... when you had me wrapped up in a towel, like a burrito.
No, Joan did not have me wrapped up in a towel, like a burrito. Rufus needed to have his nails clipped this morning. None of our cats have been particularly happy about getting nails clipped, but Rufus is stronger... like a cat version of the Hulk. Except he doesn't turn green. But he can belt out a growl and flex like the Hulk, and it gives you second thoughts about holding him.
We have a process with this: I do the holding, Joan does the clipping. Often, she plies him with food and will clip his back nails while he's eating. But, today, Joan decided we'd do the "cat burrito" technique again. You (well, I) can feel the power in this boy when he's all wrapped up. I did my best to hold him and keep him from scratching either of us. There was some howling and hissing... and Rufus wasn't happy, either.
Pretty sure he was "cat swearing" at us.
I don't know what the fuss is all about. Trimming his nails is not hurting him in any way... but if you give him the opportunity, he will "take a swipe at you" when he feels he's had enough. Pretty sure it is a situational thing, because when Dr Julie (his vet) still lived here, she would routinely clip his nails while giving him an exam... and he never made a fuss.
But, we made it through it relatively unscathed. Well, Joan was minorly scathed; one small scratch. If you were outside listening, you'd think Rufus was majorly impacted by this procedure. The boy wears a pleasant expression on that handsome face most of the time, but he can get a bit of a scowl that can be intimidating.
But, he's a good boy...
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Before the nail session, there was music...
He likes the music.
4 comments:
We take Duke to the vet for a technician appointment every couple of months to get his nails trimmed. He does not like the car ride either to or from. That $24 charge is cheaper than me going to the ER. At 18 pounds and *strongly* opinionated, Duke does NOT like having his nails trimmed. (Maybe he's had a few bad experiences before coming to live with us). I'm pretty strong and determined but he is still hard to hold safely when in "Hulk" mode.
I can trim Lucy's nails. She does not like it and squirms a bit, but it is doable.
Surprising how much strength in these feline bodies! Duke is a big boy. Do you watch how the vet does the trimming? Is Duke more "subdued" with the vet?
Duke is more like a lynx than a house cat, and even a bit bigger than Rufus. He is more subdued there at the vet office. They also send in two techs to double-team him, while one of us tries to distract him with scruff of the neck rubs. I’ve watched their technique carefully but it is still better left to the pro’s. He fights them less. He does NOT care for the 10-12 minute car ride each way (we use a cats-only vet) but that tires him out a bit.
I gave our 12 pound Siamese a flea bath exactly once in California. She shredded the t-shirt that I was wearing and some skin underneath. After that she went to the groomers for flea baths. It was nice once we moved to Alaska - no more fleas. And we don’t have a problem here in Boise either.
Hi Earl. At 18 pounds, Duke has Rufus by 3 pounds. I don't think of Rufus as that big, but the boy is solid. On the rare occasion we bathe him, it is a no-fuss event; he doesn't mind the water. It is just that nail trimming that takes the two of us.
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