Emily loves attention. Recently I took Emily the Star to the vet's for her
annual tune-up and shots, and she treated it as a personal appearance. We
opened her carry-cage on the metal examination table, and instead of having
to be poured out of it like our other cats, she stepped into the spotlight,
surveyed her audience (the vet and me), and probably would have given a
Royal Wave if she'd had a spare paw not in use for walking. She lay still as
she was examined, poked and prodded, opened her mouth willingly for a teeth
inspection, and ignored the injections. The only flaw in her performance
came when the vet placed the stethoscope to her ample chest to check her
heart. He said, "I can't hear her heartbeat. She's purring again." She'd
done the same thing last year, but this time, instead of wasting 10 minutes
coaxing Emily to turn off her motor, he suddenly clamped his hand over her
face, blocking her vision. Emily stopped purring immediately, and he heard
enough to conclude that her heart was normal. The exam completed, Emily
stepped regally back into her carry-cage with only a gently nudge. Divas
don't spoil their star turns with clumsy exits!