Tux needs a hug

Poor Tux.

He's had a bad morning. Really, it started last night.

Tux is prone to bladder infections, and I was pretty sure he had another one, so I made a vet appointment for this morning.  Because I know it's near impossible to get a urine sample from him while at the vet, (even if I leave him there all day - he'll just hold it out of spite.) I secured him in the basement with a litter box full of plastic pellets and his favourite things; His bed, his blankie and of course, his food.

I fully expected to be straining pellets from pee before breakfast, but when I set him free this morning, the box was dry.

We'd just have to make do without.

I packed Tux up in his carrier with his favourite blankie, and as soon as I set him down on the passenger seat of the car... I smelled it .... and heard it. The distinctive aroma of cat pee and a nice soft "whizzzzzzzzz" sound. Well played Tux, well played.

We get to the vets and they kindly pack up his pee-soaked  blankie and we visit with the vet. She squeezes his bladder to see if there's any chance she can get anything else out of him, but nope... he emptied it... or so we thought...

Tux gets a prescription for antibiotics, and I pack him up again (sans blankie) and decide to head over to mom's to borrow a towel, so he can at least be a little more comfortable for the ride home. (Mom lives around the corner from the vet). I figured I could also give him a little run around her backyard. He could eat some grass and I could hose out the stinky carrier.

We get to Mom's, she goes to get a towel, and Ladydog comes over to sniff Tux in his carrier, and just as Mom returns with the towel  - Tux turns his butt and pees though the carrier gate. So much for an empty bladder!

We clean up the mess and I tote Tux outside to Mom's fully-fenced backyard. I release him from his carrier, start the hose and turn to see Tux escaping under the fence.... I had no idea there was enough room under that fence for his fat butt!

I run back through the house and go chasing after Tux. Fortunately, he doesn't run very fast and he was caught after just a few minutes... but Lady wasn't letting us back through the house to the carrier in the backyard. (She just wanted to play).

Mom brought the carrier back out front and I packed him up again to go home. I set him back on the front seat.... and then I smell it. Diarrhea.Oh, joy.

When we finally get home, I dump the carrier outside and usher Tux into the basement. I fill the laundry tub with warm water and grab the strawberry shampoo... yup... bath time....

"This is so undignified. Don't you dare put this on the internet."

Bathing Tux is a little like juggling a fat, furry chainsaw. Fortunately, he really just needed a quick rinse, and I had just clipped his front claws last night. The whole ordeal was over in less than five minutes, though I'm sure he'll bear a grudge for much longer.

"I seriously hate you right now."

Since we had such a traumatic morning, I think that earns us an afternoon of nothing but knitting. And maybe a cat treat or two...

"I can't wait until you go to sleep tonight...."