Wednesday, August 26, 2009

THANKFUL THURSDAY?: DANTE GOES TO THE V-E-T

This may be Thankful Thursday, but Dante is not thankful, because he had to go to the V-E-T! He wasn't supposed to go, it wasn't his turn. Dylan is long past due, but continues to be the expurrt escape artist that he is (if you recall he escaped for two whole days a couple of months ago on another vet visit attempt).

In any event, we didn't want to waste the appointment by cancelling it AGAIN (this would be the fourth or fifth time), so we took Dante instead since he was due soon anyway. And, we were able to catch Dante totally unaware because he knew we hadn't been looking for HIM!

So, he yowled in the back window of the car, all the way to the vet's office which is fortunately only about 5 minutes from our house. Once there, he headed straight for the shelves of prescription pet food, to try to hide out! That didn't work because really there was no place to hide.

Daddy was asked to weigh him, and he came in at a mere 21 lbs. I say mere, because he has been a little more in the past. We were escorted into the exam room immediately after that, and the vet, named Thomas (that's his first name) very promptly arrived after that.

Dante was looking around, and didn't seem upset at all. In fact, he acted liked a real gentleman throughout the exam. You can see Thomas poking and prodding him, and Dante just went along with it all. When it came time for the "SHOTS", Thomas asked me to distract him, so I petted Dante's head and gave him some smoochies on his lips. He got two shots -- one in each butt cheek, and didn't flinch at all for the first time around. The second shot elicited a bit of a reaction, but it was very transitory.

Thomas examined Dante's mouth, as that has been an area of concern in the past. In fact we changed vets because the old one wanted Dante to have surgery to remove a couple of his teeth. I wanted a second opinion, and this vet's office didn't think anything needed to be done. Thomas concurred with that opinion this time around as well -- in fact he said that he was surprisingly pleased with the state of Dante's teeth and gums for a kitty of his age (which is really only 7-1/2)! I was ecstatic!

So Dante is completely healthy, and we were on our way before long at all. When we went out to pay the bill, Dante sat on the counter beside his Daddy. The resident office cat, Finnigan, was eyeing Dante from his position across the floor. I say "eyeing" literally, because unfortunately Finnigan has only one eye.

You may recall in a previous post, I introduced you all to Finnigan who was rescued from death row by our vets, and lives in the office with lots of pampering and social interaction all day long. Finnegan has a marvelous purrsonality and welcomes one and all.

Dante on the other hand, threw a bit of a hissy fit when introduced more closely to Finnigan.

The receptionist (I'm sorry, I forgot to ask her name) went a little bit crazy over Dante. You can see her in a couple of pictures holding him, and she is smiling real big and laughing! What a pretty lady!

Anyway, it was a very pawsitive experience all 'round! Even Dante thought it wasn't too bad, and was thankful at last to get back in the car, because this time he KNEW he was going HOME! He knows the word "home". He didn't even make one peep all the way back. He was enjoying the ride as the wind, through the slightly-opened windows, rippled through his fur.

And then we were indeed HOME! It was a Thankful Thursday, after all!

P.S. WE ARE FEATURING A NEW FUR FAMILY ON THE LOLSPOT TODAY CALLED "THE PAW RELATIONS". TO VISIT THEM, JUST CLICK ON THE LOL ICON AT THE TOP RIGHT OF THIS POST.














Sunday, August 23, 2009

DANTE'S NOT SO EASY ON SUNDAY: FAMILY LIFE

O hai! It's me, Dante! I hope you're all having a relaxin' Sunday so far.

I think Sunday should be a family day. So, I tries to hang out wif my family. Here are pichurs of me tryin' to strike up a confursation wif Domino, but she just ignores me and walks away! Sheesh!

Den Dylan comes along, and I gives him a liddle kiss, but he shoots right by me wifout a word! Sheesh again!

Finally, my Daddy comes along. I likes hangin' out wif my Daddy and at furst it was great. But sometimes he holds me kinda funny and den I has to wiggle around.

I fink I loves my Mama the most cuz she ALWAYS talks to me and when she holds me my feets don't dangle like dat. I feel safe and secure and very well loved. Da only problem wif Mama is dat she's always takin' pichurs! Some days a guy just can't win!
Sheesh!

Hey, dat reminds me -- Mama, kin we has sheesh-ka-bobs fur dinner?







Saturday, August 22, 2009

DANTE-LUSCIOUS!

These are just some random, rather picturesque shots of Dante in the front garden. It's really rather difficult to take a totally bad picture of him, although I have succeeded from time to time.

Since it's Saturday, I'm not going to make you read a lot of rhetoric, so may I simply present, Dante the Luscious!






Monday, August 17, 2009

MANCAT MONDAY: DANTE, MANCAT TO THE MAX

This is Dante on a typical day in his hunting grounds. His nemesis the squirrel is efurrywhere to be seen. As you can judge from the intense look in his eyes in most of these pictures, he has the little black beastie in his sights at all times.

Contrary to some of the comments, Dante does not merely sit still during these mancat and prey encounters. He does, indeed give chase. When he does, the pictures I attempt to take, are but a blur, because he turns on his considerable speed in an instant. I usually end up getting just his back feet and the end of the tail as is evidenced by the first shot in this series.

Dante is very mancatly. All of his wild instincts are intact. He is a smart hunter, though, and doesn't chase at efurry oppurrtunity. This way he gains some unwarranted trust and brings the prey closer before he pounces. After all, he is limited by a totally unnatural fetter (his leash).

The last picture is especially intense and the squirrel is close (though not in the sight of the lens). Dante's pupils are dilated so that his gaze is as black as his target, the squirrel. This is the look of a Mancat to the Max, and Dante is it!

(I suggest that you biggify the last picture to get the real intensity of the look.)










Wednesday, August 12, 2009

THE SUN SETS ON DANTE!

It was evening and the sun was just beginning to set. It seemed all the brighter as it moved towards the horizon, and cast its spell over Dante's dominion.

The grass on the lawn alternated between darker stripes of shadow and bright bursts of green. In the first shot, the sun is just beginning to illuminate the edges of Dante's fur surrounding his head. This slight glow soon emerges into a halo of light that makes my ginger beast appear rather angelic. It also intensifies and ignites the red heat that is, in reality, Dante's inFURno.

I hope you will find this photo essay both heartwarming and enlightening!









WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: THE RED, THE GREY, THE BLACK AND THE DANTE!