The Fancypants, as you may have noticed is a long-haired kitty, and not only is he a long-haired kitty, but he also spends a lot of time outside. He’s always had several matted places on his side and back, but after he recently got wet, it got worse and the mats were impossible to brush out. We thought about it for a while, Fred called around to different places, and finally we decided to go for it and have him shaved.
He’s his usual Fancy self. He’s always been pretty laid-back, so this didn’t bother him too much. The other cats, though, have been pretty freaked out. Miz Poo and Spanky, in particular, have been sniffing at him and then hissing. It’s as if they’re thinking “He SMELLS like the Fancy one, but he just doesn’t LOOK right!”
We’re going to get into a regular grooming schedule with him, so hopefully this won’t have to happen again. He’s awfully funny to look at, though. He moves like he always did, and it’s funny as hell to see a big, fluffy tail swishing back and forth, and a big fluffy head, with a skinny little body in between. Poor Fancypants!
So, as I mentioned in the little blurb I put up yesterday, I didn’t update yesterday because I was in a great amount of pain. After taking six months off from lifting weights (dumbass!), I lifted upper body weights again on Saturday, and woke up with every muscle screaming on Sunday. I tried Tylenol, aspirin, and ibuprofen, and nothing took away the pain. Sunday night I said to Fred, “At least this is the worst of it!”
Wrong-o.
I woke up yesterday morning wishing someone would put me out of my misery, and I ended up spending most of the day on the couch, moving my arms and shoulders (and chest) as little as possible.
Last night, I took a narcotic pain-reliever left over from Fred’s surgery about a year ago (and yes, I know you’re not supposed to do that, but I already did it, so don’t give me shit about it. Y’all would have done it too, trust me.) both to get rid of the pain and to help me sleep. I slept like a rock, but even after sleeping until 10 (with some time spent awake in front of the TV once the tornado sirens woke me up) I’m kind of groggy today.
But the pain is much, MUCH less than it was yesterday, thankyajesus. I was even able to haul my ass out to the garage and ride the bike for 20 minutes, so all is good.
From the most recent Entertainment Weekly:
Madonna: The new kabbalah-inspired kids’ author told VH1, “Now I’m starting to read to my son, but I couldn’t believe how vapid and vacant and empty all the stories were. There were like no lessons… There’s like no books about anything.”
If that ain’t the pot, like, calling the kettle black, I don’t know what is.
On Sunday we went to a huge cemetery in Huntsville – Maple Hill Cemetery, if you’re local – and spent about an hour walking around taking pictures. Fred’s going to put the bulk of the pictures up in an entry today or tomorrow, but I called dibs on a couple of them.
We’re waiting for you, Nance!
Obviously, as I told Fred, a sign that I should be buried at Maple Hill!
I’ve always said that when I die, I want to be cremated and have my ashes scattered over the ocean off the coast of Maine. I didn’t want to think about my body moldering in a casket six feet under the ground for eternity once my soul was gone. But after walking through the cemetery and seeing graves for people who died over 100 years ago, I’ve come to think that there’s really something awe-inspiring about the fact that years and years after these people have died, when everyone whose lives they touched are gone as well, there’s a small plot of land dedicated solely to them, a plot of land that will be there for years and years to come.]]>
never really thought about the graveplots like that. Good point. =)
That gravestone gave me the freaking willies!
Robyn, I used to feel the same way you did about cremation. I changed my mind when I realized the comfort I received by going to my mother’s grave. I know she’s not there, but there’s this little plot of land that’s hers. It comforting. I wouldn’t want to take that away from my kids.
Nance, that is freaky!
Athena – That’s sort of what I came to realize as we walked around the cemetery.
Nance – I didn’t mean to freak you out! Of course, Nance was the last name, not the first, does that help? 🙂
Poor Fancypants! When we shave our dog we get the same nudity effect.
I LOVE headstones, and I agree with you about buying the farm, when we were in NYC we found a little bitty ancient graveyard on a city block, in between 2 buildings.. no matter how much the land was worth they were there to stay.
Poor Fancypants. I wonder if he realizes what the other cats are in an uproar over or if he’s like, “what the hell is your deal?!” About the graves…my maternal grandmother died before I was born. When I got to see her grave it was as though I was finally able to connect with her on some small level. There was actual physical proof that she had once been here. Same with my great grandmother when I visited her grave while doing geneology research. Their graves are all I will ever know of them so I am glad I was able to see them.
I had to shave my cat for similar reasons last year, and got a lot of flak for it when I posted a picture on my website. It is somehow validating to see a “famous” cat lover like you resort to the same grooming tactic. What’s good enough for Robyn’s Fancypants is good enough for my Jake! Take that, eveybody who got on my case! Nyah, nyah!
Yep. I would of taken the pain killer. I save all my perscribed pain medication if there is any left over and save it for such occasions that I really would need it again. It doesn’t happen often but sometimes you just need to.
I hope she Madonna)hides her old videos well…
‘Mama, what’s f’laysho, and what are you doing to that bottle?’
As someone who grew up in Huntsville, attended Huntsville High in the mid 70s, and knew a few of the people buried at Maple Hill………it’s somehow comforting to know they are being visited.
Comforting and also saddening, of course.
Glad you’re feeling better today! I would have taken the painkiller too, in a heartbeat.
Heh! My cats were similarly freaked out a couple of weeks ago when we got Crash-the-Amazing-Dustmop-Dog shaved down. (Pic at http://daisywreath.net/crashhaircut1.jpg – much more respectable looking than in the pic I sent when you were posting pet pics a while back.) The cats were livid – I’m pretty sure they thought we got another dog. (And without consulting them first!) They spent about two days stalking him, sniffing at him, hissing, smacking him around, etc. when all they usually do is ignore him 😀
BTW, I started a journal (like I’ve been meaning to for oh, a year or so, but was too lazy to figure out how to install a cgi script) – I plugged the link into the URL field here. Not very much there yet, though.
You could still be cremated and have your ashes placed in a grave site at the cemetary. That’s what we did with my Mom, who was adament about being cremated, but it also gives me a place to visit and “talk” to her.
Fancypants looks weird. I hope we never have to do that to RC, who is, if you remember, Fancypants’ evil twin.
Vioxx is my painkilling friend. When I get a lot of muscle pain and trust me, moving and painting the crap out of everything will hurt you, vioxx has saved my sorry butt from agony.
Ask your doctor for a couple weeks’ worth for those unfortunate exercise choices that occur from time to time. I usually have one or two around horded away for my occasional agonies. It was really awesome after skiing (after not doing so for oh…a decade). My husband was crawling on the floor moaning to get upstairs, while I sprinted past him upstairs and slept soundly.
It’s called a *lion cut*–I get my long-haired Persian mix groomed like that every year or so. Takes about 9 months to grow out and then I can’t keep up w/ the matts. They shave his tail and leave a little tuft at the end and w/ a mane he looks just like a miniature lion! Also no shedding and no poop stuck on his rear end!
I’m not sure if he *minds*–cats are so dignified, you know…
Get all the cats done Robyn! Then they could all have a hissy fit. You’d get some great pictures! 😛
Stephanie – I can’t believe people would give you hell for that! We haven’t had anyone yelling abuse at us, but it’s probably only a matter of time.
Stacey – too damn cute, your Crash. It’s surprising to me that the cats are so freaked out, because you always hear that they depend on their sense of smell more than anything, and surely Fancypants smells the same still? You’d think so, anyway.
Marney – Fred desperately wanted to have Fancypants shaved with the tuft at the end of his tail, but I wouldn’t let him, and I’m almost regretting that.
Jan – Heh. Don’t tempt me! 🙂
Poor Fancypants! But I understand about the hair mats. I have a norweigan forest cat (long hair and lots of it) and he gets those too. Sometimes I get so fed up that I just cut them off in sections, but then he looks silly with a short haired spot in one area. Luckily, if you ruffle his fur. you can’t tell so much. Now it’s spring and he’s shedding everywhere, but it’s helping to keep the knots tame, so I will gladly vaccuum.
Just thought! It’s a guy thing! I owned a long-hair female and she never had a fur-matt in her whole 13 years. But the GUY I have now should be re-named pigpen. He fights me like crazy if I brush him. In fact it’s a two-person job. I still cannot believe the strength and determination of this little guy, trying to get away from a brush or a comb. He’s still got a few ‘clingers’, but they’re small. I keep grooming or pulling them out of him and like Simple Lady’s cat, he has short spots on his sides and hind end. He looks a real scruff!