Apparently at some point during the still cold night when all the creatures were supposed to not be stirring, Moomin decided to love on the Christmas tree. And the tree gifted him with a good dollop of sap.
I did not know this until after the furry folk had their breakfast and were each busily huddled around their own hot air registers washing faces and paws whilst sending me urgent telepathic messages to keep the heat coming. I was sending verbal messages back that they have fur coats and to stop acting like I'm a penny-pinching-thrifty-assed mother. (I may be when it comes to me but not them, I pay for all their food, vet visits, litter, and toy/catnip habits).
So I picked up Moo to hug and kiss him all over his warm softy goodness when I did the typical cat-mom thing and cleaned his eye boogers. One booger refused to come off and was below his eye. Odd.
On closer examination, I discovered the wad of sap clumping the fur under his eye together creating a nice hurty mat. Caternal instincts to the fore! Hot water! Paper towel! Flea comb (coz it's very fine toothed)! To work!
Nothing, that sap refused to budge. I'll give Moomin credit, throughout the initial sap-removing phase he was a gem - passive, relaxed, tolerant, let me scrub and pull and comb and wash rinse repeat many times.
Then I realized I needed to do way more. Personal shaver? no, he wouldn't sit still for that, the noise would send him flying out of my arms and avoiding me for a long time. Scissors? yes, but oh did that idea make my heart and hands sweat. So close to his eye, no room for error.
But that's what I did. Moomin stayed physically still for this part of the operation but he expressed verbal protest through growling. I tried to lovingly reassure him but he wasn't having any of it. Finally I sternly asked his unhappy ass if he wanted to go to the vet. He stopped growling immediately and I was able to get a very close cut, almost a shave.
Operation accomplished. All the sap removed. Along with fur. I told Moomin his bald spot makes him look distinguished. He's disgusted with the whole situation.
Very merry holiday home surgery!
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