Read Online The Cat's Job by Steve Miller, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - Free Book Online Page A

who had become accustomed to a
two cat household.
    And so Hexapuma went from a large
cat-centric cattery situation to a quiet country situation. His
"bad" eye became less bad and eventually stopped developing daily
crudspots; his ears seemed improved, his demeanor, always
acceptable, became even better as he made his way from a cat-couch
sitter to a people couch sitter, and began even to take part in the
nightly catpile on the bed.
    Yet something was still not quite
right. His ears were... not always good, and sometimes were
odorous. He wasn't gaining weight as fast as expected, and he often
shook his head in a way that showed he wasn't pleased, and he
scratched himself in an effort to get at something bothersome below
his ears. Thus, after months of pouring various antibiotics into
him, our local vet suggested that it might be time to attempt a
surgical solution – one that he wasn't comfortable in performing
himself.
    Adventuring to Portland, Hexapuma met
the vet and staff with his usual straightforward interest. The
diagnosis confirmed, the prognosis was indeed continued trouble if
something wasn't done. So the die was cast, and his affected ear
was drilled, scraped, and cleansed of a number of polyps, (which
should not return). He came through his operation with panache,
quickly disdaining the "cone of shame" or "Elizabethan collar" he
was gifted with.
    After 10 days, and a trip to the local
vet, Hex is confirmed as doing well. His bare neck and ugly scar
are giving way to fresh fur, and his hesitant sitting under the
kitchen table has given way to a return to his normal social self.
All is well!
    All is well, except that the Cat Farm's finances were hard
struck. Thus, the book you have in your hands, a special editon
of
The
Cat's Job
, with Hexapuma's photo on the front cover, of which $5
from each of the first 400 copies goes to pay down the cost of his
surgery and the last few months of antibiotics and local vet
bills.
    And that's part of where Anthony
Trollope comes in, because as you see, we in the tale all have our
parts, as ordained by our background and breeding and family
history, with Scrabble taking the brown-cat in charge role, Mozart
taking the handsome elder-cat role, Hexapuma taking the rakish
young cat with a problem survived role, and Sharon and Steve taking
the long-time cat people role. Our stories began before you knew
us, and now that you do know us, you know our stories continue,
with ripples moving through history. Thanks for riding the wave,
thanks for reading, and thanks for your support.
     
    -- Steve Miller and Sharon
Lee
    writing from the Cat Farm and
Confusion Factory
    April 2010