My glorious set of sable stripes has certainly been shifted! If you don’t know my story, my name is Pippin and someone shot me. That caused the amputation of my right front leg. Hey, I get around great and the human I own, Mama Cat or MC for short, has done some really cool things for me so I don’t feel like I’m missing out. Toooo much. Still I wish ole Doc had been a little more cosmetically considerate. For pete’s sake, a boring tabby tan patch of fur has now taken the place of my beautiful black bands. Ok, ok so looks aren’t everything but seriously how hard could it have been when all the cutting and stitching was going on to leave some of the glossy layers in place? Having my armpit fur sticking out for everyone to see is tough to overcome even for a devilishly handsome fellow like myself. I’m ok with my underneath being exposed when I’m rolled over napping like this picture when I'm trying to help MC. See here I was rolling around helping MC sort her garden seeds something she didn’t seem to appreciate so much. I got bored with that and decided a nap was in order.
Anyway, I do have new adventures to share. I’ve broken them down to the good, the bad and the odd. First, we will get the bad out of the way. Although while I consider the “Great Escape” an excellent example of my extraordinary abilities some in this household do not. I did not almost burn down the house that is MC’s muttering take on events.
The “great escape” took some careful planning to pull off but I did it! Now, I wouldn’t have had to resort to such drastic measures if MC hadn’t sicced that purple-tongued pestilence on me. Can you believe she told that stupid dog to sit at the door knowing full well he’d stay there and I wouldn’t get near him?! Geez, you get anywhere near that drooling beast and you risk getting dog gakk on your fur. And no, I’m not the slightest bit sorry I got the old buzzard, MC’s DH, in trouble. His hearing is returning, not that he ever listened all that well to begin with so no harm done. I can’t help he can’t tell one cat from another and I used that to my advantage. There are three of us with similar stripes, granted the other 2 have all 4 appendages and are decidedly different sizes. When the old buzzard opened the door to the garage and thought he was letting out my buddy Gloves I seized the opportunity for an overnight romp in the woods. MC had been riding her horse and asked when she got back if I was downstairs. She received an affirmative so off to bed she went. It wasn’t until the next morning she realized I’d escaped. Now would someone explain this to me? How can a Mom go from all upset and teary to furious in a matter of seconds? You should have heard her calling me as soon as she figured out I was in the wind. She sounded so upset. I decided to saunter out of my hiding place before she really turned on the waterworks. Be my luck she would dry her eyes and blow her nose on my remaining stripes. Eeewww! You know it really is hard to muster a good swaggering step with only 3 legs but I thought I was pretty convincing. I thought my “eye of the tiger” attitude would calm MC’s fears about my midnight excursion. Nope. She had to have a hissy after she got over being thrilled to see my wonderful self coming down the driveway. Took just a matter of seconds too! The old battleaxe, I mean MC, is even more vigilant about me having unattended outside time.
Uh, about burning down the house. Well, I didn’t but this little incident bought me indoor cage or garage time at night. Everyone is so negative about this they are missing the bigger picture. I can count! And given some food I could have cooked. You see, MC’s cook top can be locked. You gotta hold down one button for 3 seconds to turn the whole thing either on or off. MC turns the cook top off every night cause she is a "just in case" kind of person. Well, MC got up one morning and one burner was blazing away. So I forgot to turn it off. The point is I held one button down for 3 seconds and unlocked the burners. Then I selected a burner. It beeped at me so I selected a temperature and away we went! Might as well go for the glory right? I turned her up on high. MC might not have been so mad if I’d keep it on ultra low or if I‘d turned the burner back off. I still think MC is choosing to look at this in a negative light. It is not like all the buttons were in one place and there was counting involved. I thought this spotlighted my obvious brilliance. I know I’m not supposed to be on the cook top or the counters but don‘t I deserve a little lenience since the accident? Locking me up at night so I can’t wander the house is a bit extreme don’t you think?
Ok, so everyone knows the amputation is the reason I’m blogging. I really am touched by the number of people and furred ones that have read my story and sent their best wishes but there are moments I wish I still had all 4 limbs. Now speaking of that, this is the "odd" part. Some days I’d swear my leg is still there. That fuzzed face idiot thinks it is still there too. The baying behemoth of MC's sticks his nose places it doesn’t belong and I swat at him every single time. Get this. I can use either leg, the one I can still see and use or the one that just feels like it is there and that stupid mutt will duck. I still do my yoga pose, Upward Cat, with both legs too. Odd isn’t it, that phantom limb?
Now for the really cool "good" stuff. MC made me an indoor tree. Granted I was prepared to resist using it cause I really want to climb a real one but MC knew what she was doing I’ll give her that.
I might still be protesting using the tree if it hadn’t been for that pea brained panting pooch. He had some nerve chasing me in the sunroom. MC doesn’t allow him to chase us cats but if her back is turned the pea brain thinks maybe just this once we’d like a game of chase. MC started to yell at the idiot but we’d just gotten near my tree and my tail was in jeopardy of getting dog slobber on it. Yuck! Therefore, I took advantage of MC’s engineering skills and up I went. She really did a good job thinking of my needs and placed horizontal branches where I would need them. She even put fresh catnip in the holes. Did I mention she used mesquite branches to make the tree? Pretty clever for a human she is. She had gotten a bunch of mesquite branches from her Mom’s house. Her Mom used to travel in the desert Southwest and brought home all kinds of stuff. MC told me she figured the holes in the branches would help me climb. They do! She also said they’d be great for stuffing. Ooo yeah! She had to alter some of the branches after I started using the tree. I got a little goofy with the catnip and about rolled myself off.
That was another reason she used the mesquite, all the forks make for perfect laying or napping perches, she just added a piece here and there to the original. Works out great for me, I can observe my domain without that barking brute annoying me.
My friends like using the tree too. That is Houston. He has to check out anything new in the house.
This is the other cool thing MC has done for me. She hates denying me the outdoors but she wants me to be safe. I really do like my outside pen.
Originally, it was built for the mutt but he is so high maintenance the backyard had to be fenced in for him. Worked out great for me. MC still needs to do some work on it but I have two potted trees and some potted catnip in it. There are plants growing into the pen too so I can almost pretend I’m free.
MC puts Gloves in with me for company. He doesn’t mind cause mostly he sleeps but it is nice to have someone to talk to and chase bugs with.
This last picture I couldn’t resist putting in. I like to find new places in the house to sleep just to keep my survival skills sharp but MC gets a little frantic when she can’t find me. One day she looked everywhere. Poor old dear, she's turning the big 5 0 soon and her eyesight is going. If I do say so myself, I blend so well in the teen’s room. It is a great room to hide in.
Till next time.
“To be upset over what you don’t have is to waste what you do have.”
KEN S. KEYES JR.
Glad you're doing so well Pippin. Sounds like MC is taking good care of you (when she's not shrieking at you...) Can't wait to see you at the end of the month.
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