Meet Mary. She is a feral kitten that my daughter caught on our property. She domesticated it for me so that Wookie could have a playmate. I named her Mary and it seems to fit her well since she is “quite contrary” as the childhood rhyme goes. When I was trying to find a name for her, I came across a myth for the “M” on the tabby cat forehead. According to the myth, a tabby cat kept Jesus warm in the manger so Mary marked it with an “M”. I found that quite interesting. It may only be a myth, but it seemed appropriate.
Mary loves Wookie (key the sound bite “Joanie loves Chachi”). She follows him everywhere and snuggles up to him. However, her cat love language sneaks in frequently. When she “spider monkeys” him from behind or stalks/attacks him he is quite confused and alarmed. He loves her, too, though (see that smile on his face?). He rushes into the camper every evening to greet her. Mary spends her days sleeping and her nights terrorizing us. It’s not too bad since I placed colored caps over her front claws (at least we aren’t covered in wounds). She makes the trip home every time with us and I have been using a vest and leash on her to take her outside. She loves the harness and purrs when I put it on her. She is wide awake right now and harassing me while I type. She is acting as if she is desperately trying to type something, too.
When I was in Nevada, one of the people at the RV resort told me about a mouse getting in her camper. I can not do this. This is the real reason that we need Mary. Our hopes are that while Wookie and I are standing on the bed screaming, she will capture it. We just don’t have it in us.
I made a visit home this past weekend for an overdue eye appointment. I have horrible vision and due to my familial history, I only trust my local ophthalmologist. This visit ended up being costly because she found corneal abrasions and an infection that was most likely due to the dry air while I was in the high desert. I knew I had trouble wearing my contacts and my eyes would feel so tired and dry by the end of the day, but I did not realize it was doing damage. Tears are one of our defense mechanisms (another fabulous bodily function). Not only do they wash away debris, they contain a substance called lysozyme, which has an antibacterial action. So without them, I developed abrasions and an infection. I guess I didn’t adapt to the new climate as well as I thought (shaking my head).
I had to leave Wookie behind at home with my husband this time. He has his annual veterinarian check-up this week. It was SO hard to do. He has spent very few nights without me. I cried a few tears and got emotional, but it was more for his sake than my own. I know it is for the best but, he doesn’t. He is going to be missed terribly at the facility this week. One of our recent admissions gave us positive feedback about her experience here, but she said the best part about the facility is Wookie.
He is in good hands with my husband and daughter (they love him as much as I do). I told them to hold him and keep him wrapped in a blanket because the groomer cut all of his hair off yesterday (he is cold natured and I wasn’t expecting her to do that in the winter). My daughter called me while I was driving to let me know that she had turned on his electric blanket and covered him with another one. jnhhhh (that is Mary’s contribution to the blog. It must be a secret message to her people).