not my usual Thursday ...

It's been a supremely long day. One filled with some dark grey skies, bright flashes of lightning, roaring thunders, howling winds, and a side of missing cat. But don't worry. The cat's not lost. He was at the vet's. We dropped him off at sunrise and picked him up later in the afternoon. I was the one lost and alone at home without him.

To all the people who say everything happens for a reason, I reluctantly agree. About 3 weeks ago, I stopped by the vet's office to buy some flea meds for the cat. On my way out the door, an ad for pet grooming services caught my eye. As readers of our blog know, Zach and I have a giant fluffy grey and white cat. Since our cat spends most of the summer hanging out in the garden, I thought a haircut would make him feel a lot more comfortable. So after I left the vet's office, I went to the groomer's and made an appointment for the next week.

This picture tells you exactly how that appointment went -- not well at all. Our cat absolutely freaked out. There were hisses, scratches, screams, cries, plenty of struggles, squirms, and super high levels of stress for everyone present. Tiffany, our very patient groomer, had to stop mid-cut because, in her own words, it was getting to be "too dangerous for him and for her to carry on." The only option was for her to continue on a different day and with a much calmer cat. Like that would ever happen! I felt like the worst cat mom in the world to have caused my cat such unnecessary trauma. I felt guilty and stupid. And somehow in that moment of vulnerability, I made the decision to go back to the vet's and have the cat scheduled for a dental check-up (he's 12 and never had his teeth checked). Since Tiffany works in the building right next to the vet, she can slip over after the cat is done with his dental (but still under anesthesia) to finish the cut.  

And so today is the day that all went down. It's been long but I am thankful to be sitting here on the couch with my laptop and the cat lying right beside me. He is still slightly groggy and a little bit disoriented. But at least he's safe, healthy, and home. Pictures of our "new" cat will have to wait. For now, we snuggle.