My son, a fine writer who usually writes about sports or business matters, wrote a brief essay to entertain me about our cat Sheba. With a bit of editing, I will share some of what he wrote:
“About a year ago, a well filled-out black cat started showing up on my parents back deck. Initially it was believed this feline was just another one of the neighboring cats making its rounds throughout the floodplain over which our deck overlooks. Given that this part of the woods represents a universal passageway / proven hunting grounds for a variety of critters, it was no surprise to see a new cat. There has been harmony amongst the cats in the neighborhood. Most go out of their way to maintain an air of independence by proactively staying out of each other's way, but every now & then, a border dispute breaks out -usually around the break of dawn! That is when we hear a cacophony of sounds never intended to be heard by man!
“Over the years, a select few cats have made their way out of the woods and into our lives. To these ambitious & ubiquitous types, my parents would assign names like 'Gratz' (inspired by a local body shop), 'Tux', 'Shades', and 'Pierre'. I even recall my father naming one after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The poor feline had to live up to the modified 'cat friendly' moniker: 'Benjamin Netan"Meow" Hu'. (I'll admit, tt rolls off the tongue.)
"My parents recently warmed up to a black cat visitor & call her 'Sheba'. By all accounts, Sheba is now officially part of the family. This new union was fostered, however, under false pretenses.
"As winter fell last year, Sheba appeared rounder and rounder with each passing day. It was soon believed that Sheba was expecting. So sure of this inevitability, my mother started making arrangements for Sheba's big day. Interested parties were offered first dibs on the yet-to-be-delivered kittens - temporarily named: 'A', 'B','C', & 'D'. We even guessed the number of mews that would eventually emerge from Sheba's ever-widening belly. As this process developed, my mother accepted responsibility, & a bond between them developed.
“The announcement of Sheba's likely pregnancy was met with increasing skepticism when after multiple months of increasing roundness, there were still no signs of 'A', 'B', 'C', or 'D'. My sisters and I did the math and quickly debunked Sheba's state of being. We compared & ultimately disavowed my mother's belief. Tthe average pregnancy of a cat is around 65 days (per Google).
“We finally accepted that Sheba was just a little plump. Even so, my mother wanted to get that crafty cat to the nimal Care Clinic not only for initial shots and to be spayed, but for a final ruling. After all if Sheba weren't pregnant, then why did she look like she had 'swallowed a soccer ball? Sheba did not want any part of this. Despite standing on four short legs, Sheba proved that she could outwit, out-squirm, & outthwart all attempts to get her into a carrier.. After 2 broken appointments, my mother called the Clinic for advice. They reassuringly said, 'If & when you can get her here, we'll fit her in.'
“After my last visit home, my task was to help find a way of getting Sheba in the carrier and to the vets.”
My Update:
Before he left, my son decided to pick up Sheba and “talk with her.” She cuddled up in his arms, and before we knew it, he was in the car holding the cat. No carrier whatsoever!
With the aid of a friendly assistant who came out to the car to help transport Sheba through the Clinic's front door -(It took all hands on deck), we finally realized success! Sheba was now in good hands! No trouble. She would be spayed the next morning.
The next day, the vets called. They said they shaved her abdomen to prepare her to be spayed and “found a tattoo there.... the 'universal symbol' of having been spayed. We could take Sheba home!” They also mentioned "she could stand to lose a little weight." As an indoor/outdoor cat, perhaps she's eating somewhere and/or perhaps she is just on the fat side-- as some cats are. After all our anxiety and work preparing for kittens, Sheba snookered us!
“About a year ago, a well filled-out black cat started showing up on my parents back deck. Initially it was believed this feline was just another one of the neighboring cats making its rounds throughout the floodplain over which our deck overlooks. Given that this part of the woods represents a universal passageway / proven hunting grounds for a variety of critters, it was no surprise to see a new cat. There has been harmony amongst the cats in the neighborhood. Most go out of their way to maintain an air of independence by proactively staying out of each other's way, but every now & then, a border dispute breaks out -usually around the break of dawn! That is when we hear a cacophony of sounds never intended to be heard by man!
“Over the years, a select few cats have made their way out of the woods and into our lives. To these ambitious & ubiquitous types, my parents would assign names like 'Gratz' (inspired by a local body shop), 'Tux', 'Shades', and 'Pierre'. I even recall my father naming one after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The poor feline had to live up to the modified 'cat friendly' moniker: 'Benjamin Netan"Meow" Hu'. (I'll admit, tt rolls off the tongue.)
"My parents recently warmed up to a black cat visitor & call her 'Sheba'. By all accounts, Sheba is now officially part of the family. This new union was fostered, however, under false pretenses.
"As winter fell last year, Sheba appeared rounder and rounder with each passing day. It was soon believed that Sheba was expecting. So sure of this inevitability, my mother started making arrangements for Sheba's big day. Interested parties were offered first dibs on the yet-to-be-delivered kittens - temporarily named: 'A', 'B','C', & 'D'. We even guessed the number of mews that would eventually emerge from Sheba's ever-widening belly. As this process developed, my mother accepted responsibility, & a bond between them developed.
“The announcement of Sheba's likely pregnancy was met with increasing skepticism when after multiple months of increasing roundness, there were still no signs of 'A', 'B', 'C', or 'D'. My sisters and I did the math and quickly debunked Sheba's state of being. We compared & ultimately disavowed my mother's belief. Tthe average pregnancy of a cat is around 65 days (per Google).
“We finally accepted that Sheba was just a little plump. Even so, my mother wanted to get that crafty cat to the nimal Care Clinic not only for initial shots and to be spayed, but for a final ruling. After all if Sheba weren't pregnant, then why did she look like she had 'swallowed a soccer ball? Sheba did not want any part of this. Despite standing on four short legs, Sheba proved that she could outwit, out-squirm, & outthwart all attempts to get her into a carrier.. After 2 broken appointments, my mother called the Clinic for advice. They reassuringly said, 'If & when you can get her here, we'll fit her in.'
“After my last visit home, my task was to help find a way of getting Sheba in the carrier and to the vets.”
My Update:
Before he left, my son decided to pick up Sheba and “talk with her.” She cuddled up in his arms, and before we knew it, he was in the car holding the cat. No carrier whatsoever!
With the aid of a friendly assistant who came out to the car to help transport Sheba through the Clinic's front door -(It took all hands on deck), we finally realized success! Sheba was now in good hands! No trouble. She would be spayed the next morning.
The next day, the vets called. They said they shaved her abdomen to prepare her to be spayed and “found a tattoo there.... the 'universal symbol' of having been spayed. We could take Sheba home!” They also mentioned "she could stand to lose a little weight." As an indoor/outdoor cat, perhaps she's eating somewhere and/or perhaps she is just on the fat side-- as some cats are. After all our anxiety and work preparing for kittens, Sheba snookered us!
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