So What's in a Name?: July 2007

After four years, Gene and I decided that to give Maverick, our six-year-old tabby, a bath - yes, a bath. A full-blown, soak the cat bath. He was surprisingly accepting of his fate. Well, that is after we buttered him up special sardine and crab soft food. As a precaution we clipped his claws beforehand. After gearing up in our best cat-washing gear - our swim suits plus addded t-shirts for claw protection - we doused him in the bath tub. Not surprisingly he reacted like a cat in water. He looked quite pitiful all drenched and striped of his fluffy armor. See the photo below and laugh - we did. We then lathered him up, and very surprisingly, he didn't utter a meow or struggle a bit. It was as if he has tacitly accepting his fate. He just laid there in our arms and let us lather him up looking at us with big pleading eyes saying, "I loved you...why did you wash me?" Washing him off, however, was a different story. That is when the claws and the pitiful meows came out. You'd think we were trying to drown him - I'm pretty sure he thought we were trying to drown him. After we got him rinsed off, he sat behind three towels glaring at us with two very hurt kitten eyes. In order to placate him, we gave him the remains of his sardine treat - (which, I might add, had fish eyes! - Gene says they weren't, but I know they were) - and left him alone to dry himself in the sun. After a few hours, we now have a beautiful, shiny and clean kitty.

And he's only slightly ticked at us. :)