Many of us humans enjoy pampering ourselves with hot stone massages and hot tub soaks.
We relish mani-pedis, that magnificent manicure-pedicure combination that makes us feel a little more relaxed, a little bit prettier, a little more special, and very much a whole lot of spoiled.
Cats disagree: all of them, all of the time.
As every furry denizen at Tabby’s Place knows, each cat is already perfectly pretty, appropriately pampered, and entirely special. And, as every kitty-caretaker knows, meowy-pedi time is not relaxation time. It is not time to let one’s guard down. It is not a time to go it alone (towels are helpful; treats are better).
Send me the video of a cat enjoying a meowy-pedi (so named by some very special children in my life, when they learned about my clipping 72 claws regularly), and I’ll show you a cat that has lost all self-respect (or a cat that will do anything for treats).
Some of the Tabby’s Place cats have been so anti-meowy-pedi that the staff has used cat claw covers instead of clipping. Even Anka, among others, has been seen sporting hot pink claws (one time, we matched). The question arose about whether they looked fierce like a Bengal tiger or fierce like Beyoncé. Anka insists the answer is both.
Although he is probably right, we don’t have to agree. But, ultimately, fierce is fierce, and we can each decide, case by case, which fierce applies.
Whatever the resolution, disagreements about such things can be perplexing. This is more true about some topics than others, but most especially when it comes to the question of whether crème brûlée is as good as any dessert that has chocolate in it, or if any dessert at all is as good as limoncello-mascarpone cake…or tres leches cake.
Many who live near to Tabby’s Place still miss Jake’s and Uncle Pete’s, former local restaurants that hath forsaken us. Some (well, at least one) especially miss their most delectable dessert offerings. But, what those of us who miss those places — or your local equivalents — long for most is not necessarily the desserts…nor even the wine or song. What is missed most is the experience of going somewhere cozy and good. It’s the camaraderie. It’s the ambiance.
That’s why we like spas. They make us feel good. We reconnect with ourselves, which helps us connect better with others.
And, Tabby’s Place, like those restaurants and spas, is all about connecting, regardless of feline disagreements over which brand of fishy food is best.
As for those cats who disagree about the need for meowy-pedis? Well, at least it isn’t all of them. Some will tolerate anything a human will do to keep them well-groomed and healthy. Some are insulted by any insinuation that they require anything from any one of us.
Nevertheless, we persevere. We tend to their needs. We make sure they’re healthy (that’s mostly up to the amazing staff) and well taken care of (that’s up to us all).
We pamper and spoil the Tabby’s Place cats, so that every day can be their spa day, whether or not meowy-pedis are involved.