A Kind of Treasure Hunt

As an addendum to the article I wrote about Josie’s sensitive stomach, which by the way, was rather timely, as it turned out, I would like to append this observation.

On my days off, I still rise at six to give Tucker his insulin injection. At the same time, I provide the beasts their soft-food breakfasts. I want to make sure the roly poly has something to eat with his medicine, so I feed them all. Then I go back to bed; most mornings, I again fall asleep. This morning, as I drifted off, I heard the unmistakeable sounds of wretching. A cat was throwing up.

It would have been far too late to leap from bed and try to do something about it. So I took note of the three regurgitations I heard (which indicated that it was Josie’s doing) and went to sleep. I would clean everything up later. Or so I thought.

 

Finding a deposit left by a cat is rather like a treasure hunt. A treasure hunt with one of the worst prizes available. But like a search for a pirate’s hidden hoard, it is not always successful. I sought Josie’s vomit high and low (only a pet owner would make such a boast) but could not find it.

There were three possible reasons for this: my Chubs had not actually allowed anything to escape but had caught it in mid-flight, as it were; she or another cat had cleaned it for me, an unpleasant scenario and one that would even so have probably left behind some residue; it was in a secret spot that I would find later, hopefully not much later.

This happens from time to time. Though I like to keep a hygienic home, there are instances when I must admit defeat and give up the search. Having abandoned a house in which this occurred several times over five years, and not having located any refuse lying in obscure corners, I am not really worried about my record of cleanliness.

Still, there are examples of finding the mother lode, or at least a rich vein, at another time, a discovery that, like the solution of a mystery, brings a satisfactory if, in this case, rather disgusting, conclusion to the adventure. There are all kinds of treasure to be found in the world, but that anxiously sought, and often found, by cat-fanciers is, I think, unique.