Biscuit Has Fleas

My friend Suzi was over last night. She noticed that Biscuit had fleas. Without her, I likely never would have noticed because I've never had a cat that had fleas before. She's been an indoor cat ever since I got her, however you might remember that I took out into the backyard a few weeks ago. That's probably when she got the fleas. So she's been living with fleas for three weeks (probably). Gross, on so many levels.

Now I am in the deep cleaning process of getting rid of the fleas. Besides a topical for Biscuit, there is carpet powder and linen spray for the home. Nearly all the blankets and such are getting washed. Or have been sprayed, making all the places I want to currently lie down on out of commission.

Biscuit is currently holed up in the bathroom, since every other room has been sprayed or powdered. I'm sure she doesn't like it. I don't like it either.

Biscuit the Escape Artist

Biscuit is an indoor cat. It was really by default, since when I got her I didn't have a backyard. When I moved to Denton, she became a balcony cat. She really loved that balcony. I loved that she was able to "get outside" but wasn't in any fear of running away/getting lost/getting hit by a car.

My place now is on a busy street with a huge, fenced backyard. I kept thinking that I'd let Biscuit become, at the very least, a backyard cat. She started showing some interest in the outside when I'd open the door to leave or take the garbage out. Last week she actually went out the side door for a brief moment when I had it open. She scurried back indoors pretty quickly, but I knew that I couldn't be unprepared.

So I bought her a collar engraved with her name, my name and my phone number. And later that day I took her out to the backyard. At first she stayed on the bricks, just sniffing around. She finally got brave and ventured out to different placed in the backyard. She ended up in the corner with a bunch of trees and shrubs. I was concerned she'd never come back in. Or worse, there would be an opening in the fence somewhere and she'd crawl under, being curious and all, and she'd be lost forever. I finally captured her after luring her with wet cat food.

I took the collar off because it seemed unnecessary to wear when she was indoors.

This evening she escaped out the front door in a daring move. She was showing interest when I opened the door to fix some flowers on my door wreath. Seeing that interest, I shut the door and stood outside as I fixed the flowers. When I opened the door to go back in she darted out!

She stayed close to the side of the house, and proved difficult to catch. She must have been running on adrenaline and the excitement of being outside. I was racked with fear that she'd run faster than I could keep up with her and she'd dart out to the street and get hit or be lost forever as she didn't have her collar on.

I herded over towards the front door and she scurried in on her own. I quickly closed the door behind us and promptly put her collar on. Which she will now wear all the time.

The Fur Cut

Biscuit had her fur cut a week ago. Her fur was in that loose stage where it just got everywhere. It was ridiculous and annoying. Last year I had her shaved at the end of May. This year I'm going to try to get in two shavings over the summer.

Last time Biscuit was super good and didn't have to be sedated. This year, though, they got about half way done and she started getting angry. Biscuit is not an angry cat, but somtimes when placed in strange situations we all do things we wouldn't normally do. After being sent a photo of her half-shaved, I went ahead and told them to sedate her to finish the job. It costs extra if the cat has to be sedated, and she looked slightly strange only halfway done.

Poor Biscuit was not herself after being sedated. When I got her home that evening she was very "lost". She barely ate dinner. She would walk around from room to room and just sit and stare into nothing. She wouldn't lay down. She couldn't jump up on my bed.

I didn't sleep well that night because I was concerned about her.

She slowly got out of it though and became her normal self later the next day. She's kind of adorable with her "lion cut" - it's like she has cat legging.

The Story of My Biscuit Shirt

Everyone loves my cat, Biscuit. She's fat and super awesome. There is so much love for her, that before I left Kansas my friend Kate made a t-shirt for me (and her) featuring Biscuit.

 The shirt is perfect. It has an awesome cut and is a bright red. I would wear it everyday if I could.

The best thing about the shirt is that it elicits comments from complete strangers. I've been at the grocery store and had strangers say, "Nice shirt." I've been walking around the Square and had numerous people comment on it. It is the best conversation started when I meet new people. When Kate was in Denton, she actually had people meow at her. When I wore it in Dallas, a guy at a restaurant stopped to read it out loud, "Check meowt," then followed it with, "Done!"

But the best moment came when, at Arts and Jazz Festival, Jess noticed a guy wearing a shirt that also said "Check Meowt." She insisted I meet him and get a photo taken with him. I approached him and we bonded over our shirts and love for cats. He said he was a little concerned that he'd be the only person at Jazz Fest with a cat on his shirt!

 Turns out, the shirt he was wearing is from Walmart and pretty popular. Mine, however, is an original work of Kate Lindsay. Which makes it priceless. 

Meeting My Neighbor

Sunday evening I had just gotten a plate of food together and sat down to watch Game 6 when there was an urgent knock on my door. I wasn't expecting anyone, so I had no idea who would be knocking. I opened the door to see my neighbor who at this point I've only had conversations with on the back steps as I get ready to go for a jog and he was having a smoke. He asked me if I had an orange cat that was missing.

Right then Biscuit came running into the doorway and into our loft. Earlier I had burned something in the oven (wax paper is not the same as parchment paper), and to make sure my smoke alarm didn't go off I hurriedly propped open my front door. Not once did I even think about Biscuit getting out.

With Biscuit back home safely, I stepped out into the hallway to chat with the neighbor who had knocked on my door and my neighbor directly next-door to me. Without even thinking, I let the door close behind me, locking me out. It was like a scene out of a sitcom. Except no wacky hijinks to get me back in or romantic tension with my neighbor (he's recently been married, well, and he's gay). I really just felt like a dork for letting the door close and getting locked out. I was just glad I had turned the oven off!

My neighbor, Joey, let me use his phone to call the owner and let me hang in his loft while we waited for him to arrive with a spare key. And when I said I was from Utah, I immediately was asked if I was Mormon. I don't know if co-workers think it's impolite to ask, but I've only been asked twice and it has been by strangers that I randomly met.

I enjoyed getting to know my super cool neighbors, and I hope Biscuit enjoyed her brief journey into the hallways. Which is essentially a whole new world for her. I lately had been wondering if she got bored with the four walls of her home. But the way she rushed back in, I think she's just fine. All she does is sleep anyway.

Fat Cat

My cat Biscuit had been a little wheezy lately. One night she actually woke me up with her wheezing. I decided to take her to the vet just to make sure everything was okay. The vet was very nice and helpful, and after listening to her heart and lungs and weighing her, he said nothing was really wrong with her.

Just that she weighs too much and probably has asthma. Which is better than having a respiratory problem or heart disease. I felt like one of those new moms who calls the pediatrician for every little thing her baby does, and in the end nothing is wrong.

So less food for my kitty. She needs to lose at least 4 pounds...

The Best Thing

Finding Biscuit has been the best thing to have in my life. I've had her for just three weeks and already I can't imagine life without her. She brightens my day, she makes me happy, she makes me smile. She really is the best cat (just like parents, I'm convinced my cat is the bestest, cutest thing on this world).

Cats sometimes get a bad wrap, perceived as being the opposite of cuddly, loving dogs. Biscuit may not be as cuddly as a dog, but she's just as loving and she loves being petted and rubbed under her chin. The other day she settled on my stomach and purred as I watched Newshour. Every night she sleeps on the corner of my bed. If I wake up in the middle of the night I can hear her breathing deeply and making little cat noises like she's dreaming. And I just love it.

Every night about this time she gets a little rambunctious. I think she's anticipating bedtime coming and wants to get it all out.

She's made it pretty clear, though, that she does not like my dancing or my singing. I don't like her smelly poop or when she misses the littler box completely with her deposits. Although it does beat having to take her out in the elements, morning and night, to do the deed. :)

Biscuit: My Free Cat

This is Biscuit, my free cat from the local Humane Society. I went in there just to look when I was bored last Friday, but when I saw her I just fell in love with her. Since she is already spayed and has had her shots (her previous owners moved weren't able to take her) she was free! That pretty much sealed the deal that she was supposed to be mine. 

She's already taken over my life. I imagine it's a bit like what new parents go through, adjusting their lives and furniture to a new being. It's awfully nice to have her waiting for me when I come home.

She has a stubby little tail. :)