Have I
mentioned bath time with the J's?
Perhaps in passing. Certainly
have not related in detail the fun and games.
Jet (the guinea pig) had to be
bathed regularly for, as you might imagine in the vaguely tropical climate that
is Sydney, skin troubles would otherwise plague him… and therefore me. He was a compliant lad and the only time he
would protest was on the quarterly use of delousing shampoo. Don't blame him for that. It stank.
He
absolutely adored being brushed though.
He would come when I called and tapped the brush. At a run!
For two years then it was only Jet and YAM and a well-bonded pair we
were.
Then
along came the cat. Jasper right from
kitten-hood, loved to cuddle. I have
known so many cats who are very selective in their affections, but this lad;
not just with me but with anyone who would allow him close. He was an active smoocher. Butting his head into every part of you,
kneading, curling. Finally he'd settle
on the left shoulder (only the left mark you), draped like a stole and
perfectly at peace. This made for easy
grooming. I made a habit from the very
beginning of our relationship, to take him on my knee each evening and run my
hands through that thick and gorgeous silver coat, removing any unwanted guests
(dispatching them accordingly - there is a limit to my hospitality). If he thought I had paid too much attention
to one area he would ensure to move so that another spot got seen to. What is more, he would watch Jet being bathed
each month and would happily allow me to put him through the routine too!
It was
this nightly session which saved our bonding after his big adventure. Whilst
it took a couple of months, he finally started coming for the grooming sessions
again. However, he never again let me
bathe him. This confirmed my suspicion
that he had been flooded and perhaps close to
drowning during that escapade and
he had no more desire for encounters with water!
When Jade
arrived, for several months she considered the family bathing sessions to be a
great game. Especially enjoying the
stretch out on the grass after the wetting, teasing her brothers, running round
them to get them to move too - was she demonstrating blow-dry by wind drag??
I cannot
exactly pin down the time when this changed, but certainly the day arrived when
she too decided she didn't like water.
As I type this I am tempted to tie it in with Jasper refusing baths -
but to be perfectly honest on this occasion, that may simply be pure
romanticism on my part. It would not
have been at a hugely different time though, so perhaps in retrospect it was
that and I had just never put so much thought to it! Regardless, from some point in her teenage time she started to make bath time a major headache and physical chore for me.
A great
many folk will relate to me the old wives' tale of not washing dogs as it
strips their skin or fur or whatever.
Aha. So explain to me why dogs, left to their own
devices, will actively seek water for cleaning themselves and why they don't
suffer from continual wetting in the rain?
Certainly if you use silly soaps then - just as for us - skin and hair
will become brittle and itchy. There are
plenty of appropriately designed preparations on the market now or you can do as
I did - use rosemary and tea-tree oils blended with some oats.
Every six months I'd use a sudsy shampoo thing.
"yesssss... no left, down, back a bit..." |
Getting
Jade wet was the battle. Once the
cleanser was being applied and massage happened with it, she'd go all
soppy-eyed and dribbly. That bit was
acceptable it seems!
But then
would come the chase around the yard with the rinsing bucket. Stand in one spot for a drenching? You have got to be kidding mother. Well to be fair, once I got her, she would
stay still, but it could take a while. I was always exhausted and my back would
ache after this monthly torture. The
older she got the more difficult it would be to find her. As soon as she saw a certain bucket going
under a certain tap she would become invisible. Behind the bed. Under the fridge. In the wardrobe. Now was the time to find her tree-climbing
prowess. Well of course I exaggerate
here (no kidding!) - but it conveys the essence of bath day to you.
"was that absolutely necessary, mother?!" |
At 21a I
decided to try and use one of those professional mobile grooming salons as it
was all becoming a bit too much for me physically. That lasted exactly two turns. The lovely young man, despite his best
efforts, could not keep her in the tub.
Her cries were horrendous. The
fellow was surely some kind of devil when it was just she and he. Or at least she'd have me believe such, in
order to escape the ordeal.
Sigh. Back to the bath at home then. Right up until her final days we'd go through
this dance of derring do. Afterwards we
would both flop on the grass or I would have to pay the price in return by
throwing the toy of choice for as long as my arm could stand it.
Is there
any greater joy than bonding with one's pets through trial and trauma?
Don't forget to visit BOZO or any other of our pet-blog pals found on the list over there!!
We've never tried bathing Lindy ourselves. She weighs a lot, and getting her into the bathtub might be possible, but getting her and a Golden Retriever-worth of water out of the tub would be awful, so we'd have to dry her on site. No thanks.
ReplyDeleteSo, she goes to visit the groomer. She's always very happy getting out of the car and up the steps, and reasonably happy greeting Michelle and her cat, but is getting increasingly stubborn about the bathing and hair-cutting.
She absolutely refuses the blow-dryer now, so Michelle has to towel her dry. Seems Lindy suffers from some sort or problem which causes un-dried parts of her skin to break open, bleed, and hurt. Poor puppy. So we have five "dog towels" for rainy days, because rain means mud, and muddy footprints throughout the house.
Why five towels? Because I don't wash dog towels with other laundry, and the five make a washer load large enough to be worth the fuss and bother.
Aren't pets great? We adore Lindy.
Luv, K
Hari Om
ReplyDeleteCould visualise and empathise:)
Bozo loves his bath of late. Used to hate it a couple of years back. And no groomer for him. It is the bathroom at home!
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteKay and Lindy - yes! Jade had many dog towels and blankets for her bed which all made a load... only way to go &*>
Magiceye and Bozo - Getting to like baths? Well done my lad - and the bath is the best place for all concerned!!! YAM xx