidlings, but they found them rather dull.
Anyway, I’m feeling rather dull in the head so I think it’s time for bed. Anyone have any ideas for my parenting column this week?
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Hooray! Glad to hear Houdini is home and on the mend. And did I spot someone playing Edgy Chaperone for a gaggle of kids downtown yesterday? Mama, Nurse, Chaperone…the many hats you wear!
Parenting column idea (maybe):
Dealing with unexpected emergencies (like your cat getting hit by a car), and juggling/re-prioritizing all the every day tasks you usually have to do with the new event that popped up.
Hey, I tried.
-Frank
Yes, Jer! I was on the third grade field trip to see Jungal Book at the Diana Wortham. Where were you? Other than at Green Life getting coffee this morning around 8:30?
Thanks, Frank. I had thought about that for a column. Curve balls. But then I started writing about applying a kid to overnight camp. Which has been quite the adventure. Plus I’m throwing in an extended Bill Buckner metaphor. Tell me that people other than sports fans are going to get it, please?
My office is in Montford, and I saw you all heading across the bridge as I was coming into work.
Thursdays are chocolate banana spelt muffin day at Greenlife, so that’s a weekly ritual. And the chocolate pumpkin spelt muffins they have on Sundays this time of year are super-yum!
I’m happy to hear there is progress. Keep it up big fella’. I wish I was there to offer a little nip and some tuna or something.
Oh yeah, I’d bring something for Houdini too.
I’m glad Houdini is home-he’ll mend faster there. We had an orange tabby named Cute Skywalker (hey! I didn’t name him) and Walker had very similar same car hit injury. Internal bruising and,in his case, a fracture on the ball joint of his hip. We were told he would need to be crated for quite a spell but actually he started doing well after about a week-10 days. At that point we gave him the run of a small bedroom with no high furniture- just a low trundle bed- and his litter box and food. Within 2 weeks he was up and about and although he always walked with a little hitch in his getalong after that, he lived a long and happy life. So- I hope things go that smoothly for Houdini. Which life is this? I suspect he still has a few.