Femme Friday

It's me, Emma, and this is my very first post all by myself.  Here I am eating.  Mom laughs and says she took this picture because it is one of the few times I stay still long enough for her to get a photo.  Mom was mean to me last night.

Karen Jo:  I had to get a stool sample and the only way to make sure it was yours and not Herman's was to shut you up in your room with a clean litter box until you pooped.  Since you  tend to poop very late at night, you were shut up in there all night.  I let you out again as soon as I got up and made sure that you had pooped.

Boy, was I hungry when I got out!  I ate up Herman's Medley and Stinky Goodness, then headed back to my room and ate up my own Stinky Goodness.  Then Herman and I relaxed a bit in the living room together while Mom did all the boring stuff she does after she gets up.  Then Mom got her lunch ready and something smelled sort of good.  Mom offered some to Herman first, but he decided that he didn't want it after all, so she put it in the Stinky Goodness dish.  I sniffed it over really well and decided I didn't want it, either.

Karen Jo:  I was having chef salad with chicken and I offered you some chicken.  It had been cooked with herbs, so maybe that's what put you off.

After lunch, we had a little catnip party.  Mom got out a bag of catnip and started throwing these little balls with catnip on them around the living room.  That was really cool.  After Herman and I had enough fun playing with the catnip balls, Mom got out the wand toys and we played.  I really like Da Bird.  Herman didn't play much at all, but I did.  He only likes the little mousie that Mom pulls around the floor.  After that Mom did some more boring stuff, thinking that I was still in the living room relaxing with Herman.  Then she started looking for me and couldn't find me.  I was hiding under the couch.

Karen Jo:  I don't know how you knew, or maybe you were hiding from Herman, but when it came time for me to get you ready to go to the vet, I couldn't find you anywhere.  I finally found you and had to drag you out from under the couch.

Mom put me in a big blue thing on wheels and we went outside.  It was great.  There was fresh air and lots of neat smells and things to look at.  We went along and the only time I didn't really like it was when we walked by some noisy woofies.  I looked up through the window in the roof to make sure that Mom was still there to protect me.  Then a horrible thing happened.  We ended up at the vet place.

Karen Jo:  You had an appointment to check your ears.  There was only good news.  Your ears are fine and that bad tooth that your vet thought would have to be pulled isn't so bad.  You saw Herman's vet today.

I didn't think it was so great.  I got prodded and felt all over and had something stuck up where it didn't belong.  I am glad you were there.  I stuck my head in your stomach and you petted me until it was over.  Then she took me in another room and poked around in my ears.  I was glad to get out of there.  We walked home and Mom went on the other side of the road past the noisy woofies, so they wouldn't bother me.  I started meowing when we got home because I was so glad to be back.

Karen Jo:  You sure seemed to recognize the house as soon as we turned into the driveway.  I wonder if you recognized it by sight, or by the smell of Herman's fur in the yard.  I throw Herman's fur from his brushing sessions out the back door for the birds to use in their nests, if they like.

I was ready for lunch when we got back.  I ate most of the food again.  Herman doesn't seem to mind.

Karen Jo:  Herman will let you know when he minds.  Like when you tried to nose in on his treat.

He threatened to smack me with his paw.  Why does he get treats and I don't?

Karen Jo:  Herman gets treats for scratching on his platform or on his scratcher.  You always scratch on the furniture, so you don't get treats.  I have tried to show you where to scratch, but you don't pay attention to me.

You gave me one treat.

Karen Jo:  I had just put your paws on the platform to show you where to scratch and gave you a treat to try to give you the idea.  It didn't work.

I like scratching on the furniture.

Karen Jo:  All the furniture is so old and faded that I really don't mind, but you won't get any treats until you learn where you are supposed to scratch.  Maybe I should get you a different kind of scratcher.  I think the pet store has one of those cool-looking curvy ones.

You won't lock me up again tonight, will you?

Karen Jo:  No, I won't.  That was just because of the stool sample.  You may sleep with me on the bed tonight.  I am going to have to figure out a way to pet you and Herman at the same time, so there aren't any more attacks.

At least you know that I am not afraid of Herman any more.  Maybe he is a bit afraid of me now.

Karen Jo:  I wouldn't count on it.  Remember how he stared you down and made you leave his Medley alone at dinner tonight?

Yes, but he still left me some.  I think he's a big softie.

Karen Jo:  He is, but he was an outside cat that got picked on for a while, just like you were.  If you push him too far, he might fight back.