Pets?

It occurred to me that some of you reading this may have a pet just as I do. You may also have children in your home, but you can usually explain to children the necessity of being careful around someone who has just had a knee replacement. This is more difficult with pets.

I have a cat, a Rag Doll cat, whose redeeming grace is that she is beautiful. However, her intelligence is in inverse proportion to her beauty. I could devote a whole blog to Cassie, but since this is about knee replacement, I'll only address dealing with her in regard to my surgery. I am Cassie's primary care giver. Up until this time, I have been the one to feed her, give her her medication, and clean out her litter box. The only interaction she has with my husband has been to snuggle up beside him on the sofa while he watches golf tournaments. Therefore, she has had a difficult time adjusting to having Bill as a primary care giver. When Bill gives her a morning treat of a spoonful of wet cat food as a reward for taking her medication, she will not follow him to the laundry room where her food bowl is, but stares at me and meows mournfully, before finally giving up and taking a nap. Eventually, when she goes to get a bit of dry cat food, she will discover the wet cat food has miraculously appeared and chows down.

Since my surgery, I have spent a fair amount of time in bed, a place that is forbidden to Cassie. I know many people allow pets, both canine and feline, into their bed, but my husband and I don't like sleeping with animals. So, Cassie knows that any attempt she has made to get on our bed is generally met with loud screams, and Cassie does not like that at all. So, Cassie sits beside my bed and meows, and meows, and meows - not a soft little mew, but a loud and indignent request to get up and pay her some attention. I have to admit that on a few occasions I have let her jump up on the bed, but she doesn't stay long. She is very nervous that the loud screams are imminent, so she quickly vacates the area.

Cassie likes to lie in the middle of any traffic pattern in our house and assumes that the humans will walk around her. It is not possible to navigate my walker around her, so I just plow ahead. The poor cat does not have enough sense to get out of the way, though since I've rolled over her tail a few times, she does appear to be getting the message.

Now while dealing with Cassie after my surgery has been somewhat annoying, I really can't imagine what it would be like with a dog, especially a rather large dog, especially a rather large dog who is used to sleeping in your bed. I have a friend who is having knee surgery next week. She has an English bulldog who sleeps in their bed. I seriously don't know what she's going to do. But, maybe she will read this blog and be somewhat prepared. I'm glad it isn't a problem I'll have to deal with.

Just remember that forewarned is forearmed, so if you have a pet, try to make some arrangements to deal with any situation that might arise.