Garfield's Operation and Billy goes to the dentist ...

Tuesday, 1^st June

Garfield was gone for a very long time today and he didn’t have any breakfast before he went.

It’s not like Mum not to give him any breakfast so I expect there was a good reason. Although, personally speaking, I can find NO good reason not to have breakfast.

When Garfield came home much later in the day, he was wobbling all over the place and he had a big bandage on his right leg. He went straight to the bowl of ‘sweeties’ because he hadn’t eaten anything since an early supper the night before. His legs went in all directions and he looked a bit like a starfish.

Mum was surprised that he was eating sweeties because they’re hard and he’d just had some teeth taken out and something called a ‘tumour’ removed, so his mouth must have been a bit sore.

A bit later on, we all had some lovely fish to eat for our supper which was a nice surprise and for about ten minutes, all you could hear was the six of us all chomping merrily on our fish!

Saturday, 12^th June

It’s Ricky’s birthday today. No one really knows how old he is because he doesn’t have any teeth and when the vet looks in a cat’s mouth, he can tell these things. But when Mum first got him, Kevin thought he could be about 5 years old – so he’s about 11 now.

Ricky has lived here now for 6 years but sometimes he looks very sad and he and Mum sit down and have a little cuddle and a chat. Ricky doesn’t do much of the chatting mind you – it tends to be a one-sided conversation with Mum doing most of the verbal stuff. But Ricky purrs and rubs his head in appreciation of their quality time together.

You remember me telling you in my first diary entry that I’d been dumped at the Pet Shop? Well, Ricky had a tougher time than me. He’d been kept in a rabbit hutch for a year. Can you imagine that! Then he was in the Cat’s Protection place for six months and no one wanted him. But when Mum went to look at him, she fell in love with him. That’s why he’s got no teeth because of the neglect or something.

He is very happy here I think – but as he doesn’t say much and keeps himself to himself, it’s difficult to say. 

Thursday, 17^th June

Mum was in one of her Columbo moods again. When she went to bed last night, I wasn’t in. She doesn’t worry anymore because I told her I’m only out and about and I’ll come in when I’m hungry. But when I didn’t show up for breakfast she was getting a bit anxious.

The trouble was that Mum was really ill over the weekend and as she still wasn’t feeling very well this morning, she went back to sleep after giving all the others their breakfast, thinking that’d I’d be in soon. When she got up a little bit later and realised that I still hadn’t come in she quickly got herself washed and dressed and then walked up and down the back alley looking for me in all the gardens where she can look over the fences and walked up as far as the park entrance calling my name. Still no me!

While she was upstairs working on the computer she looked out of the window and saw me walking down the path like I hadn’t a care in the world – which I haven’t of course – do you know of any cats that have a care in the world?? She ran downstairs to meet me trying to be casual about her questioning and I gave her a quick ‘meoowwww’ by way of ‘hello’ and proceeded into the living room as if I was pressed by something else to do.

Mum held herself back from following me and called out did I want any dinner. She was very surprised when I didn’t answer because usually I don’t need to be asked twice. I’m doing this for her own good. She has to learn to let go a little bit and let me grow up and do my own thing. I know it’s tough on her, but it’s tough for me too, staying out for ages and not having any breakfast. Some things just have to hurt a little. 

Friday, 25^th June

Billy went to see Philip, who is another vet where Kevin works, today because he had a teeth check up. When he came back home he told me all about it. What Philip did was look in Billy’s mouth and checked his teeth to see if they were all right. He had a little bit of stuff on one or two of the teeth so Philip got this metal thing and scraped at Billy’s teeth with it. Mum was holding Billy but he was struggling to get down, he told me, as he didn’t like his mouth being poked with.

Philip gave Mum some toothpaste and a little thing which goes on the end of her finger which she has to put in Billy’s mouth to clean his teeth. To get him used to this, first of all, she had to put some toothpaste on her finger and gently rub it around Billy’s teeth. He said he liked that and wouldn’t mind if she does it again.

Billy said the best part of his visit to see Philip, was that he came home with some free gifts – some crunchy things that help clean our teeth so although Billy went to the vet and suffered for us, we benefited because we were all allowed to eat the crunchy things!

Wednesday, 30^th June

Mum had to get up very early today because she was going on a very long train trip to a place hundreds of miles away. But we all had our breakfast first and Garfield had his injection before she went. I wondered if she wouldn’t do it but Garfield said that he HAS to have it, no matter what, and that Mum would never leave him without first giving it to him.

She came home when it was nearly dark and we were all sitting on the back of the sofa looking out the window when she got out of the taxi. She nearly fell over us in the hall way as she hurdled her way to the bathroom, which is downstairs. She said she was ‘breaking her neck’ to go to the toilet, what ever that may mean! 

After she’d broken her neck (I don’t think she actually broke it, by the way) we all got our dinner. Garfield had to have his injection first and then a big cuddle, and then his dinner. We all got second helpings as we were all starving and we all made Mum feel guilty for being gone for so long!

She was so tired that she had a quick bath, and a bowl of cornflakes and then she went to bed without watering the plants, or watching TV. She’s got 3 exams tomorrow and she needed to get some sleep, she said. So we didn’t see much of her today – but it should all be back to normal after these exam thingies. I have no idea what they are, but they sound important!

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