WITH FLYING COLORS

Tucker and I have returned from the vet check. I'm happy and relieved to announce he passed all tests with "flying colors". The first was to check his blood for leukemia or FIV. He was such a good boy. He didn't even whimper when his blood was drawn. Though he seemed healthy, kittens and cats don't always show outward signs of disease if it's in the early stages, so I was a bit tense as I waited the 15 minutes for results.

I learned that Tucker weighs 2 pounds and 9 ounces, which is just under the 3 pound weight requirement for neutering. Besides that, he's a bit under-developed so I was told we'd need to wait for two weeks before considering that surgery. When I was informed the blood tests were negative, I breathed a sigh of relief and offered a prayer of thanks. Tucker's temperature was recorded in the normal range and he was given vaccinations. Again, he was quiet and didn't struggle when the vet inserted the needle. He did begin to shake just a bit though so I wrapped him in a towel and held him for the rest of the time.

There was no flea activity and he had no parasites - those were welcome results. So many people commented on how cute he was and how sweet his disposition seemed to be. It appears Tucker and I will have at least two or three more weeks together before he is offered for adoption. That suits me just fine.

I introduced him to some of the resident cats this afternoon and was pleasantly surprised there was no hissing nor growling. Tucker sat and looked at the other cats and they sniffed him then walked away. In cat world, that's a good thing. It usually signals that no cat feels threatened by the newcomer.