Just like a finely tuned luxury sports car, I need an inspection and regular maintenance to keep my body in tip-top condition.  So the other day when John said it was time for my annual check-ups and vaccinations, I hopped happily into my basket for the trip.  Unlike the average cat, I don’t mind travelling in my box (providing my blanket is in there) and watching the world go by from the back seat of a family saloon.  I’m even partial to bit of the old Bublé serenading on the radio while John warbles merrily in the background.

We arrived on time (I do like to be punctual) and sat in the waiting room which I had to share with a hamster and a pooch.  The sandy-brown hamster’s nose wriggled as I went past, narrowing its beady eyes and huffing disapprovingly at me.  Honestly, the assumptions people make, just because I have claws and a feline instinct!  I happen to like all furry things with whiskers, so I gave it one of my ‘Excuse me but I have evolved you know’ looks and sniggered when his owner stood up after the vet called out “Munchkin”.  I suppose you can’t really call a small fuzzy nearsighted rodent “Rambo”!

The pooch in the room looked like a Samoyed or Samoyed-cross, a playful and gentle breed of dog that I know about because one of my buddies from the fostering pen was adopted by a lady who had a white fluffy one.  I’ve heard some stories about irresponsible dog-owners who encourage their canines to chase cats so I tend to be quite wary of them, plus I once met a mixed breed hound who bothered me.  But I must admit this guy seemed good natured and my mate Jasper who was re-homed to the house with a Samoyed reckons it takes no notice of him and they’re gradually becoming pals.  My personal opinion is that pets learn their manners from their owners, which is why being a conscientious owner is so important, particularly when an animal is young and learning all its behaviours.  Goodness knows where I get my suave and unconventional personality traits from!

You’ll be pleased to hear that my experience with the vet went reasonably well, considering I was jabbed, squeezed and poked in all sorts of areas!  But I know it’s for my own good and it was all forgotten when she started cooing over my fetching facial features and admiring my oh-so-silky black coat.  All cats (and dogs for that matter) benefit from regular yearly exams to check for gum disease, bladder stones, signs of chronic illness like diabetes or more life-threatening conditions.  I’m happy to report that I wasn’t diagnosed with anything horrible, although John got a disparaging look from the vet about my waist-line!  What can I say, nobody’s perfect!!