Pampas Grass and Swaying Trees

As anyone who owns cats knows, trips to the vet are a way of life but Sebastian should really rent a room at the vet! He is always getting into some kind of trouble! One sunny (rare in western Washington) morning Sebastian went outside, everything was fine. He came back an hour later with stuff coming out his nose and mouth! It was disturbing and scary! He looked like something from a Stephen King novel. So off to the vet we went. They informed me after a thorough investigation (that included the thermometer up the butt, which Sebastian despises) that he had a piece of pampas grass stuck in his nose! Thank God it wasn’t serious, but how does one get a piece of pampas grass stuck in one’s nose? He apparently tried to throw up grass and it went into his nasal passage instead, poor kitty! It was constantly tickling the back of his throat causing the gag reflex. The vet had to knock him out to remove the grass. When we went back later that day to pick him up, the vet says "he's pretty pissed off, you better go back and get him!" I said, "yeah, I'm used to it!" We took him home and he was fine. What a way to spend a Sunday!

Sebastian was up to his old tricks pretty much immediately following the pampas grass episode. Early one evening I said to Mike "where is Sebastian?" He says "I don't know." So I go to the door and call him....now I can hear his bell but I can't see him! So I call for Mike to come and help look for him. We are walking around the yard, which is pretty much a forest, calling and listening. Finally I say, "look up!" There is Sebastian WAAAAAAAAYYYY up in a tree! By now it's completely dark and the wind is blowing making the tall tree sway, Sebastian is hanging on for dear life and all the while we hear the tinkle tinkle of his little bell. After surveying the situation Mike's Navy training kicks in and he decides on a plan of action to get Sebastian out of the tree. He climbs up on a fallen tree, balances a ladder on top of it, then proceeds to climb up the ladder as far as he can. Then I hand him the laundry basket which he holds out for Sebastian to jump into. In he goes, then Mike lowers him down to the fallen tree like an elevator, Sebastian jumps out, like nothing has happened, and goes inside to eat! The things we do for that cat!

And so the wild adventures continue. I have had the pleasure of meeting all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures thanks to Sebastian and Coco. I have had snakes and geckos in the house as well as mice and moles. It gives a whole new meaning to the title of mother! Even if it is mother to a couple of cats. At least it keeps me entertained as I sit here in Washington State waiting for the sun to come out! More Cat Tails to come...