So the cat's skittishness now makes sense: somebody (once) shot her

[Bossy Monkey]

Took the cat to the vet because she quit pooping. (Can't say anything more about that because of the hoodoo on bodily function threads; suffice it to say that it ended well.) X-ray showed what was going on in her innards, which wasn't too dramatic; it also showed a BB in her chest. So Amelia's nervousness around people maybe makes more sense, as well as her reluctance to be picked up or held. She's a bossy monkey with me (hence my name), but with everybody else she skulks and hides. In case anyone's interested, here's how we got together, When John Met Amelia or When Bossy Monkey met the bossy monkey: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x5301441

Regarding the BB, the vet said, "Somebody must have gone somewhere she didn't belong," which struck me as odd, insensitive, a little Martian, and a damned strange thing for a vet to say. I mean, she said it in a friendly, more or less jocular tone, not severe or anything, but does anyone else find this weird? Almost made miss the creationist vet. He may not live on the same planet as me, but he seemed to care more about the animals than this person.

[DeepBlueC]

1. Is that Bossy Monkey's picture?

I have a relative. Mickey's got the same head and eye markings and the same black nose on a white field. He's also got a little black beard under the chin. I find him very fetching.

[Bossy Monkey]

3. My avatar? Yes, that's Amelia. I swear up down and sideways that she's a Norwegian forest cat.

Anyway, she looks just like many of the pictures of them on the 'net. (More likely she's a mutt, but it's my story and I'm sticking to it.) Tell Mickey that Amelia says they should run away to the fjords.

[DeepBlueC]

6. I luvs that little black nose

I have to look up Norwegian forest cat. Mickey used to live behind a synagogue down the block; would it be awful to confess that I call him my Yiddy Kitty sometimes? I would have named him Eli if I had known that when he first arrived at my door.

[DeepBlueC]

8. ooh yeah, I think I haz Norwegian forest cat too

He's not really a longhair but he has longer fur than DSH that lies somewhat flat and he does have a big bushy tail. Very soft fur with lots of downy coat in there. He also has fetching little tufts of fur that stick out from between his toes...that speaks to cold-weather origin. And he's got ear tufts and the Sylvester cheek tufts too! How interesting...thanks for that fun *fact*! :D

[Bossy Monkey]

11. Could be a Maine coon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine_Coon
Could be a Norwegian forest Jewish Maine coon; start a new breed!:P

[AmyDeLune]

15. Me Tooz!

[Blandocyte]

2. Sorry about your cat's injury

My little darlins are indoor cats, so we have less adventure but also less trauma.

[Bossy Monkey]

4. Welcome to DU, 3 months late. Yes, Amelia is totally indoor and has been the whole time she's been

with me. It was before that (and presumably before PetSmart/ Project Pet) that she received the BB wound. She found the vet's office to be about all the trauma she could take.:)

[gardenista]

5. Awww... My dog has a backside full of buckshot

Poor thing. We don't know when or how it happened, but she was a rural stray, so probably looking for food in the wrong henhouse.

She's even more spoiled now that we know she's carrying schrapnel around. Vet said it's too scattered to operate without really traumatizing her.

So instead she gets extra treats. And hugs. And love. She doesn't seem to mind the trade-off.

[Bossy Monkey]

7. Poor girl. My cat and your dog need to form a support group.

Amelia gets all the scritches she can ask for, except when I'm cooking in which case she actually has to wait a minute (which she finds outrageous!):)

[gardenista]

9. Animals live in the present. I'm sure that SharShar doesn't give her

buckshot backside a second thought. Her horrible abusive past is basically gone for her, unless she sees or hears a trigger that makes her fearful, though i doubt she remembers exactly why she's fearful.

It's so wonderful to see a formerly abused animal emerge from her shell and become the loving, wonderful soul they are capable of becoming.

Sadly, her support of Amelia would probably consist of chasing her up onto the highest perch available. Those days in the wild fully ingrained the prey reflex in my otherwise sweet animal. She seeks cats and squirrels everywhere.

[Bossy Monkey]

13. Amelia is a champion hider; SharShar would never find her

(assuming I'd ever let her out of the house in the first place.:))

[gardenista]

14. Yes, but my wily puppy would first ingratiate herself to you

Make you think she is totally in love with *you*, when she is just using you to get to the cat.

Eventually, her full body shaking tail wag and big smile at your front door would cause you to let her inside the house.

She would act all sweet at first, even sitting pretty and whining a little, like she's afraid of the cat.

And then, when we least expect it, she (tries to) strike. Luckily for all the neighbor's cats, her mom is wise to her ways!

She has been in most of our neighbor's homes, and most have cats, and she is not to be trusted, evah!

Only once did she actually go after a cat, it was outside, and it was super, super close. Thank goodness the cat got away!

[Orsino]

10. It can be hard to diagnose skittishness.

My most fearless cat has some bird shot in her from her misspent youth. She's only terrified of people banging on the roof. My most timid one was previously owned by an ASPCA board member (who was going to have her put down over some unknown behavioral problem :mad:).

[Bossy Monkey]

12. We always thought it was just her secret meth lab; maybe we were right n/t

[Jamastiene]

16. I would still be arguing with that vet.

My aunt would be in jail for using her one good arm to deck the vet. (When I was born, she got excited and punched the doctor and she also punched one of our vets for something they said or did. I can't remember.)

That vet's comment was disturbing. x(

[Bossy Monkey]

17. Thanks, I thought so, too

though I'm trying to think she meant, "What a little rascal!" and that one can recognize that there are people who shoot stray cats without condoning such behavior. I'm starting to think that I have Asperger's and have a feeling that I wasn't the only one in that room with that condition.