Skunked!

No, I was not on the losing end of an athletic endeavor. I mean really skunked. My big (25 lb) sweet, gentle orange cat was outside when the neighborhood skunks were doing their thing. He didn't get a direct hit, but he must have laid on the spot or something. He doesn't smell as bad as if he got a direct hit, but it is more than noticeable. The local grooming school charges $100 to de-skunk a cat, so I'm thinking I'm going to try to do it myself. I've de-skunked a dog before, but dogs will sit and soak in the enzyme stuff (or tomato juice). As sweet and gentle as my Thomas is, I don't see him sitting still to let the anti-stink stuff soak in good.

My parents' cat, P.I.A. (Pain in the Ass - should really be Pita, but mom likes "Pia") actually takes a bath without too much complaint. She's not declawed and I am always amazed when my dad emerges from bathing her and doesn't have a scratch. This from a cat who bites and scratches people for fun. Go figure.

Before you say "Wait, doesn't the Rabbit household live in a city?," yes, we are city dwellers. A city with skunk, opossum, raccoons, rabbits, a boatload of squirrels, and even the occasional deer. There was a bear in backyards about a mile north of us last year. As urban sprawl takes more and more land for development, the animals have to live somewhere. We've had a major skunk problem for years. They mostly live in the park, which is large and well-wooded. In the warmer months, the neighborhood endures many nights of skunk odor. It's lovely.

Thanks for all the well-wishes for Girl. She is doing much better. I had forgotten what a funny, pleasant little girl she can be. Nights are still difficult, but the fevers are much reduced. During the day the hard part is keeping her and her brother from sharing beverages. I really don't want him to get this. Autism is bad enough; autism and mono - I don't even want to imagine it! Thanks again for the good wishes and prayers for Girl.