Happily Ever After

Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running

Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.

Oil And A Troubled Moggy

by admin - 22:14 on 30 March 2013

If asked to predict which of our felines would be the first to need a bath I'd have found it impossible to choose between reckless Pandora and witless Willow. As it turned out, the honour went to Maia who overnight acquired a mysterious covering of oil – perhaps she can use the cat-flap after all.

The offending substance was light but offered no clue to its origin; all we know is that it's not from inside The Rural Retreat.

So this evening we took a deep breath and whisked the mucky moggy into the bathroom along with a bucket of warm water, a bottle of Fairy Liquid and a plentiful supply of fluffy towels. Complaint was immediate, but quickly turned to contented purring as soap was rubbed into her coat – it seems that some cats enjoy a massage, even (or perhaps especially) when unexpected.

The pleasure lasted until the first rinse cycle. And decreased further when the shower head was brought into play. Much outraged yowling and scrabbling ensued until she was calmed by gentle towelling. A hairdryer was mooted but dismissed on the grounds that the poor puss had already suffered enough stress. She might have enjoyed it as much as the massage, but we'll never know.

After as much towelling as she could endure we were left with a cat who appeared half her usual size, her customary bouffant hairdo turned into punk spikes, particularly on her back legs and rear end. We emerged from the bathroom to be greeted by two anxious kittens who'd been attracted by the noise from within.

Maia spent much of the evening grooming herself and being combed by Matchgirl, who fears poisoning by residual oil or Fairy Liquid overload. By bedtime the only dampness remained around the back legs. Let's hope she's learned her lesson.

I could have taken snaps but it seemed unfair to take advantage of her misfortune. If there's a next time I won't be so kind.

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