"Pet Tails": Whiskers' attempt to prolong the vet

Several weeks ago with my cats' last vet visits for Porkey and Athena, I thought that all the cats were going to be settled for their vet appointments on the year until next. Little to my surprise when I received a reminder card in the mail informing me that Whiskers is due for his routine exam and necessary shots. Making an appointment the date that was going to work out the best was day - the day after Thanksgiving at 2:30 in the afternoon.

So it was. Approaching the appointment during the preceding week I reminded Whiskers from time to time that his vet visit was coming up today. I was always met with the same reaction that I usually get from my cats: non chalantly showing no concern for this "vet" place. (Do they not remember what happens when they go there?)

The day came today and just before we were about to leave, I felt the need to then look for his cat carrier. With having five cats, and at any time needing a use of transporting all five cats simulataneously, I had purchased five cat carriers over a year or so ago. Therefore, each cat had his/her own carrier, and I even used a black permanent marker to inscribe their name on the front door opening on the top of the carrier. So five carriers reading Whiskers, Tabby, Porkey, Athena and Sylvester.

I knew the carrier underturned beneath the gerbil's cage was not his as I cleaned Mr. G's cage earlier in the day. Perhaps it was the carrier that sits overturned and inside out in the bathroom on the floor that I keep a blanket in for Sylvester who's in there 90% of the time. Maybe it was one of the two cat carriers that I brought in from the car earlier when I cleaned it out so I could fit one of my old rabbit's cages into the car to get it out of the way from in here. Where could it be? I began walking all around the apartment and looking everywhere that I could think of. Where is his carrier? Where is Whiskers' pet carrier?? Eventually not finding it but needing to head out, I just took the nearest one I found and put a blanket towel in there and loaded up Whiskers. As I stood there trying to figure out what to do, Whiskers sat on the other side of the couch in the living room just watching me. Watching me... staring at me.... and I am sure laughing at me.

I tried to tell him that it wasn't going to matter. His carrier or one of the others', we were still going to go into the vet. It was actually a very humorous moment! Of all the cat carriers that I have, the one that I can not find is.... his! On the day he goes to the vet!

So I load him up and take him out to the car and we drive in. During the ride in of course he did the cries of help. Like anyone's going to hear him in the car where it's just us!

Arriving at the vet clinic I wasn't surprised to see a few other cars there, as with the time in the mid-afternoon it was sure to be a busy moment in the day. It's less busy earlier in the day in the early morning than it is later in the day. Obviously. A few people in the waiting area, so I sign in with the receptionist lady and take a seat.

Over the next hour that I waited - yes, that's right, after getting there it was almost an hour before our appointment came up - we watched a variety of pets and other owners. One or two people were in with their dogs. But the rest were cat owners, like us. One lady and man were daring enough to bring in their orange kitty without a carrier or anything and he didn't run away. Another lady and man came in with their two cats, one with each. The man carried that cat in a carrier, but the lady brought the car in....what appeared to be a pillow case. :) She had set him down in there and then kinda held it up close to her with the top secured around his head so that he couldn't climb or run out. It was both silly and a bit.....odd. I didn't even realize it but apparently I sat down initially next to a guy who was in with his cat and....he's someone I work with. Shows you how much I look around and notice those around me.

So after about 50 minutes of waiting we finally got in. Almost immediately after going into the only exam room they have operating (!!!) the technician right there just took him in his carrier out back to get weighed. So I ended up waiting about 5 more minutes or so before he came back with the technician and the actual vet-lady. So he gets checked out and gets the clean bill of health. Vet did point out how he has a bit of redness in his gums in his teeth. Something all my cats seem to have, but yet they eat dry food and get some crunchy cat treats from time to time.

Anyway, the most interesting point of the visit? The most important aspect of probably any vet visit of any of my five cats during the entire year?

Whiskers is now the officially heaviest of my five cats. Ever since I got the first two cats, Porkey and Tabby, back in 2001, Porkey has been the heaviest. Even after adding the other three to the family in the next few years he was still the heaviest.

No longer. Porkey at his visit a few months back was just above 15 pounds - maybe 15.0-15.5 pound range. Whiskers at his visit today? 16.4 pounds. I would have to go back and check, but there's a possibility that Whiskers is now a full pound heavier than his "little" brother. Maybe not a full pound, but it could be even about .... well, the difference between them could be anywhere between 0.3-1.3 pounds. Depends on what Porkey's record says, and I don't have the paper in front of me.

Whiskers the heaviest cat? It doesn't really surprise me. I just didn't expect that it would ever be confirmed.