i hope freddy forgives me.
i like the cats to be in by dark (or when i get home, whichever comes last). last night, angelina was on hand to greet me, but i didn't see fred. unusual, but not unprecedented. putzed around a bit, still no sign of fred. angelina was in by then, and i had closed the cat door. went out and called a couple of times, but when there was no sign of him after 30 min or so, i took the flashlight and walked around calling him. when i came back to the house, there was fred....in the middle of the living room. one shoulder and half his face were totally black - apparently, he had been hanging out in the chimney. brushed him out last night, but it didn't seem to shift the soot.
so this evening, i did that which i have never done before. i bathed fred.
he was actually very good...unless he was just in shock. the way he just sort of lay motionless in my arms as i dried him makes me think that was it. he stood pretty quietly while i was washing and shampooing him (hope baby shampoo is ok for cats, that's the best i had). he seems to have the kind of fur that just gets sodden. i tried to dry him off, but he was still pretty wet. angelina came over to express concern, even licked his head while i was drying him, and tried to help with his tail...not sure he was in a mood to appreciate it. neither one of them will let me get close to them now. hopefully, once fred dries out and has the night to recover, he will be ok with me. i hope. and the worst thing is, i couldn't do much to get the soot shifted. all that, and he's still pretty grubby.
i didn't take pictures, it just seemed too cruel.
so this evening, i did that which i have never done before. i bathed fred.
he was actually very good...unless he was just in shock. the way he just sort of lay motionless in my arms as i dried him makes me think that was it. he stood pretty quietly while i was washing and shampooing him (hope baby shampoo is ok for cats, that's the best i had). he seems to have the kind of fur that just gets sodden. i tried to dry him off, but he was still pretty wet. angelina came over to express concern, even licked his head while i was drying him, and tried to help with his tail...not sure he was in a mood to appreciate it. neither one of them will let me get close to them now. hopefully, once fred dries out and has the night to recover, he will be ok with me. i hope. and the worst thing is, i couldn't do much to get the soot shifted. all that, and he's still pretty grubby.
i didn't take pictures, it just seemed too cruel.