Bug and Pedro and Vets in Belize

Cool title, no? I don't know if you have met Bug and Pedro but here they are:

After writing that intro I started searching through everybody's pictures and discovered we have none of Bug and Pedro together. So I guess you get more of the story than originally planned. Here is a picture of Bug (eating), Pedro (directly behind Bug) and Stella (watching Bug intently). Notice Stella isn't mentioned in the title of the blog - that's foreshadowing.

So one night this little kitten comes up on our deck and just peers in the window out of the dark. Of course the kids go crazy: look Mom, she loves us; She's so hungry; We'll just feed her this once (right). Well, be proud of me, I held out for about a month. By now the kitten is looking pretty rough and she is still coming around. We call her Bug because she is attracted to the lights of our house at night just like a bug. We start to feed her. Pretty soon she brings her two kittens around. I can't believe it - she can't be even a year old and she has kittens. Of course we name them (Stella and Pedro) and we put out enough food for everyone. Bug will let us go on the deck while she's there if we don't make a move toward her but the kittens won't let us anywhere near them. Soon Bug and Pedro begin to fatten up a little and the white of their fur turns from yellow to white. Stella's not doing so well. Eventually Stella quits coming by and we know she was just too sick to make it. It's sad but we still have the other two.

Kori spend hours on the deck. She reads out there, does her homework, talks, sings, brings food and eventually I look out and she is petting Bug and Pedro is sitting on her lap. It took literally months. Now we are to the point where Kori can pick Pedro up and cuddle her on her lap. Bug still doesn't like to be picked up but will let any of us pet her. Pedro will only let us pet her (yes her - we couldn't get close enough to tell when we named her and now she's stuck with it) if she is eating. Not much gets between Pedro and her food.

Then we find out there are vets coming to the area to do spaying and neutering. They will do 100 animals in a week. We are thrilled. We get our cats names on the list. Now we just have to catch them, box them and get them to the vets. (I hear all you cat owners starting to laugh) We start on Monday. Kori puts food into the boxes. Bug is having none of it but Pedro hops right in - there is food involved. Kori shuts up the box and Pedro doesn't even notice. this is going to be easier than we thought. I hold the box closed while Kori tries for Bug. Pedro finishes eating and the fight starts. She is little and I am big and somehow I still lose. As she runs away I go inside to stop the bleeding and bandage up what remains of my hand. We give up for the day. Each day we try again and by Thursday neither Kori nor I knows if we will ever be able to regain full use of the bloody stumps that used to be our hands. I know when it's way past time to call in the troops. I 'phone the vet and ask the trick to boxing cats. She tells me not to use a box. Apparently a pillowcase works better. Today is the vets last day so I am willing to try anything. Kori and I each grab a pillowcase and what's left of our courage and go out on the deck with a can of tuna. In about one half of a minute, I have Bug in a pillowcase. Who knew? Kori, on the other hand, is once again bleeding, rather profusely, from both sides of her right hand. We decide Pedro can stay whole but off we go with Bug.

After peeing all over the pillowcase and us, and ripping a hole in the resort's really expensive pillowcase, Bug settles down for a nap. By the time we pull up to the house the vets are using for their office, Bug seems like the perfect pet. Kori and I have learned our lesson, however and suggest they not open the pillowcase. They assure us they will sedate her through he cloth and then open it. We can take her right in. So in we walk. And stop. There in front of us is a dog with all her insides on the outside. They could have really warned us that they were doing the surgeries in the waiting room! Luckily neither Kori nor I are squeamish. The vet just keeps snippin' while we hand Bug over to another vet and promise to be back for her in an hour. They check Kori's hand and dress the wound and we are on our way.

Pedro gained herself another month of fun but there are more vets coming next month and now we know the pillowcase trick. Her days are numbered.

And that's a trip to the vet in Hopkins!