I don't have to work on Labor Day.  I worked Memorial day and July
4th, so I get this holiday off.  What we normally do is there's a
morning and afternoon shift where we just go in to walk, clean, feed
and medicate the animals and then go home.  Hey, we get holiday pay.

But yippeeeeee!! i get Labor Day off!!   I guess I'll spend
it............studying.

*sigh* I've been so tired after work, I haven't been keeping up with
my reading.  I have 3 lab reports due in 3 different classes every
week.  My senior project is researching and implement behavior
enrichment actitivies to all the program animals.  Basically, when we
adopt strays from shelters, and take care of theml and use them in
class (Like practicing restraints) I'm to make sure all the animals
are happy and healthy.

And I'm in charge of the RVT newsletter.  Sheesh!!  Hope I haven't
gotten in over my head.

Okay, on to the weekly vignettes................

Took care of a kitten named Java.  Dr. S. brings back a 6 week old
black kitten.  I start to take it when he says, "Be careful, this
kitten will be a handful."  oh really?  this tiny thing?

He didn't like the shot, the dewormer and certainly not the blood
draw.   IN fact once we were done, he hissed.

My eyebrows went up and I started giggling.  Here's this tiny
creature, hissing at me.  I hate to say it, but tiny kittens hissing
is kinda cute.

Anyway, I take her out to give to her owner, and the kitten spys this
big poodle in the lobby.  This kitten started growling and hissing.  I
raised the kitten away as the dog went by. But after the dog left, I
noticed the kitten was still hissing.  We have this dog statue that is
a large piggy bank.  Client can donate money to benefit a local
shelter.  This kitten was growling at the statue.  The owner and I
were really laughing.

Then she started asking me about flea treatment.  Then she asked me
about how to give the kitten a bath.  Then she went on to ask me about
this and that and this and that......

And all I could do was kinda smile and nod, still while holding her
kitten.
Relief came when another tech peeks her head out and says, "Kristi, we
need you in the back...."  So I handed over the kitten and politely
excused myself.  I went to the back and thanked my co-worker from
saving me.

Sheesh!  Some clients just go on and on and on and
on.......................

Now, remember in the Harry Potter movies; the cat that Prof. McGonagal
transfigures into all the time?  I saw a cat today with similar
markings.  He was a beautiful boy.  He was having trouble walking, and
had a fever.  He really didn't like thermometer up his rear twice, but
I had to make sure the temp wasn't just a fluke.  He also needed
x-rays.

Now all the while, I'm trying not to laugh too hard, because I
couldn't say this cat's name without giggling.

This beautifully marked cat is
named............................Monster.

How cool of a name is that?  How perfectly appropriate!!!  I couldn't
help giggling.

"Okay, Monster, hold still...(chuckle).  That's a good kitty.   Good
Monster....(chuckle).  Okay, Dr. Z?  Monster's X-rays are
up.....hehehehehehe........     Where's the carrier for Monster?
hehehehe"

How can you talk about a cat named Monster with a straight face?  

A few entries back I told you about Betsy, a cat with permenant PMS
and a real short temper.  Well, she has been dethroned as the fiercest
cat the clinic as of Friday.  Sadie was so out of control, that Dr. Z
didn't even take her out of the carrier.  She just put her in the
cage, carrier and all.

OKay the way we categorize aggressive animals is with a red pen. If on
the cage card the animal's name has a red line under it, the dog needs
to be watched carefully, it could bite or scratch out of fear.  A
dotted red line, the animal tends to freak out when being restrained
for a procedure.  And a red box, well, basically it means a psychotic
animal.  :0P  No, really it means an animal that we really need to be
careful with.  In my five months at this clinic, I've only seen one
dog with a red box, but a few cats.  Cats, more psychotic than dogs?
Nah................ (hehehehehe)

Betsy was a red box kitty. But Sadie topped her when it came to her
temper.  She'd start hissing at you from within her carrier if you so
much as looked at her through the cage door.

And this cat was staying for a bath.  Any takers?  Nope, all of us
techs and the doctors did not have a desire to donate blood, so we
sedated her.  How?  It's time to bring out the Box.  Put the cat in,
hook the Box to an Oxygen and Isoflourane tank and watch the kitty
take a nap.

I wanted to be there to turn on the gas and start humming lullabies,
but I was asked to bathe this labrador, so I didn't get to see
anything.  :(
Now, I had no part in this, but I heard and saw bits and pieces.  The
cat was a tri-colored, adult.  And she had to remain hooked up to the
anesthetic machine even while they had the blow dryer on her.  No one
was going to even try hooking up a cage dryer.  Got her washed, dried
and took her back to the cage and then stopped the anesthesia.  Boy
did she wake up quick and we stuck her in her carrier before she could
wake up fully, and boy she was royally PISSED OFF!!  I could see the
carrier shaking as she tried to wake up and lash out at anything.
After she woke up, she stopped thrashing and just pouted.  Man if
looks could kill.  I would peek in to say hello to her, and she would
growl and hiss at me.

Meanwhile next door, Oscar was also hissing at me.  Oscar is a ginger
cat with a Siamese shaped head.  He's a red line animal because he's
really scared and has been on a hungry strike for several days.  He
was burrowed up in a cushion cover and I had commited the ultimate sin
of disturbing him and trying to pick him up.  After he let out a loud
"HISSSPIT!!!!"  I got a senior tech to handle him.

And on the other side of Sadie's cage, lies Kuni.  Kuni is a DMH,
tuxedo cat with diabetes.  Kuni is also a red line kitty and hisses at
anyone who even looks or passes by him.   When it comes time to give
him insulin, you almost have to flip a coin to see who's going to be
the lucky technician

So we have three really pissed off cats in cages all in a row.
Beware!!!

We also have discovered mice in the clinic that have been snacking on
our pet food.  Time to break out the traps.  The female brat I work
with was freaking out, trying to convince the doctors not to use mouse
traps.  Me on the other hand, I was tempted to bring out Pete the
hospital cat and say, "Go get 'em, Pete!!!"   (Yeah, like that really
work.......NOT!!!  But it would be funny.)

(Sorry, I like animals, and if it were my decision I would probably
use a humane trap.  It's the old snap mousetrap and I hate to say it,
but it needs to be done.  For me, the snap ones do the trick.  A quick
death and that's it.  I don't like the glue traps, that's a slow,
cruel death that no living thing should have to suffer.   I still say
we let Pete do the job and You let nature take its course., but I
don't make that decision. )

*yawn* two days off.  Time to clean the apartment and try to get some
studying done.  Hope I can sleep in a little bit longer before the
cats start bugging me to serve them breakfast.............

Take care,

Kristi