Clayton Comes Home

But not just Clayton. The SPCA decided it was ok if he brought his cat scabies too. And we're just tickled pink to have them. (The sarcasm is directed at the scabies. Clayton is ok.)

The test for cat scabies involves doing a skin scraping, where the vet shows off how aptly they name tests by scarping off a layer of skin. In Clayton's case the skin came off his right ear. It doesn't look very nice. I think he's embarrassed, but he doesn't let on.

And the poor guy itches. The combination of the raw ear skin and the scabies that live underneath got him scratching enough last night to make his ear bleed. His walleyed SFSPCA mug shot doesn't really do his coloring justice. (Or maybe it does. It depends on your screen.) Between his face and his tail he's nearly white, so a bloody ear really looks tacky. And being so blessed in the cheek department, he loves to rub his face on things, which yesterday left Flannery's pants covered in cat-ooze. Happily, cat-ooze doesn't seem to stain.

Having a sick cat makes me pause and consider whether or not Clayton and I are a good match. The first night he came home he was on his best behavior. He ate his dinner, didn't scratch himself too much, and pooped in the littler box instead of in my shoes, which was what I was worried he'd do. Last night he continued to use the facilities as he should, but decided to bleed on everything and then spent the night meowing outside my bedroom door.

Normally I would let my cat sleep with me. But as I mentioned previously, he has cat scabies, and I don't really want, nor does the SCPA recommend having cat scabies on your sheets. I don't want to walk around work scratching all the time. People will think I have lice, or fleas, or poison ivy of the lap. I wonder if I can get a polo shirt that say "Don't mind me, I just have mild case of cat scabies."

So he has to yowl in loneliness for another 4 weeks or so until his sustained company doesn't carry the possibility of an itchy couple of days. Or until I decide I value sleep more than I value having an oozing but affectionate cat.


The oozing ear.


Demonstrating how much of a faux pas he is after labor day.


Being ferocious, er, tired.


More cheeks than you can shake a stick at.