A Plea From The Cat: Not The Carrier AGAIN!

Dear Tazi:

My name is Kitty-Cat and I am a seven-year-old tabby. I like to think that I am very healthy! I have a glossy coat and keep myself clean; I like to play and am very energetic; and I sleep about as much as any other cat. We kitties need our beauty sleep, right? I have a loving family, and am a very happy cat! So why am I writing to you?

My Mommy is what my Daddy calls a hypochondriac. That is a big long word that meaning she thinks that there is always some kind of illness that needs to be treated. Mommy is forever taking me to the vet because she thinks something is wrong with me. If I sneeze, I get shoved in the cat carrier and taken to the vet; if I spend too much time sleeping in the warm sun it’s into the cat carrier and off to the vet; if I throw up it’s into the cat carrier and off to the vet! Considering how much we cats love to barf, you can imagine how much time I spend at the vet! I want to plea, "Not the carrier AGAIN!" but Mommy does not understand my meows and hisses.

Daddy says that Mommy is overreacting, and I think she is, too. I know that she cares about me and that is why she is always taking me to the doctor, but Daddy is starting to complain about all of the bills. Mommy says that we can afford it – and we can, but that is not the point. Daddy says I should not have to go to the vet once a week and he is wondering why the vet keeps seeing me as a patient. He thinks the vet has found a “sucker” and is “milking it for all she’s worth”.

I do not like to think that my Mommy is being taken advantage of by my vet. Can you think of a way to let her know that I am a happy and healthy kitty without always having to go to the vet? I would much rather not have to get into that awful cat carrier, and I would prefer to take the money she spends and buy a new cat condominium for my play room!

Signed,

Kitty-Cat

Dear Kitty-Cat:

I always enjoy hearing from a fellow feline! I am so glad you wrote! Like you, I enjoy long naps in the warm sun, playtime, keeping my fur clean, and of course making large and glorious barfs in the middle of the living room floor!

I actually prefer the hardwoods. Makes for more slipperies.

I cannot imagine what it must be like to get stuffed into a cat carrier on a regular basis, or be taken to the vet every week! Twice a year is already too much for me! It is obvious that your Mommy is very scared that something bad is going to happen to you. Did something happen in her past to make her so overprotective? She may want to take the money she is spending on vet bills and use it to pay for some professional counseling for herself. Getting to the root of her fear will do you both wonders!

I also suggest that you ask your Mommy to try a different vet. If your vet is examining you – and charging her – every time you walk through the door and has not said anything about the excessive visits, it could be that this office is using your Mommy’s fears to line their own pockets. I know when I was making excessive barfs, my Mommy took me to the vet’s office and they did not even charge her! They gave her a free sample of some kind of kitty treat that was supposed to help with my hairballs and stop the frequency of my barfs; a good vet knows their patients, and will not look to take advantage of an overprotective parent. Try the ASPCA website for a referral near you.

Snuggles,

Tazi

Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.