So anyway,

My wife took one of our two housecats back to the vet the other day. The thing threw up on her in the bed the other night. (It had thrown up on the floor adjacent to the bed the prior night.)

After another $125 vet bill yesterday (in addition to the $120 we just spent on the thing a couple weeks ago), she brings it home with a new batch of antibiotics and announces that the vet is testing to see if it might have Leukemia or FIV (the feline version of HIV), because of it's temperature, symptoms, hair-loss, and other issues, and she'll have to take it back to the vet again on Monday to get the results and to see if the new batch of pills is having any results. Regardless of whether it's FIV or anything else, the vet said it might be terminally ill anyway, but he wants to do more tests Monday even if it's FIV negative. The vet said it's not contagious to humans either way.

If it's FIV positive, it will have had to contracted it from my grandfather's cats next door, so she said she'd appreciate if I exterminated the remaining ones next door.

And to be honest fellas, I'm just sitting here adding up numbers in my head for vet bills for this thing and reading about 12 different "free kittens" classifieds in the local papers. Seems to me, if she wants a cat, a free - healthy - kitten is a better deal than spending hundreds on a hacking, puking, hair-losing sick cat that we have to keep pumping antibiotics into.

When I mentioned that to her last night though, I very nearly ended up on the couch

For the record, the second indoor cat is fine and seems healthy. So I dunno what gives.

Time to put Fluffy in a bag and then to the tailpipe on the car. Of course, when the wife is gone for the day, if posible. Then place it in the house in it favorite hiding/lounging spot. "Poor kitty just died Honey, lets bury it in the yard/flowerbed."

No point spending good money on a bad pussy.

Hog Killer

One of my occasional shooting buddies is the small animal vet in our little town. Over time I have learned that he really hates cats. But he likes his very nice income. His method in certain "cat" situations is to essentially string the cat huggers along until he can present a whopping big bill to go with the dead body. The last few days usually involve intensive care and expensive medicines and hopeful prognostications and incantations, depending upon his analysis of the owner's gullibility. The failed attempt is always heroic AND expensive. Gold Cup size, usually. He advises that cats are so disease ridden, he would never have one in a house, or any around if wifey was pregnant, or small children were present. Some of his purring patients are such mean customers he just puts the shoe box or travel cage in a container to gas them before working on them. Wouldn't it be nice to know the real stories?

I think some of the alligators in alabama could solve the whole problem

I will grant you that cats are interesting to watch, but I can't understand all the attachement to them. They are arrogant, self-centered, demanding, vengeful, and filthy. Just like some kids. I CANNOT see putting anymore money into a cat than the cost of a .22 shell. There are millions more of them waiting to fool you into thinking you own them. As the Whiskas cat food commercial says "Natures most agressive predator". Humans don't realize that they are one of the cats victims. We allow the flea bitten stinky things into our homes. I get the impression that most cat owners are content to live in a kennel. They let the cat sleep in the house, eat in the house, crap in the house, shed in the house, and then they say welcome to my home. Hell no, its the cats home.

I prefer the way I have worked with dogs. They get some domestic access, but not much. They know when I say "Kennel UP!" that it is time to get out of the house. I refuse to live in a kennel. Its my house, not the pets. No one seems to get the idea that basically cats hate people. When they come up and rub on you it is not because they like you, its because they are marking you as their property. Why are humans so damn
dumb when it comes to cats. I am surprised that there isn't a cat religion. You know, Cat-o-licks, Southern
Catist Conference, Seventh Day Felines, Church of Latter Day Cats. Enjoy them as one of natures predators and
then whack them when they eat your equally important song birds.

To me they're more of a tool, but I don't get too attached to anything really.

As such, I'm willing to keep them around so long as their maintenance costs don't exceed their replacement values.

That's the comparison I made with my wife last night that would we keep putting money in a broken car with no market-value when we can get another car for less money? She replied that "living things are not like cars", and how could I even suggest scrapping that one and getting another one?

For me it's just a "thing"... I just don't develop any sentimental attachment to animals... (or most people I'm afraid). They're good so long as they serve their purpose and don't get in the way too much.

It's not that I'm vindictive or cruel. I don't go out of my way to hurt anything - I don't get any pleasure from killing things, but I don't go out of my way to love it or play with it either. I guess I'm just more apathetic than anything else.

Speaking of putting crats in bags. We have one of those bridges that last thrill seekers jump off. I would like to dive in the bay to see the number of crats in bags under the bay below the bridge. I bet the crabs have a special affection for crats. Looks like we may have to try a new bait next time we go after crabs.

Ben,

Your wife is a hypocrite(sp?).

quote:

so she said she'd appreciate if I exterminated the remaining ones next door.

quote:

She replied that "living things are not like cars", and how could I even suggest scrapping that one and getting another one?

Tell her what is good for the sick ones next door, is good enough for her sick cat.

Hog Killer

PS: I know that this is "guy logic", I just hate a double standard.

quote:

I just hate a double standard.

I got me a double standard in the locker, couple of 'em now that I think of it. Best one for this situation is the Ithaca NID, M/F. Damn thing is tight as a drum and make in '26. Don't make 'em like that anymore!

Dan

Pres., TYHC

www.Viable.Solutions

Dan,

I have a standard DH Parker, 10ga with 36"barrels, from 1914.

Hog Killer

Dangit, now you guys got me thinking about my old pre-WWI Stevens 12 Ga SxS...it is calling me, as it has been a safe king for too many years.

www.Itching4.DoubleTriggers

You could pull that old shotgun out of the safe and give it a new life. Fine old guns need names so I suggest you call it "Kitty, Kitty" in honor of its new purpose. When you see a cat you can say "Here, Kitty Kitty" and no one will suspect that you are going for your shotgun.

HK, we could do some damage, that's a fact!

Took mine out quail hunting once on a lark, got three doubles with it. Had to wait for 'em to get out a bit farther than normal with the chokes and all, but I wouldn't do the same for crats. Like to see that Parker one of these days, they are fine guns, or in your case, Artillery.

Dan

Pres., TYHC

www.Doubles.Rule

Dan,

Also have a Parker GH, 12 bore, 1899. It is/was a live pigeon gun (no safty, from factory). The barrels are each .038" choked. Shoots almost like a rifle.

Hog Killer