Our cat, Tucker, is notorious for throwing up. Hairballs, food, food, food, hairballs. Finally, though, after all these years, we believe we've learned the signs of the impending upchuck. We will generally hear one of two things. If you have cats, you probably know what I'm talking about.1) The Hacking Drum Cough
Known for the rhythmic beat and seizing body, this is the most obvious sign of a hairball, but we've learned that it may also signal the removal of too-quickly-eaten food. When you hear this, run to cat, scoop, remove from carpet/rug, and deposit quickly on easy-to-clean surface. Tucker has a lot of experience in this department.
2) The Low Growl-Yowl
This one is tricky. If you hear the low growl-yowl, it can mean one of two things: Tucker is about to yack up a hairball (this noise is reserved for hairballs only - not food removal) or Tucker has spotted another cat in his territory and is boldly trying to assert his neutered masculinity. If the situation is the latter but you read it as a hairball alert, be prepared to be viciously attacked/maimed for your stupidity in misreading the signals.
Just a few moments ago, we heard the low growl. Now this proved to be a bit challenging and hard to read given the fact that Tucker was sitting on his perch near the window looking out the back yard. It was a toss up -- hairball or testosterone-induced rage?
We decided to go with hairball which was a good read as he produced a lovely milky-white fluid containing a finger length of disgusting twisted hair. Ken was closest to Tucker and so was blessed with the task of scooping, removing to kitchen, and then cleaning the mess. I had to laugh from the family room as I heard the following:
Tucker: Hack, hack, hack, puke. Silence.
Ken: (Sarcastically) No, no, Tucker, that's okay. Just walk away. I'll take care of it. Ah-gain.
4 comments:
gross and hilarious! We switched Tyb's food about six months ago, and he's been puke-free (knock wood) since then. It's amazing the things you can do with your life when you're not cleaning up cat puke. Did I tell you I've made the Olympic diving team and been nominated for a Pulitzer?
WOW! That's amazing! I don't know if changing Tucker's food would alter his predilection for barfing though I might be willing to give it a try. What do you feed the Tybs?
My dream, once I'm free of cleaning puke, is to have time to host my own TV Show, ala P. Allen Smith and weight-loss gardening in the sweltering Midwest, or perhaps a Dr. Phil-type show where I can sit in a chair, tell everyone how smart I am, and then tell them what's wrong with them.
Good luck on the diving team! I'll be rooting for you.
Spot on. The only other option we've found especially helpful is keeping a small stack of old newspapers close by. When you can't scoop the cat, sometimes you can scoop a paper and run to the cat in enough time to catch the offending reissue. Minimal clean-up.
Good call, Nicki! I'll be using that one too!
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