The Cloak of Indignation?

It's been nothing but kitty pandemonium around chez flyskim lately.  The boy cat had a mass on the back of his leg that the vet has had us monitoring for changes in size and appearance for the last year.  These are supposedly common enough that it wasn't worth putting the little man through the trauma of having it removed unless there was a reason for suspicion.  However, someone forgot to mention that even if the mass didn't change at all, it could still rupture.  And that's exactly what happened last week, so off we went to the vet.  The result? 

One consultation and minor surgical procedure later, we have a non-lumpy but pretty annoyed little Hyde with a shaved hind leg, two fewer teeth (a longstanding problem) and a nifty, new fashion accessory. 

Our boy in his e-collar

We keep trying to tell him that it's better than the cone, but we haven't been able to convince him that this is not the most horrid form of torture ever.  Not only can he not hide under the bed, but the girl cat has become all aggressive and territorial and he can't even indulge himself with a good groom.

He tries, but he just keeps grooming the collar.  He's managed to get to his front feet, which means he can wash his face, and one of his back legs.  Wouldn't you know that it's the leg with the stitches?  He hasn't pulled them out yet, so we're just keeping an eye on it. 

And as if the collar and the problems with mobility and grooming weren't enough, the monkeys who control the food keep taking pictures of his pain.  The one bright spot in this for our little boy is that he's been feasting on the canned food he loves but we won't usually give him.

So, we've been a little distracted around here, to say the least.  Don't even get me started with the girl cat.  We've tried separating them, spraying Feliway, feeding them the same food (Pip's waistline is not thanking us), praise and treats for not growling, but the girlie is just not backing down.  And we have to take Hyde back to the vet next week to get his stitches removed, so even if we can restore the status quo by the end of the week (the usual readjustment period), it's just going to start back up again.  We'd take her to the vet with us, but that's actually an even more traumatic ordeal that involves sneaking up on her with a very large towel and usually results in maiming.  Us, not her.  And the vet. 

I have, however, been able to work on a Talbot's inspiration dress.  I'm making Simplicity 2917 (view A in the shorter length as suggested on Pins and Needles) using a lightweight, stretch denim.  The fabric has a slight metallic weave to it, so it has a pretty sheen.  The fitting went well, and I started the sewing last night.  I'll report back on this later.

She seems so innocent when she's boning up on her sewing skills.

Until then, wish us luck in surviving the bad mood that is currently Pip.