Musings on a Small Life

Derry's new cone, as of July 30. Don't tell him it's pink and "girl kitty" looking. The paper cone from the vet, while flexible, had issues. It drove poor Derry mad, so much so that he was constantly and obsessively picking at it, as well as licking and biting the fur he could reach on his flank. Every time he would twist around, which was all the time, the edge of the old cone would scrape across his incision, making it feel even worse. Added to that, the sound of a raspy cat tongue against a paper tarpaulin all day and all night drove ME mad. We both were barely sleeping, even though I escaped to the guest bedroom for a few nights. So I found this one on Amazon.ca, paid for shipping, and it arrived yesterday morning. It's thick and obviously heavier, but it's blessedly soft and oh, so quiet, and I think it must feel so much better to him. He spent yesterday afternoon curled up in the living room and was sleeping so deeply that he didn't even hear m...

In the pet blogging world, the post-surgical cone that dogs and cats often have to wear is referred to the as the "cone of shame." Derry is the first cat I've had that has had to wear one and I think it's the cone of bravery, not of shame. It's a badge of honour for having survived an ordeal. He had a dental on Thursday, and the vet thought it worthwhile to remove the egg-sized fatty lump on his right side at the same time. (We had discussed this at length two weeks' prior, when I took Derry in for a check-up and blood work, urine analysis, etc.) This was Derry's fourth dental since he was three years old (he's 13 now) and the first one at which he's not had any extractions. (He lost nine teeth during the first dental, three at the second and two at the third.) I assumed, based on previous experience, that he would have needed at least another couple of teeth removed this time, and had I known he would not, I certainly would not have put him throug...