Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Tucker R. Poly, M.P.

Recently, we had a federal election. Many of the old politicians will be very soon thrown out of the House of Commons, and many new ones will come in. As with the creatures peering through the windows at the end of Animal Farm, however, it may be difficult to determine a difference between these two groups. Each individual member of Parliament is meant to represent the people of a constituency. In fact, an M.P. has always struck me as more the prime minister’s man in his riding, rather than his electorate’s man in Ottawa. To my mind, an elected politician should embody the best of his country, or province, or town. Instead, what results is a legislature filled with the lowest common denominators on which the majority could agree.

I have a better example to put forward. I suggest no one other than my cat, Tucker.


As you may know from having read this blog, Tucker is now suffering from diabetes. This necessitates an injection of insulin twice a day. This is not too great a hardship for the roly poly one. He simply lies down when I tell him to, and calmly accepts the needle, which he may not feel too much anyway.

What must be onerous for him are other effects of his condition. Just this weekend, I had to perform a ‘curve’ on Tucker, drawing blood from him every two hours for a glucose reading. I am getting better at stabbing that little sausage in the ear, but I still don’t produce blood each time. Yet each time, the most resistance he gives is to flatten his ears. I can tell, especially as the day progresses, that he is unhappy with the discomfort of having his ear jabbed. Who wouldn’t be? But he submits to the indignity even so.

His rear end is weak, and he sometimes lopes like a rabbit when it walks rather than hops. I brought a litter-box upstairs for his convenience, but he doesn’t always use it. Most nights, about nine o’clock, he trundles slowly downstairs to keep his regular appointment. Then he struggles back up, coming to rest on the landing. Does he wonder why he can’t walk as he once did? If he does, he doesn’t appear angry about it. His veterinarian does not want him to take B12 to strengthen his rear right now. We are hopeful that once his insulin dosage is managed, he will regain his all-wheel drive.

Yet through it all, Tucker maintains his good spirits. I have always thought of him as a creature who wants to be happy. He still plays, and looks forward to it. Our regular sessions are with a string-toy, but we play in other ways, too. We play peek-a-boo, which he finds exciting. Other times, I will creep up on him, in plain sight; he starts purring and when I grabbed him, he squeals. He will hurry into the nylon tunnel and wait for me to terrorize him from the outside.

He spends more time on my lap now. That started almost simultaneously with the discovery of his diabetes. And at the end of the day, some time during the night, he comes to bed - using the steps each time now; he has mastered them at last - and sleeps there with me, Renn and Josie. Cammie disdains our close company, but sleeps in the same room.

My point in all of this is that Tucker, to me, represents some of the best qualities in a cat. He is friendly and loveable, playful, inquisitive, intelligent. Above all, he has patience and endurance; in his forbearance and fortitude, he is an exemplar. It’s true that he will still chase and fight with Noah - rather impressive considering his diabetical disabilities. But he has been through much in his short life, much that would discourage others. He remains cheerful and childlike, without being childish.

If only our elected representatives had the same qualities, if only they could stir our admiration in the same way. But perhaps that’s why we have pets. We spend our lives hoping for something from our politicians. We actually get something from our pets.

20 comments:

  1. We're pretty sure Tucker would be a better MP than any of the human ones, no matter which party they belong to. :-D

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  2. AMEN TO YOUR LAST TWO SENTENCES !!!!!!!!

    N dood....even tho we live in de states, if ya wanna get a cam paign started....we will sneek over de border & glad lee vote ewe inta office !!!! ♥♥♥

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    1. The way politicians are, having one or two cats sneak across the border to vote would be a minor infraction of the rules. But Tucker wouldn't break many of them, I'm sure.

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  3. What a wonderful post John. I never thought about an M.P. being the prime ministers man in a riding instead of the people's representative. How true!
    Tucker sounds like a wonderful cat.Love the photo of he and Noah on the couch.

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    1. The picture is of Tucker and one of his constituents.

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  4. An interesting comparison. I've been quite fortunate as our MP is a very good man, he's available and interested in his constituent's opinions and ideas, and tries hard to represent our interests. He's been doing this for 25 years now and I think when someone is in it for the long haul as he is, there tends to be more servitude than looking out for what is good for the individual. Unfortunately as you say there aren't nearly as many of these MPs as would be desired.

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    1. I'm glad your MP is better than most, but 25 years is a long time. I think it's good for a politician, if not to lose his job once in a while, then at least to see the competition at his heels. Here in Alberta, the Conservatives settled down to doing nothing, and people loved it - until the oil boom collapsed and the politicians were expected to do something about it.

      I'm not a man who likes change, but politicians should be changed once in a while. Like a baby's diaper. And for the same reason.

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  5. Tucker would make a great MP. He sounds the type that everyone would admire his qualities.

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  6. On target regarding politicians of any country. Sad but so true.

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    1. It's difficult not to be cynical about politics. I have to think about my own circle of feline rulers to get in a good mood.

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  7. As far as any politician goes we have to address the elephant in the room -- who is controlling those politicians. Why it's the special interest groups that give them lots and lots of money to run campaigns and then tell us what we want to hear, get elected, and then do what those high dollar donors want. It's corrupt. Until the people decide otherwise so it shall be.

    I much prefer a cat! Mega applause for Tucker being so patient with the ear pricks. I had to do finger pricks and it was hard and I even understood why it had to be done!

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    1. Too true about the special interest groups. There is no way we can not think that 'elective' offices these days are bought. They may not go to the highest bidder, but they never go the people with no money behind them.

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  8. We want to thank you for the kind words about Dorf's crossing over. He was loved so much here. We miss him every single day.

    Hugs from all of us at Forty Paws and Maw

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    1. I think about my Tungsten every day, too. They never leave, even when they go.

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  9. Tucker, you are indeed a very fine fellow. An example for all of us to follow, not just felines, but humans too. I think you would make a fine MP and one to restore our faith in the political system. From Jessica and Eileen

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    1. I guess until cats (and dogs) run the show, we'll just have to learn by example.

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  10. Tucker, you would be an excellent representative anywhere! Here is the U.S. our representatives aren't smart enough to be cats!

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  11. Tucker we would be blessed if politicians were like you. John, he reminds me so much of my Renn when you talk of him. It makes me really miss MY boy who was my diabetic kitty.
    Kelly

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    1. It's funny that Renn is the name of cats in both our lives. There are two other local people with cats named Tucker. It isn't a name I would have chosen but he'd had it for five years by the time he came to me.

      We never stop missing our missing pets...

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