Project Mueshka Part The Second

The vets finally called back and scheduled an appointment to give the cat the vaccinations he needs to travel. Not that he needs these vaccinations to enter the US. Part of the great mystery of international borders: a potentially rabies infested cat can enter the US with no problem but he can't leave Russia. Wouldn't the Russians WANT to get rid of the disease ridden cats? I don't get it, but like visa and tax laws, they do not operate by the normal rules of logic. Sometimes 2 plus 2 is 5 and it's just best not to think about it too hard.

So the vets came to our house on Wednesday to give Mueshka his shots and to give him a once over to declare him fit for travel. Yes, you read that right. The vets came to our house. There are some aspects of living in this country that I will deeply miss and vets who make house calls is just one of them.

The kids stayed home from school Wednesday morning as we had had a late night on Tuesday and we all opted to sleep in. All day they were asking, "When is the vet coming? When is the vet coming? Poor Mueshka! He's going to be shot!" Mueshka was blissfully ignorant of the mounting tension throughout the day. Finally, at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, Yuri and Valeria arrived, doctors' bags in hand. As they got settled on the sofa and ready for the exam, the kids gathered round ready to comfort poor Mueshka, who was actually rather enjoying the visit so far. I am SO sorry not to have the camera at the ready for this, so you will just have to imagine a video of the following:

Yuri pulls the still happy cat onto his lap and then pulls out a syringe with an inch and a half long needle. He holds it up to the light and gives a little squirt, just like the evil scientists do in the movies. At this moment, all three kids, who are supposed to be comforting the cat, lock their hands over their eyes and start howling "AHHHH! Tell me when it's over!" Valeria, who is vet assistant/translator and wife to Yuri looks at me with a puzzled look. I explain that they are not big fans of shots and are feeling great sympathy for Mueshka. Yuri quickly gives Mueshka the shot and Mueshka hardly notices. If anything, he looks particularly happy to have all this attention from this unusually cat-friendly visitor. Yuri then proceeds to check Mueshka's eyes and mouth, etc. Christopher still with his hands over his eyes, yells "Tell me when it's over!" He doesn't believe me when I tell him the the shot was long over and every move the vet makes is questioned by at least one of the kids. "What's he doing now? Why is he doing that to our cat!" Pretty soon the boys get bored and run off to play. Katie lingers awhile longer and then joins them. I am thinking, if I get really sick, I better not count on these three for much in the way of moral support.

In the end, Mueshka was given a clean bill of health and his very own passport (no it doesn't have his picture in it). And we have made a tangible step toward moving. Yea! Progress! Makes me feel better about all the clutter that still litters this place and needs to be sorted through.