Anyone who’s been to my website at vickilewisthompson.com knows about Eve, the black cat I adopted from the Humane Society two years ago. In fact, if you have any cute pet pictures lying around, I’d love for you to enter them in Eve’s Second Annual Pet Photo Contest. For every entry I’m donating a dollar to animal rescue. But hurry, because the contest ends March 31st! 
If you have animals, then you know life is never dull where they’re concerned, and sometimes it’s downright scary. Eve put me through it several weeks ago when she developed an abscess on her cheek. Yes, that’s about as icky as it sounds.
Of course I felt all guilty, thinking I’d allowed her to get into something that caused the abscess. This is the cat who goes outside on a leash because if I let her run loose, the roaming coyotes will eat her. Yes, they parade right through the front yard in broad daylight. And they’re beautiful – wild and sleek and ready to gobble up any cats and small dogs left to their own devices.
Of course I felt all guilty, thinking I’d allowed her to get into something that caused the abscess. This is the cat who goes outside on a leash because if I let her run loose, the roaming coyotes will eat her. Yes, they parade right through the front yard in broad daylight. And they’re beautiful – wild and sleek and ready to gobble up any cats and small dogs left to their own devices.So out I go every morning with Eve sporting her red harness and leash, and it’s true that I let her roll in the dirt. I mean, c’mon. Cats love that, and she’s such a good sport about the harness and leash that I can’t deny her a little dirt bath. However, I think that might have been where she rubbed something into her cheek that caused the abscess. Or not. Abscesses are mysterious things and could be caused by lots of things that are Not My Fault. I hope. I’m a kitty mom and guilt seems to go with the territory.
Dealing with the abscess was not fun. She had to have a drain tube installed. Has anybody else had that particular pleasure? And then came the funnel-shaped collar. I tried to convince Eve she looked like Queen Elizabeth wearing a starched ruff, but she wasn’t buying it. Hated the collar.I’m happy to report she’s fine now. The drain’s gone, the collar’s gone, and her fur is growing back. She’s primping a lot because I told her she has a prominent role in my next book called OVERHEXED. It comes out in October just in time for Halloween, and yep, it’s a paranormal. The black cat in the book is called Sabrina instead of Eve. I thought that might save Eve from being mobbed by the paparazzi. But it’s her, right down to her whiskers.
She gives me lots of material, but maybe you have some cat stories you’d like to share. Or dog stories. I’m adding an Irish Wolfhound to the second book in the series. So let’s talk!
