Road Trip -- Part 2

Murphy is no fan of car travel. Even worse, Murphy hates trips to the vet. And, since Murphy typically hits the bodily function trifecta (poop, pee, puke) during road trips, he did not get breakfast before his 9:00 a.m. appointment with Dr. Hamilton. Needless to say, Murphy was not a happy camper. From the minute he popped out of his carrier, he was all claws! And muscle. And, that was before Dr. Hamilton looked into Murphy's irritated eye. Once the exam was over, and medicines were dispensed, he did a casual stroll into his carrier and settled in for a peaceful ride home -- and BREAKFAST!

Enjoy the Lazy Days of Summer!

The mercury is climbing. Summer = Heat + Humidity. Good day for relaxing with a good book -- how about a classic like Beverly Cleary's Socks, originally published in 1973, reissued most recently in 2015. Socks is a happy, trouble-free cat until a baby arrives.  It takes awhile, but the attention-seeking cat learns that the new family member can be a fun playmate.

New Year's Resolution -- Keep Charlotte and Murphy on a No-Weight-Gain Diet!

I took Murphy to the animal hospital for his first post-adoption, get to know the veterinarian, visit.  She said all was great, but she did offer a word of caution -- watch Murphy's weight.  

When Murphy was admitted to the shelter he weighed  a slim 11 pounds.  This morning, after a full breakfast, he weighed 14.1 pounds.   Charlotte has been instructed to eat less, exercise more, too.   

My New Year's resolution is to make sure that Murphy and Charlotte stick to their diets (less food in the bowl) and more exercise. They have each other  for support and I expect them to run laps around the house all day when I'm at work.

Murphy's trek to the vet reminded me of a book, Milton Goes to the Vet,  I used to read to Max.  Milton, a very opinionated cat,  tries to maintain control at all times. After his futile attempts to escape the dreaded carrier fail, Milton narrates the horrid journey every step of the way from the car ride to the lobby, to the meeting of the veterinarian.  The trip home is a joy ride and Milton's home reentry is uneventful.  

I could change the book title to Murphy Goes to the Vet.  Getting Murphy into the carrier proved difficult for us both.    After re-positioning the carrier and Murphy numerous times, he was packed into the large plastic carrier and on his way.  He voiced his resentment the entire ride, was feisty during the exam, and a complete gentleman on the way back and walked out of the carrier, once home, as if he had just returned from a planned vacation!

Check out Milton and Milton Goes to the Vet at https://www.amazon.com/Milton-Goes-Vet-Hayde-Ardalan/dp/0811828433/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1482856008&sr=8-2&keywords=cat+goes+to+the+vet

Meet Murphy!

Murphy is Charlotte's new best friend.  She's  not yet so sure about the title, but one thing is for certain, Murphy has moved in for good and claimed the house as his.  I think Charlotte  likes him better now that he has a proper name.  His shelter name was JR and he didn't seem to know it, nor did it fit. We tried on all sorts of monikers -- Fin, Finnegan, Phineas, Reuben.  Nothing stuck.  For ten days he was NewCat or Buddy.  And then Max came home from college.  He said, "NewCat needs a name".  I told him, "Fine, you find a name for him. a really good one!" And, within minutes, Murphy became Murphy.  Inspired by Daniel Murphy, according to Max, the 'Clutch' second baseman for the Washington Nationals". Murphy NewCat is one clutch cat.  

A Forever Home for Murphy!

 No one can deny that puppies and kittens are cute.   But the adult animals are the ones that really get to me.  The ones with a long history.  IF they could talk, what would they say?  Would they bemoan their cast-off situation or would they say they are grateful for their temporary digs?
In the wonderful picture book, "Let's Get a Pup," Said Kate, by Bob Graham,  the family decides on a cute pup but leaves the Rescue Center with a heavy heart after seeing Rosy, who was "old and gray and broad as a table" and "radiated Good Intention."   Needless to say they become a two dog family when they go back  the next day and adopt Rosy.  
While Murphy, who was known as Mayor at the League, is not old and gray he did radiate good intention.  His adopter saw that right away.   In a recent update she wrote,  "He's doing wonderfully. He had a little problem with the steps at first but now he's running up and down them all on his own. He gets taken to the dog park near my house to play fetch in the morning when we usually have the place to ourselves and then we go back once I'm home from work so he can socialize and run around with other dogs.
He's such a cuddly, sweet, gentle dog and I'm so happy I adopted him! I've included a few photos of Murphy loving life! Thank you so much for the help with adopting him. Murphy and I could not be happier!"
 And,  the email and pictures of Murphy enjoying life with a bone and toy and a crate of his own and a person who loves him unconditionally absolutely made my day!