Never Fear!

The Finical Feline is still here!

Sorry for my absence. I had a feeling I wasn't going to be able to post anything new the last couple of weeks, but rather than plan ahead, I was convinced I would somehow (probably magically) have time to get something together.

Not so much! In fact, I spent much of the week before last being slightly ridiculous.

Why yes, that is Gul Dukat and Sisko engaging in

Epic Battles while aside Rose Luck and Colgate. 

What else would I do with my spare time???

And this week was spent being incredibly sick 

and snuggled up in a big pile of blankets

I'm finally starting to feel better, and I'll be back early next week with more pictures and stories of cats, cat grooming and anything else that I find interesting enough to share. I hear there's a few nasty cold bugs going around right now, so if you're sick, I feel for you! Stay home, rest, relax and get someone to cook some healthy, tasty food for you. Unless you've mostly lost your sense of taste (like I did) and just eat healthy food. It's not going to matter what it tastes like! 

Practicing with Tigers

Well, maybe just one Tiger! Tiger is a very affectionate (to the point of being annoying) Domestic Shorthair that belongs to my good groomer friend, Andie. He lives at her shop and I was given permission to use him for any type of creative grooming I want to try. In return, I bathe him every so often, even if I'm not clipping or coloring him. I haven't colored him yet, actually, but there's a rumor he should show some Ravens pride so purple might be in his future!

Anyway, last month I decided to do some Abstract Runway practice while Andie was away. Now, most cats tend to lay on the table, either on their bellies like little bread loafs, stretched out flat on their sides or recline somewhere in between.

But not Tiger. Oooh, no. Tiger rules the shop and has gotten the idea that he can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. Which isn't that uncommon for a cat! So for the first 15 minutes, Tiger stood. It is very difficult to groom a standing cat. Way hard. Trying to clip in some type of abstract pattern? Really, really hard!

irregularly shaped circles

 harder to clip than one would think!

Now it wasn't that Tiger minded being groomed, or didn't like it, or whatever, it was just him being a sassy redhead cat. But the funny thing was that after some time had passed, I asked him to lay on his side. And he did. Just stretched out and let me clip away. 

Swirls are much easier!

The entire time I was clipping his swirly side, he was laying on his side, purring contently and kneading and waving his paws. He certainly didn't care what I was doing, he was happy!

Oh hey, are we done???

 we're done!

Andie came back from her vacation (I had emailed her and told her I had no idea what had happened to her cat!) and had to explain Tiger's interesting appearance to all her customers...at least until she got tired of it and tucked him away out of sight! Most people loved it. Everyone else at least acknowledged that it was interesting and unique and quite obviously didn't phase Mr. Social Butterfly. 

After a week or so, I was in Andie's shop, bathing Haiku. Someone came in to pick up their dog and saw Tiger. Naturally, they inquired. And Andie turned around, pointed dramatically at me at stated, "Her! She did it!" 

I think she'd waited all week for the opportunity! 

The competition is tomorrow evening. Tomorrow morning I will do a final bath and groom with Sara, then we head to the land of chocolate! Wish us luck!