Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Update on MeowCrazyFace (How I've Become a Crazy Person with a Cat on a Leash)

This cat is too cute for words if you ask me.

I know you are all awaiting on tenterhooks for an update on Zelda's lump. The pathology report came back as...probable reaction to rabies vaccine.  Also, in the last two or three days we've noticed that it's starting to shrink so I was freaking out about nothing.

We've started taking her out on walks with a harness and a leash because the vet recommended it to us to address some behavioral issues we were having with her.  I usually take her out once a day for 10-25 minutes, depending on the weather, how much time I have, and how many dogs are being walked (she starts shaking and stress purring whenever one gets near - we're working on her socialization, but I don't want her time outside to be stressful, so we frequently just come in to avoid the dogs).  She loves being outside.

She hates the harness, though, so that has created some challenges. I started by having her wear the harness all the time but she scratched and chewed at it, so now I only put it on her right before we go out. She starts purring as soon as I grab it and she will immediately lay down so I can put in on.  She gets a bit overstimulated with her time outside, so sometimes she won't let me take the harness off right away when we get inside, but it's usually off within a half an hour once we're in.

Zelda likes to lay under this chair on our neighbor's deck. I think she thinks she's invisible.

I hope you have a most fabulous Thanksgiving with your family and friends!! 

6 comments:

  1. I'm glad it turned out for the best! My dad puts his cat out on a harness and leash, too. she isn't overly fond of the harness, but loves going outside. It's funny the first few times, did she do the lay-down-in-protest thing at first?

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  2. When I first adopted my cat, I took it for a walk on a leash. I had the cat for a day because he got off the leash and ran as fast as he could! He came back to where I got him from almost exactly a month later. When we moved out here, I let him on the leash and he spent most of his time lying in the flower bed with lots of sun on him. When my daughter was born he rebelled by getting off his leash all the time and exploring the neighborhood.

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  3. Not sure if you caught this, but just in case:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/29/garden/training-a-cat-to-walk-on-a-leash.html?pagewanted=all

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  4. So glad everything is OK with Zelda! She is a gorgeous girl.

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  5. So glad the lump was nothing. I always feel silly when that happens, but at the same time, I know how profoundly I'd regret it if it turned out to BE something. It's worth checking.

    I'm glad you're able to use a harness and leash with her. I had a cat during college and after and tried to walk him on a leash. He didn't manage to escape the harness, but he bolted into the nearest bush and scrambled through the branches. Untangling him was a huge mess. Each time I tried, he went for the bush, so I gave up. Her 'invisibility chair' seems like a MUCH better option!

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  6. I am so glad your kitty is ok! Yay Zelda! :)

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