Peter Continues The Story of Reg so far….

(Author’s note; due to unforeseen problems adding videos, and a lack of time to currently sit down and figure them out, the planned juxtaposition of letters and numbers for this week has been pre-empted. Music videos will return.)

September 14th is always an auspicious day at Chez Montreuil, as it marks Reg the Cat’s birthday. This, the second part of “The Story of Reg; so far…;), deals with the period between Him leaving Brampton and His arrival in Toronto, circa December 12, 2012 – February 02, 2013.

I realized that He would have to be boarded, so I contacted my vet in Bramalea to make the necessary arrangements. As I was moving on the Friday, I would have to board Him as of the previous day. I duly called for a cab, and was putting the mighty beast in His carrier when the cab showed up. “We’ll be right there!” I chirped over my shoulder as I tried to stuff a rather angry cat, his four legs and tail twirling like the propellors on a Westland Wyvern 1), into the apparently rapidly shrinking pet carrier. Herculean feat finished, off to the cab we went. Reg growled indignantly, as did I when the driver asked if we were going to the animal shelter. “No’, I answered frostily, ‘ we are going to the animal hospital next door to it!”

While Reg vocally expressed his indignation, at the same time reminding me that He had forgotten HIS wallet, our chauffeur sallied “What’s wrong with the cat?” I asked him if he liked being cooped up in a cage. He had the good grace to admit that he, in fact, did not. I asked why the cat should be any different.

Eventually we arrived at our destination. I paid the (doubtless relieved to be rid of us!) driver and carried my little buddy into the reception area. There were a couple of people already there, including one of those annoying souls who has a jumpy, over friendly dog who leaps and yelps in a frenzy while it strains at the end of its leash and the handler coos at it and assures you that “He’s really very friendly, you know!” As that beast nosed at Reg’s carrier door, Reg, never the friendliest at any time hissed warningly, although whether he was warning me or the dog I do not know. All too soon, (note the preceding was sarcasm), we were in the back of the office getting down to business.

Now when I had lived in Brampton, The Bramalea Animal Hospital was my veterinary hospital. I first dealt with them in 2006, when Reg’s mother Jane had a medical emergency and I had little money to spare at the time. I told Doctor “Oats” Telep, the veterinarian, this and he generously allowed me to make monthly payments on the account which he set up. With the help of my dear Lois, I was able to save my cat. I remember working every second of overtime that I could get, to help get the bill paid off.

Fast forward to 2012, when I had money to spare 2) as I was out from under my mortgage 3). I went in and talked to the good doctor and mentioned the kindness that he done for me in 2006, and that this had influenced my decision to board Reg at his hospital. Doctor Telep looked at me and confessed that he had forgotten about that incident!

Anyway, for boarding purposes, I left a couple of Reg’s favourite toys, as well as an unwashed t shirt of mine 4). I signed the paperwork turning Him over to the tender mercies of the hospital, made sure that they would give Him some out of the cage attention every day, bade Him a fond, albeit temporary, farewell, and headed out to get some moving stuff done.

You know, it’s funny. When you board your pet, while you know they are safe, you still miss them. You can’t possibly look after them while you are trying to get your own life back together, but you do feel like a bad animal parent. (You wonder if they miss you too, of course!) As a result, it is always my standard procedure at those times to phone the vet once a day during the week, and to visit on Saturdays. (Unless I’m going out of town, in which case I phone on Saturday as well.) Thank goodness for unlimited long distance plans!

So it came to pass that at varying times during the day I would telephone the hospital. I would call from my office during lunch, I would use my cell phone while waiting for Lois in front of her office at 6:00 P.M. I would talk to Reception who would transfer me to the back office. They’d bring me up to date on his behaviour. “Reg doesn’t like being boarded, Mr Montreuil!” (I knew that. Reg hates just about everybody and everything😉 !) “He played with that ball that you left for him, ate, then went to sleep.” (Makes perfect sense to me. He is a cat of simple needs, after all.) It was nice to know what was going on with Reg, and knowing that they were taking good care of the little guy.

Of course, sometimes I spoke to the vet himself. I had asked that some of Reg’s, ahem, “factory installed equipment” be removed. This went well, although there were some unexpected side effects. Reg began to attack His tail. I remember when Doctor Telep once told me, “We had to sedate him to shave his tail.” I quickly imagined 4 or 5 staff members trying to hold a rather angry cat down during this procedure, hence the need for sedation during this treatment.

On Saturdays during Reg’s stay at the hospital, I would make the trip from Toronto to Brampton to visit him for an hour or so and put some money on His bar tab. He was always happy to see me, the staff would let Him out of the cage and we’d sit together in a room. He’d get up on my lap and purr as I petted Him. Once, to my amusement, I noticed that they had put a Toronto Maple Leaf towel in the cage 5). All too soon, my time was up and I had to leave to return to Toronto.

One Saturday, I took Lois with me to meet Reg. We sat in a room with windows in the two doors. Reg was happy to meet Lois that day 6). He was walking between Lois and I, rubbing up against us when a young employee of the hospital walked past the window. In mid-rub, Reg turned and hissed at the poor innocent!

In the fullness of time, I was able to find a place to live. The day after I moved in, I took the bus to Brampton, picked up my four legged friend, jumped in a taxi and home we went. Reg must have suspected something good was happening, because he positively sprang into the carrier!

We got home, Reg inspected the place and gave His personal approval of my handiwork in the litter box. We have stayed here since then, and will well into the foreseeable future. ( As I had a surplus of money on the boarding account, the hospital contacted me for my address and mailed me a cheque). I was very satisfied with the performance of Bramalea Animal Hospital during that time. It was very reassuring to know that Reg was in good, caring hands. Reg’s review of the whole thing? Reg hates to be boarded 😉!

His Majestic Indifference. 

What do Reg the Cat and approximately 40% of the eligible voters in Ontario have in common? They didn’t vote in the last provincial election. Reg didn’t because of shameless “speciesism”, the 40% because they apparently couldn’t be bothered to get off the couch and exercise their hard won (by others, of course) franchise. As a result, roughly 17% of the total eligible voters in Ontario elected an unproven bully, who will happily gut women’s rights, labour rights, arts, education, healthcare and so much more to please corporate interests and the religious zealots who helped put him into power. As an aside, this means that up to 83% of all eligible Ontario voters actively or passively rejected his well thought out campaign platform. (Note, lots of sarcasm in today’s column 😉 !) Municipal elections are coming up, advance polls are already open and October 22 is Election Day. If eligible to vote, make sure that you are on the voter’s list and that you know what to take to the polls with you. Be informed about the candidates, know where they stand on the issues that matter to you. Get out and vote, all of you! We CAN change things.

On more pleasant notes, Soundtrack Of The City has a launch party tonight at “The Hideout” and starts Thursday, October 11th, at the same venue which will also be the site of the “Indie Week” media launch party on October 16th.

See you soon.

1) A turboprop Royal Navy attack aircraft of the 1950s.

2) That’s why they called it the good olde days 😉!

3) from the French, literally means “Death Letter”.

4) These are some of the things that you should include in the “kit” you leave at the boarding place, as well, of course as any special food or medication.

5) I am a long time Montreal Canadiens fan.

6) When she visited Chez Montreuil later, Reg would greet her with a hiss!

=PJM=

A confirmed Cat person, Peter dabbled with being a water boy, a paper boy and an altar boy before finally settling on a career with the Canadian federal government.  Once, in his youth, he ate a Dutch  oven full of mashed potatoes to win a 5 cent bet with his beloved sister Mary’s boyfriend. (Of course he was much younger and a nickel went a lot farther!) He has retired to palatial “Chez Montreuil”, which he shares with his diabetic little buddy Reg the Cat. He is blessed to have his dear Lois in his life. He is not only a plastic aircraft modeller, but a proud “rivet counter”. Military aviation and live music are among other interests of his, and he tries to get out to as many shows as he can. He will be here for your enlightenment whenever the stars align. Profile photo courtesy of Pat Blythe, caricature courtesy of Peter Mossman.