Yes, everyone, I'm still alive.  I'm just trying juggle homework,
school projects, work and my latest new activity, springboard diving.

But I realize that I haven't had don'e one os these in a long time.
So while on a break from studying for my first exam this semester,
here it goes.

Gypsy is this psycho cat I mentioned in my VT journals 12, well she's
back this weekend.  Now we have cleaning her cage down to a routine.
She's been having diarrhea, and so she's had to get pills.  So Dr. C
takes her out of the cage and while he's pilling her, I'm quickly
trying to clean the cage, put in a fresh litter box, food and water so
when he's done he can just put her back.

Well yesterday, I got the cage cleaned quickly, but Dr. C was having
some troubles pilling Gypsy.  He gave her the first pill no problem,
but the second she didn't want to swallow.  She starts growling and we
know she's going to flip out soon.  Dr. C takes a quick peek in her
mouth, doesn't see the pill,  and puts her back in the cage.  As soon
as he shuts the door, she spits out the pill and it lands at the
doctor's feet.  All of us techs are giggling by this point.

So out she comes again, and this time Dr. C has a syringe full of
water to squirt in her mouth   She swallows the pill and starts
growling and hissing.  She's REALLY mad now.  This time after Dr. C
shuts the cage door and reaches to lock it, Gypsy reaches through the
cage bars and swipes at him.

And right next door to her is Kuni.  Kuni is DMH tuxedo, and he's a
grumpy old boy.  He has to get a pill AND an insulin shot.  My
coworker Charles, gave him his dinner and while Kuni was eating,
quickly scruffed him and gave him his insulin.  Then he holds Kuni so
Mike can get in and give the pill.

Earlier that day we had this big white and gray tabby just flip out on
us too.  I was holding the cat on the table when the cat suddenly
screeched, tore out of my grip and jumped off the table.  It then
jumps into a little cubby hole where we keep old newspapers.  And this
cat is REALLY PISSED OFF.   Somehow a pair of leather gloves appears
and I put them on.  I had a towel in my left hand to try to distract
him and I was going to grab him with my other hand.  Sounds good in
theory, right?

Thank goodness for leather gloves, cause my hand would have been
shredded.  Instead, the cat bites down on my hand hard and I had to
let go.  Finally we just brought the box carrier and put it in front
of him and we corraled him into it.

I took the gloves off and my right hand has a small bruise near the
base of my hand.  The cat had practically bit through the glove and
just barely scratched me.  Whew!!

At the end of the day I asked Dr. C if we should invest in some
tranquilizer blow guns.

Then we had this pair of fluffy black kittens to take care of.  One of
them was small enough that I stuck him in the pocket of my scrub.
Awwwww!!!  Of course then he showed that he had claws and thought I
was a tree.  Ouch!

Pete the hospital cat has been the mighty hunter.  My co-worker came
to work Saturday morning to find that Pete had snuck out the office
into the grooming room (apparently the door doesn't latch and he just
pushed hard) He was batting around a dead mouse.  When she looked
again, she saw there were two more dead mice in the room as well.  Go
Pete!   I took an index card and drew six mice on it.  Then I took a
red pen and crossed out three mice.  It's Pete's unofficial scorecard.
hehehehehehe

A few weeks ago, I heard that Dr. S came to work, and saw some
movement in his office.  He quickly grabs Pete, puts him in the office
and shuts the door.  Ten minutes later he opens up the office to find
Pete batting a still alive mouse.  Dr, S rescued the mouse and let him
go outside.  Go Pete!!

OKay, back to studying about cat and dog diseases......

Take care,

Kristi