This little known but insidious disease, more commonly referred to as "hairballs in the brain", sneaks up on folks who live and/or work with more than six cats on a daily basis. It usually strikes about the time you desperately need all your grey matter up and running at maximum capacity to concentrate on a project, final exams, or tax returns. Say you have phone in hand, ready to make some necessary calls, when all of a sudden you can't remember who you wanted to call or why. You could be sitting at your computer, hands poised purposefully above the keyboard.
Thirty minutes later you're still stroking the sleeping cat in your lap while staring at a blank screen, where meaningful words have somehow failed to materialize. "nadi8oatwphads" created by cats taking a stroll on the keyboard does not count! Common household chores, like making the bed and taking out the trash, require four hours or more of deliberation on when and how to make these things happen.
It's hairballs in the brain.
The good news is that the effects are temporary, though the longevity of these attacks varies per individual. No formal studies have been conducted given that the scientific community does not yet acknowledge the existence of FM. Also, on the plus side, your kitty friends are immune to this disease. The feline physiology is designed to deal with hairballs long before they can reach the brain, in an effective, if somewhat unappealing, manner.
Given that I live with The Fab Five Felines plus Antonio and three crazy kittens, volunteer at a cat rescue shelter, and pet sit on a regular basis, I'm in the high risk category for recurring Furred Mentalitis. With all due respect to the scientific community, FM does so exist!
That's my excuse anyway, for inflicting this little holiday ditty on you. Actually, I DID share this with a few friends via email last year, but in the grip of FM this month I decided, why limit the insanity to just a few?
The Fab Five, Antonio, kitkins Apollo, Venus, and Pandora, and yours truly wish everyone a lovely and joyous holiday season!
Pet Sitters Christmas Ditty
(sung to the tune of "Jingle Bells")
Driving through the rain
in a rusty old red Saab;
Praying it won't snow -
need to reach my jobs!
Cats and dogs await;
Poop to scoop and bag;
Fur to stroke and ears to scratch and tails are sure to wag!
Purrs and barks, barks and purrs,
meows all the way.
Oh what fun to pet sit on
a snow-free Christmas Day!
Repeat over and over until you feel a hairball coming on!
DISCLAIMER: The Raz here. The Fab Five had NOTHING - repeat NOTHING! - to do with this article. We DO however wholeheartedly endorse the Happy Holiday greeting and the brief message below - Meows!
The holiday season is a purrfect time to remember all the cats who aren't as blessed as your own fur babies in having a home to call their own. Please do whatever you can to help out your local rescues and feral caregivers.
Visit The Fab Five and diana at http://www.geocities.com/newagecatcare. diana is a pet sitter in Carroll County, MD; Vice President of the Howard County Cat Club, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, no-kill cat rescue/adoption agency http://www.howardcountycatclub.org; freelance pet photographer, and Catnip Chronicles columnist and consultant.
