Ivy Tussles With A Wasp
Yesterday afternoon I was sitting here with Charlie reading the news and weather online when suddenly a wasp fell on the table next to me.
Ivy had been on the table staring up at the window for some time, so I guess she had seen it behind the wicker blinds.
The wasp moved a bit, so I knew it was just dazed. Ivy was frantically trying to get to it. I had a folded paper towel on the table on the other side of me and I quickly scooped it up and took it outside where it quickly flew away.
When I sat back down, I noticed that Ivy’s left eye was partially closed. Oh no, I thought! What if the wasp stung her eye?
Of course many thoughts went through my head at once…
…Is the vet even open…if they are how would I maintain any sort of social distancing in that very small office…could she lose her eyesight…would l be able to carry her crate there with my back in the shape it’s been in…would she be okay?
I quickly Googled cat stung by wasp and it said to call the vet immediately if she was stung? But was she stung?
I watched her for a few minutes and her eye returned to normal. I guess it buzzed past her eye or perhaps fell on her when she swooped it out of the air with her big paw. I was so relieved.
Funny what all goes through your mind when you think your baby might be hurt. It’s like your brain goes into overdrive.
Then later I walked past her chair and something caught my eye. I looked closer and there are tiny little holes all over the chair. Ivy’s nails have to be the culprit.
If I thought she was ruining the other chair, this one doesn’t stand a chance. I mistakenly thought that fake leather would somehow not get torn up.
I was wrong. Ivy’s nails need to be cut. But I don’t have any trimmers and I’ve never owned nail clippers. I prefer to use a nail file on my nails.
I’ve tried to put quilts and blankets over the chair to protect it, but they eventually just slide right off because the chair is so slick to start with.
I vaguely recall that being in the reviews of the chair, that it was a bit slick on the surface.
I told myself not to cry over spilled milk and just let her enjoy her damned chair.
Does this look like a cat who would let me take yet another chair away from her? I don’t think so. She seemed to mourn the upholstered chair.
Remember I told you she stood at the storm door on her hind legs with her front paws on the glass staring at the chair I was cleaning on the porch to then give to the neighbor?
No, she would be devastated if I took another chair away from her. So I’ve just decided to not let it bother me. No point worrying myself to death over it or scolding her.
She is a cat and a cat has claws for a reason and that is that. I gave her the chair and thus I have relinquished the right to take it away. I just won’t do that to her again. It’s her chair.
Yesterday evening just after I fed the babies I was walking toward the kitchen with Ivy’s empty plate when I somehow tripped in the hall over the egg crate mattress topper I keep on the hallway floor.
The mattress topper is Charlie’s therapy. The acupuncture vet told me to put one down where he’d have to walk and it would help him feel his back legs that sometimes slide out from under him.
Somehow I guess walking on the uneven surface sends a signal to his brain for his feet to move forward. And it’s been working too. She told me last week that he’s getting some muscle back.
So I don’t know how I did it, but I found myself sprawled across the kitchen floor among shards of glass. My right leg was bleeding in two places, so I guess the plate hit the floor just before I did. They were just tiny cuts but dripping blood.
I laid there for a few minutes trying to get my bearings and see what was hurt. Certainly my right knee was all banged up. Both my wrists had apparently helped to break my fall so I didn’t land on my face and they were beat up.
I applied ice. Actually I ice my back and neck and often my ankle every night when I’m watching TV or reading. Ice is my best friend.
Today I feel like I took a few tumbles in the clothes dryer. If I thought my back was hurting before it’s really hurting now. And so is my right hip. And my knees and wrists and the cuts on my leg.
I had had the empty plate in my left hand and the handheld vacuum in the other. Thankfully I didn’t break the vacuum as Dyson handheld vacuums are not cheap and I think their handheld vacuum is the best on the market.
It was pretty handy to have that with me because it stayed in my right hand. So while I was laying on the floor I vacuumed up the smaller bits of glass.
Then I got up and picked up the rest of the mess. The babies had scattered like someone had shot a gun as soon as they heard all the noise.
What entered my mind was the name of an old TV show that I just barely remember. It was called This Is Your Life. As I limped around, that’s what I thought of.
I’m clumsy. I tend to fall quite a bit. And this is my life.
Also I wanted to mention that in recent days I have heard Ivy purring. I had not heard it all the time she’s been living here. But now when I get down on the floor on my yoga mat to stretch twice per day, Ivy lays down next to me begging me to pet her.
When I pet her she purrs. Her purr sounds like a pot of water on the stove just beginning to boil. It isn’t a soft feminine purr. It is more gravelly, I guess you could say. But then why on earth would I think that anything about Ivy would be what I would consider normal?
Ivy is just not a normal cat. Not like the cats I’ve lived with before. She’s her own unique little cat person. I tell her she’s my little baby girl, though she weighs nearly 15 pounds.
Yikes.. We just do not bounce good anymore.. So sorry..hope you find some pain relief in rest and otc meds.. glad it was not anything requiring ER visit..as we all know..need to steer clear from that right now(and always). 🙁 ….. I told my daughter to make sure she is strictly supervising our little grandsons..as they are all boy and love to roughhouse.. so no unexpected ER visits. One thing at your home..never a dull moment. 🙂 .. Take care ..and I think you are right..just let Ivy enjoy her chair….maybe if you have a large quilt..you could try throwing it over the back and covering the whole chair..I have a leather loveseat…slide, slide go my comforters, too. lol :0) Be Blessed and prayers for our World and the sick.
It’s important to keep cat’s nails trimmed. Here’s an article explaining why:
https://www.petmd.com/news/view/how-often-should-you-trim-cats-nails-37807
Since you’ve never done it and she’s no longer a kitten, she probably wouldn’t let you do it now. You can take her to the vet and they will do it cheaply. During this quarantine when you have to take your pets to the vet (Clementine has an appt tomorrow), they come out to your car to get your pet and then bring them back. You might also want to look into trying one of those cardboard scratching posts for Ivy. My cats like the triangle-shaped one. I get it on Amazon.
I’m concerned about you falling a lot, especially since you already have back and ankle problems. Perhaps when you do your yoga stretches every day, it would be a good idea to practice balance poses as well.
Stay safe, my friend!
I think there are some sort of glue on nail protectors for cat claws. They have dull tips and protect the furniture. I have never used them on any cat, but you might want to look into them. I don’t know if they work, but it could keep so much damage from happening to your chair if they do.
Falls like that are just a shock to your whole body…hope you are feeling better soon!
Wondering if maybe you can get a slipcover for the chair…like something heavy duty from Surefit or somewhere like that? I’m with you…it’s her chair…
Yeah, maybe I will. But her claws will still go through it. Guess I wouldn’t see them though. I don’t know if Ivy would actually go for that. I had to take the quilt off her chair because she refused to sit in it.
Brenda, I’m so glad you didn’t get seriously hurt ! I did have to chuckle to myself when you said you vacuumed up the glass as you laid there! As far as Ivy’s chair goes I would buy a slipcover to put over it !
Eventually I’ll probably do that. I’ve got a quilt wrapped around it right now but she can still lay in it. She tends to sleep behind my chair in the daytime and heads to that chair at night.
She got up. I picked her heavy butt up and put her on the quilt I have tucked in the chair. She jumped right down. Acts like she’s scared of it.
My cats left their marks on my leather recliners and couch. There are products to repair vinyl and leather but the chair is Ivy’s and she might not like the smell. If you made a thick cover with elastic bands to hold it in place that might protect one area of the chair. The arms are harder. Cats do leave their mark. Just jumping up or down their nails can scrape or tear leather.
I wonder if a carpeted cat tower might delight her? They love heights.
We had one cat who used to chew hair of anyone bold enough to sit near him. He purred all the while. So funny.
Ivy is a beautiful cat.
Frances
I bought one of those shaped like a house and carpeted but she has no interest in it. Christmas 2018 I spent $100 on the thing and she ignores it. I think she needs one she can climb higher on. I’ve been looking online. But also I worry that she’s so big she might get up there and knock it over and hurt herself.
Brenda, I’m so glad you didn’t hurt yourself too badly but at least you know why you tripped. I don’t have much trouble with falling but yesterday I tripped over absolutely nothing and fell headfirst into the couch. The frame cut my shin which is now ugly but once I laid in a heap groaning for a few minutes I’m fine. I didn’t see any purpose in telling you after the fact when you got your new chair but my cats have done the same thing to my faux leather bar stools. At first I was pretty sick over it, but the more time that goes by the less it bothers me. I’ve even bought a cowhide to reupholster them but I’m just not so concerned about it now so “one of these days” is fine for now. We learn to focus on what’s important, especially when it involves our babies.
That’s my reaction too. With what’s going on in the world, it seems the least of my worries.
Goodness! I’m glad you didn’t suffer any serious, lasting hurt from your fall. About the chair, if it gets too bad maybe someone could whip up a canvas or other type slipcover for your chair. Or you might could even find an adjustable one that would fit out of the box.
That’s an idea I had too.
Brenda maybe a hot soak in the tub with some Epsom salts. That was scary. My Norah is doing the same thing to my new office chair. I am sure those two are related. Norah can be a terror at times but so much fun. Please be careful and hope you feel better soon.
Maybe they were separated after birth. Ivy’s mother left them when they were about two weeks old. Maybe she got ran over or something. But the rescue place bottle fed Ivy and her siblings. Only Ivy and her brother lived. If I could have I’d have taken the brother. But only 2 pets are allowed here.
Try duck taping the blanket to the chair.
That’s an idea.
My goodness..so glad you didnt have any serious injuries. I try to be more careful now since its almost impossible to get to a doctor !!! Love lvy and understand what you mean about her chair because thats how i would react….. Mine are spoiled to.. Have a blessed day and be careful…
I
Somehow in all my clumsy falls I haven’t had to go to the doctor. I just let the soreness and stiffness wear off.
The doctors here are doing video appointments.
My cat has some cardboard scratchers and does a great job of keeping her nails in shape so she doesn’t have to put up with me attempting to survive trimming her nails. I change them out every other month. She loves the catnip that is sprinkled on top.
I sure hope you are feeling better after your fall. Those are not fun.
She scratches at that big cat scratcher I bought her all the time. Maybe I need to add something else like you’re suggesting.
Oh Brenda, thank God you’re ok – how frightening!!! I took a tumble myself a few weeks back – I was standing in my kitchen making dinner and whatever way I stepped backward I fell flat on my back….it was terrifying and my back is still not 100% but I considered myself very lucky as it could have been much worse. Scary!!
One time last year I fell out of the bath tub while I was taking a shower onto my back. That wasn’t fun.
Brenda, hope your soreness & pain improves
quickly. Happy CharlieBoy is gaining strength in his muscles. You might try non-skid waffle
rubberized for carpet (no glue) available @ WalMart.Lay on seat &
Tuck in all sides. Then tuck her quilts.
Like the photo of driftwood!
????????? ?
I have tucked it in but it doesn’t stay. I guess because the surface of the chair is so slick.
I’m just relieved no bones are broken! the bruises are bad enough!
great pictures of your little cat person. you’re right. she’s one of a kind!
and I love that about her.
I’m in my 4th and I hope FINAL day of a horrible extreme dizziness. I think the worst is over finally. I’ve had no fever but otherwise felt awful. just been taking Dramamine for the nausea.
now I just feel weak from lying down a lot. seems it’s always something! xoxo
Oh I hate to think how many times I’d fall if I felt dizzy! What is yours from? Do you know?
I get vertigo a lot and it’s been coming back. Try taking meclazine. I think that the spelling. it is used for travel sickness. It often helps me.
Oh. Brenda I can’t believe you fell again. I’m so glad that you didn’t break anything, because the last thing you want to do now is go to the ER. Take it easy for a few days if possible to give yourself time to heal. xo Laura
I seem to have a tendency to stumble and fall. Been this way my whole life.
We trim our cats claws with adult nail clippers and its work out just great but we a very careful on the amount we cut off I hope your aches and pains from the fall heal fast have a great day
If I’d thought of it I would have bought clippers before now. The vet has clipped them. But I can’t take her there now.
Yikes,take it easy and rest…I tend to be clumsy too and with a bad hip,not good.
Love that picture of her looking over the chair arm,she looks shocked,lol.
Shocked? I thought she looked ticked off. Maybe it is both.
Brenda, would it work to put a blanket on Ivy’s chair and tuck it into the back of the seat cushion? That might keep it from sliding off. Hope your bumps and bruises mend soon.
I tried that. Ivy is heavy and when she jumps up there it comes untucked.
I just added a different quilt to the chair. It isn’t quilted but tied and is kind of a different texture. The problem is that behind the seat there is only an inch or so of cushion, so it slides out easily when someone sits down. We’ll see how this quilt works.