Wordless Wednesday : Ughhhh! GET OFF ME!

Whisky's Latest Glaucoma Update

Whisky's follow up appointment with the UPM vet was this morning.  She has been on the eye drop per the once a week schedule for the last 5 weeks.

I'm very happy to say that her eye pressure is well within the normal range and the drops are no longer needed!  What a tremendous relief!


Whisky having her eye pressure taken with the tonometer.  She is always well behaved during the procedure.



ZZZZzzzzz......on the long drive home.



Hey!  Did you hear?  My eye pressure is PERFECT and I don't need a follow up check up!  YEAHHHH!!!!!!

On another note, I'm sorry for the long silence.  I'll be going for a minor surgery tomorrow morning and should be able to return to regular blogging and visiting in another week or so.

Wordless Wednesday : GOTCHA!!

Cat Grooming - Shaving : Fashion, Necessary or Plain Cruelty?

Sesame : Here he is being blown dry after a shower.  His mum wanted him to be shaved as he had mats on his lower body, armpits and chest area despite daily brushing.

There are people who think that shaving a cat is cruel and unnecessary.  While I won't perform creative cuts (shaping motifs on the cat's fur) or colouring on cats (or dogs), I do think that shaving a cat becomes necessary especially when the cats are badly matted or when the cats are unable to properly groom themselves either due to age or obesity.  Some long fur cats groom themselves excessively which may result in impaction (blockage of the digestive tract) that may require surgery.  Being in Malaysia, where the weather is persistently hot AND humid, shaving heavily coated cats can be done to keep the cats comfortable.

Even with regular brushing, mats form quickly and often go unnoticed until they have become huge and formidable, very close to the skin. The area where the mat is becomes very painful and uncomfortable and trying to brush out the mat humanely at this point becomes impossible. The most humane thing would be to have the cat shaved.  Shaving a badly matted cat is a very delicate procedure, since it involves clipping very close to the skin where any wrong move can result in nicking the cat's thin skin.  Therefore, it should only be done by a professional cat groomer.

Shaving a cat does not always mean a lion cut or a complete shave.  It can also be that only problem areas are shaved, such as the armpits, belly area, inner thighs and perhaps only an inch off from the tail base to help keep it clean.  Done properly, the cat will still have the "full coated look" which may be more agreeable to some owners.

There are numerous other reasons for shaving cats and cat owners always do it with the cat's health and happiness foremost in mind.  As for me, I do my part by always asking the owners questions, which include why they want the cat shaved before an appointment is set.  This is to ensure I get enough information to best advise on the type of style that best fit their (cat and owner) need.

 

Further Reading : Shaving a Long-Haired Cat

Yummy!

Whisky has been having regular acupuncture sessions since suffering a relapse of a slipped disc of her neck in April 2010.  She has not had a relapse since but we continue with the acupuncture for her general health well being.

After each session, Dr Susanna (her acupuncturist) will give her a treat and this time, she gave her an extra treat!  It was dried cow stomach and did not smell at all appealing to me but Whisky LOVED it!

The fur around her mouth and feet smell yucky but what's that compared to how happy and content she is now?  :)

Wordless Wednesday : Sniff! SNIFF!! Yup, you definitely need a bath.....