Well, apparently when I reassured Studley about his punk “furcut” after his recent pancreatitis episode, I was TOO reassuring. I thought he looked embarrassed (not to mention COLD), coming home from the hospitals with a shaved belly, shaved sides, and three shaved legs. So, I told him patchwork furcuts like his were ALL the rage now. All the trendy kitties were wearing them.
Sexy furkini
This seemed to reassure him, but I think he feared it growing out. The fur gradually started growing in (sweet little belly and leg fur) – and he started licking, and licking, and licking… he had a little raw spot on his belly and I got home one night about a week and a half ago to find one front leg completely raw and red. It was as though he’d decided he was SO hungry he tried to eat his own leg! (Just kidding – most likely either the fur growing in was itchy, or he had an allergic reaction to the prescription food fed to him at the last vet hospital.)
Due in large part to the shaved patches, I noticed a mysterious bump on his side. Given his history of a melanoma, I wanted the bump GONE. He was in need of a dental anyway, so I scheduled the growth removal and dental for Tuesday. Monday night I suddenly noticed an odd bump on his chin! Likely just acne, but as long as he’s going in… better get it checked out as well.
So, he got home Tuesday night – and now has a new shaved spot on his side where the growth was removed, complete with lots of ugly black stitches. A back leg is shaved (again), and he has a sort of “reverse beard” on his chin where it was shaved. Very interesting. On top of it, he’s wearing a blue tutu (cone) to prevent him from pulling at the stitches.
Again, I reassured him… but maybe I need to stop doing that. I really don’t need this expensive designer furcut habit he’s developed!
But they are all the rage!
Hi, do your other cats treat Studley badly when he comes home from the vet? When my Ladybug was alive, and would come home, my cat Cricket would be really mean to her. Maybe she could smell the vet on her fur or something.
I have heard of that happening – where the cats reacted very badly to the strange smells on the cat.
Most of my cats were definitely curious about the cone he was wearing. One, Rumpelmintz, was totally freaked out by it – screamed and threw a hissy fit – but that’s Rumpelmintz for you.
The only time my cats really had issues with a cat they’d already known was when Studley had his enucleation (eye removal). They really avoided him and hissed at him – I joked they thought he had “eye falling out” disease and it might be contagious. Even Omaha, who had been his best friend, shunned him.