Friday, June 26, 2009

Have passport, can travel.

Bonjour again everybody. It's me, Haricot Blanc, le blogging French cat.

Have passport, can travel

They're out - remember HMDT and Toowfu? So once again I've grabbed a little bit of computer time.

I've been installed chez moi for a week now, and you know it isn't half bad.

Admittedly I don't have full run of the place yet, just the master bedroom (of course) and the massive en suite where I can tender to my needs.

It's something about "being introduced gently to the others", and "not having had all my shots yet".

Ah yes regarding the former. My suspicions have been confirmed. I'm not alone (with my adopted humans) in this adventure.

There are more four-legged friends around. I actually made the acquaintance of one of them the other day; Hiro, a supposedly friendly little madam who still seems like a giant compared to me and as far as I can tell is prone to mood swings.

Actually HMDT was quite surprised when he first introduced us to each other, assuring me that Hiro was "the gentlest, best-natured kitty around."

That wasn't exactly how it came across though as after some initial snuffling and delicate head rubbing she became more than a little hissy for my liking. It probably has something to to with being really peeved that I'm around. That and the fact that as far as I can tell, she seems to have been given a boy's name.

C'est la vie, I suppose.

Oh yes, and that brings me to my other news for this week. The "shots" I mentioned earlier.

HMDT chauffered me to the vet the other day for my vaccinations.

Shots against cat ‘flu. (coryza) and feline infectious enteritis (typhus), are pretty much standard here in France, even for cats who are never going to venture outdoors. And for those who'll be allowed beyond the front door at some point, an injection against feline leukaemia (leucose feline) is also recommended.

I got the lot with a needle jabbed into my backside. How undignified! And I let them know my complete displeasure at being treated in such a manner by letting out the biggest of yowls.

That'll teach 'em.

There's worse to come though, because if I understood correctly once I turn three months it'll be time for another jab; this time against what they call "rage" here in France, or rabies in English.

Plus it's an experience I'll have the pleasure of being subjected to annually. Huh.

While all that was going on, do you know what I overheard the vet say?

"She's already quite a sassy little one and I think she (me) is likely to grow up to be 'full of temperament'."

Would you credit it! Talking about me like that, and immediately after having shoved a needle into me. The cheek of the woman.

I mean, how dare she. I'm just too adorable. "Full of temperament," indeed.

After more prodding and poking me gently, she also mentioned another couple of things that I found quite interesting.

Apparently a fair number of pure white cats are deaf. I'm not though as she discovered by testing out my hearing.

Another thing is that in summer I should have sun block applied to my delicate little (pinkish) ears as they're susceptible to sun burn.

Anyway she confirmed I was fighting fit and in perfect health and issued me with a brand new passport which contains my vaccination history, the personalised number of the electronic chip I had implanted when I was just a couple of weeks old and other personal info (such as who I "own" and my address).

So there you go, I'm a fully-registered French cat now, ready for much more mischief and looking forward to making my presence felt.

Right, I think that has pretty much brought you up-to-date for the moment.

I feel a nap coming on, so I'll sign off of for the moment.

A bientôt.

Haricot B.



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1 comment:

  1. Yes you must watch for sun. Jett, our wonderful white gentleman, got skin cancer on his ears and had to have them removed. He had gotten the sun exposure prior to us adopting him. He had golden eyes, like you and intact hearing. Blue eyes seem to go with hearing loss. Be sure to pick a safe sun screen because you know ,with the licking, a cat could become ill or poisoned from ingestion. Jett was actually the second cat we adopted with skin cancer. The first was Puffin, an orange and white, who had to have his ears and nose leather removed. We lived at seaside and it appears that this was not an uncommon occurence for outdoor cats. We LOve your pix.
    (Once Jett and Puffin came to live with us they became total "innies")

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