Isabelle's Diliema

Isabelle aka Izzy

Remember Izzy?  My daughter Emily's cat?  The one that doesn't like me even though I took her in when Emily moved into an apartment that wouldn't let her bring her cat(she will take her back in August)? The one that after I feed her, clean her litter box, "try" to be lovey to her, she hisses and swats at me? But will purr and love on my Hubby?  Also will be sweet to my younger daughter.  The only cat I have ever met that didn't love me back... That Izzy.

She has a dilema.

She had a little mat in her fur on her hip.  She doesn't let me brush her. Although I tried. Emily and I even tried to cut it out. Also Hubby tried.  The mat, instead of shrinking or getting brushed out... it grew. Make that multiplied.  Over the past week or so, it is migrated across both hips and spread wider. AND now it is to the skin.. I can't get a comb between the hair and her skin. It also seems to be uncomfortable (she is sleeping flat on her tummy now instead of the kitty curl).

We decided she needs help. Professional help.
It's a Cat Grooming Emergency.

So...we franticly searched for someone that will see her ASAP.
Do you know how hard that is?  Groomers want you to make appointments 2 weeks in advance.  Some don't even want to touch cats (hmmm, I can imagine why). I finally found a Vet clinic that will take her Wednesday, but they didn't even ask her name, and wouldnt give me prices. They want me to drop her off at 7am, and they will call me when they look at her to give me an idea what it will cost... Not feeling good about this...  I also found, through the magic of Facebook and networking through a friend of a friend...found a Groomer, that not only took the time to call me back (and on her birthday!) she was honest and upfront about her thoughts about the situation.  We scheduled for Tuesday morning. If she doesn't think she can handle her (let's face it Izzy is a bit of a mean cat), then she will send me along. Then I will have to make the scary appointment.

We are thinking since she must be shaved...
might as well make her somewhat cute with a lion cut.

Have you seen them?
Let me show you what I am talking about...

Now, even though I think these are hilarious... I would not have this done to one of our cats, unless they HAD to get shaved. I think the natural hair, long or short looks best.  We had an elderly cat that got mats and I tried shaving with a razored letter opener. I thought I was so smart, zipping this through his mats and doing it myself.  He was a sweet old cat and flinched only once....
WHEN I ACCIDENTALLY SLICED HIM OPEN WITH THE RAZOR AND HAD TO TAKE HIM TO THE VET TO BE "GLUED" BACK TOGETHER.

Bad memory. Bad, bad.. Also why I refuse to try that again...

So, you see our diliema.
We have no choice.
She has to be shaved... might as well try to make her somewhat cute instead of having her hips alone shaved as if she had surgery.
Right?

The Great Escape

They made their plan.
Found the opportunity.
And off they went!
HOWEVER~
Things don't always go the way you plan.

I can't get a picture of them together... They pretend they don't like each other.

Here is the "Ring Leader".
MISCHA "PRETTY KITTY" GONZALEZ, age 6. She is a pretty, but, BAD Kitty. Very sweet and lovie, but very destructive, especially to wood door frames.





Her accomplice, the "Partner in Crime".
ISABELLE "IZZY" GONZALEZ, age (almost) 2. Don't let that gorgeous fur and sweet face fool you. She is one mean little Stinker. This is the only cat I haven't won over. (Feral cats even like me). She has quite an attitude and enjoys the pampered life.




These little kitties are indoor cats. Both were rescued and have lived luxurious lives for cats. Very spoiled indeed! We live in a neighborhood that borders fields and small wooded areas. We have had deer, foxes, coyotes and such roam the area. We also have a few feral cats that live in the area. Remember a while back I wrote about one which resided in our crawl space (I think he moved to the neighboring house's crawl.) Anyway, I do not feel safe having my pets roam the neighborhood. Let alone feel it is irresponsible.

Nevertheless~

I occasionally let the cats out supervised. I can't let them eat grass as they will throw it back up within the hour on carpet. Izzy gets spooked as she lived in an apartment most her life with Emily. The house is huge to her. The dogs and Mischa & Rocky have been an adjustment. That and Emily having to return to school without her this time. She tolerates me, likes me when I feed her. But mostly hisses and strikes out at me when I walk by. {bitch}. Mischa also seems to have an attitude since Izzy moved in. Even before. I have never had a problem with her and her crawls, but she has ruined our slider into the screened in porch, as well as the runners of my antique rocker.

This morning, Sergio got up first, and I slept in for an hour. I woke to see Mescha out on the back patio. I let her in, and asked Sergio about her being out. He was surprised, but we figured she slipped out when he went out to his Tahoe. I went about the morning business, coffee and such. I noticed Izzy wasn't begging to be feed so I went to get their food. This general brings meows and cats under foot as well as the dogs whining about not being first. No Izzy. I searched, thinking maybe she got in a closet or something. No Izzy. Finally, I checked the windows, as a couple were open letting a nice morning breeze in. That's when I spotted the cat hair in the corner of one of the screens. Sure enough... below the window, sat Izzy, not sure what to do. I ran out to her, trying to chase her back into the house at the door. She tried to go back through the window, and I ended up carrying her fat little ass, hissing and all, back in. She was thrilled to be back in.

She must have got ditched once Mischa & her got out. And was too scared to venture away from the window. Mischa on the other hand, had escaped a second time before I even discovered the window exit. While bringing in Izzy, I caught Mischa around the corner. She of course ran as it is the fun thing to do. "Watch Fatty Mom chase me around the yard!" Here she is, coming back to me from the neighbors house.
Both little Kitties are grounded.