Mia-ow

The state of the animal kingdom here, for the animal lovers out there...

Thanks for your concern. Mia was not happy with her blanket. She wasn't awake, but she'd flail a bit and try to roll up to her feet. I put her back in her carrier to contain her. Later, when the rolling continued in earnest, I let her out. She was dazed and kept trying to go upstairs. I figured she was trying to get to one of her favorite napping spots--on the heated tile of the bathroom floor--and carried her up. She fell back into that scary sleep...and seemed to be leaking. It wasn't bile or urine. It smelled (yes, I smelled it) odorless. But there were pools of it a couple of times and she was drenched. Poor baby.

I was a little worried about how long it was taking her to wake up. I've had another cat spayed here, and she woke up faster. (I had another Russian kitten who didn't get along with Beazy and went to live with a family from school. It might be because of what I named her. Seriously, did I think Beatrice and Helena would get along? What was I thinking?) But, her incision was on her hip (which I'd never seen--but I think it made for a faster recovery). Mia's is on her stomach. Different surgeons...

About 5 a.m. (10 hours later) Mia was awake and groggy. I brought her in to my room, took off her little straight jacket, and she slept a bit. A little bit. She's eaten a few kibbles and is slowly moving around. She's still a little loopy--and she's very skittish and afraid. I feel so bad for her!

I'm sure she'll feel better soon. She's hiding right now, which just makes me feel worse. She's usually very much a lap cat, much to my chagrin. Now, when I'd feel better if I could comfort her a bit, she's MIA. (ha) And I'm worried about her stitches. (Tami, any tips from Shad on how to keep her from licking them too much? Neosporin? Ace bandage? I know a little licking is okay, but how much is too much?)

eta: It's now quarter past six in the evening and Mia is much more awake. She's sore and her eyes are squinty (weird), but she's much better. She so wants Beazy to snuggle up with her, but Beazy remains wary of that vet smell. Time to break out the vanilla for the napes of both cats.

Changing animals- it's not uncommon to see people on the street with a bear cub asking for "donations". There is always a sign saying that the bear needs money for honey. Unfortunately, this ploy works. You often see children and tourists taking pictures with the bear cubs. The bear cubs look miserable and drugged. I'll go picture-taking for you once school is out. But it's sad.

The "horse girls' near Palace Square have a reputation for riding up and cornering people and being persistent to the point of viciousness in their demands for money "to feed their horses". It hasn't happened to me, but it has to three male colleagues.

At the same time, I've seen old women treat stray cats with great compassion. They feed them along with the birds in the park. I'm told by a Russian friend that the women are making amends in a way, offering gratitude for the animals that were eaten during the siege. It may be this soft spot that local people have for animals that make the ploys of the hustlers lucrative.