{"id":5962,"date":"2013-11-10T19:45:02","date_gmt":"2013-11-11T00:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/?p=5962"},"modified":"2026-02-28T10:44:27","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T15:44:27","slug":"how-not-to-burrito-a-17-pound-cat-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/how-not-to-burrito-a-17-pound-cat-2\/","title":{"rendered":"How Not To Burrito A 17 Pound Cat"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"et_pb_section_0 et_pb_section et_section_regular et_block_section\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_row_0 et_pb_row et_block_row\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_column_0 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_2 et_block_column et_pb_column_empty et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"et_pb_column_1 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_2 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_0 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p>How Not To Burrito A 17 Pound Cat<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"et_pb_section_1 et_pb_section et_pb_fullwidth_section et_section_regular et_block_section\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_fullwidth_menu_0 et_pb_fullwidth_menu et_pb_fullwidth_menu--without-logo et_pb_fullwidth_menu--style-left_aligned et_dropdown_animation_fade et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_text_align_right et_pb_text_align_right-tablet et_pb_text_align_right-phone et_pb_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_menu__wrap\"><div class=\"et_pb_menu__menu\"><nav class=\"et-menu-nav fullwidth-menu-nav\"><ul id=\"menu-rr-divi\" class=\"et-menu fullwidth-menu nav downwards\"><li id=\"menu-item-2319\" class=\"et_pb_menu_page_id-home menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-home menu-item-2319\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/\">Home<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-2425\" class=\"et_pb_menu_page_id-75 menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-2425\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/about-rachelle-rogers\/\">About<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-5583\" class=\"et_pb_menu_page_id-5575 menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-5583\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/books\/\">Books<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-2427\" class=\"et_pb_menu_page_id-1088 menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-2427\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/poetry-3\/\">Poetry<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-222947\" class=\"et_pb_menu_page_id-46905 menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-222947\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/blog-luminations\/\">Blog<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-2586\" class=\"et_pb_menu_page_id-2576 menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-2586\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/contact\/\">Contact<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/nav><\/div><div class=\"et_mobile_nav_menu\"><div class=\"mobile_nav closed\"><span class=\"mobile_menu_bar\"><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"et_pb_section_2 et_pb_section et_section_regular et_block_section\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_row_1 et_pb_row et_block_row\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_column_2 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_3 et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_1 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p>10<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"et_pb_divider_0 et_pb_divider et_pb_space et_pb_divider_position_top et_pb_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_divider_internal\"><\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_2 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p>NOVEMBER 2013<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_3 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p>Humor<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"et_pb_column_3 et_pb_column et_pb_column_2_3 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_4 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p>Lest you think I could in any way be referring to my cat and the kind of burrito one might <i>eat<\/i>, let me set your mind to rest. To \u201cburrito\u201d a cat is to wrap it tightly in a towel in order to calm it down enough to clip its nails or administer medication, which, in this case, was the reason for my attempt.<\/p>\n<p>The whole sad story started when my cat, Michou, displayed symptoms of a urinary tract infection. I, myself, was in the middle of a yucky head cold at the time, and wished the whole situation would just go away. Michou is five, but because he\u2019d always been a very healthy indoor only cat, I\u2019d never had reason to take him to a Vet. Now, unfortunately, I needed to. So after doing a little research, I made a plan.<\/p>\n<p>Step one was to borrow a carrier. A big one. One that had both a side and top opening. Which I was able to do, thanks to my friend Karen. But one that big turned out to be awkward to maneuver and to weigh almost as much as my cat, which was over 17 pounds.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"et_pb_row_2 et_pb_row et_block_row\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_column_4 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_image_0 et_pb_image et_pb_image_sticky et_animated et_pb_module et_block_module\"><span class=\"et_pb_image_wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Michou-RR-post.jpg\" width=\"1000\" height=\"669\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Michou-RR-post.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Michou-RR-post-768x514.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" class=\"wp-image-5973\" alt=\"Ragdoll cat Michou\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_5 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p>My ragdoll cat Michou<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"et_pb_row_3 et_pb_row et_block_row\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_column_5 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_3 et_block_column et_pb_column_empty et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"et_pb_column_6 et_pb_column et_pb_column_2_3 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_6 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p>Step two was to get the carrier inside the house without Michou seeing it and taking refuge on the top shelf of a closet, or anchoring himself between the storage boxes underneath the bed. I\u2019d tried to put him in a carrier once before in order to bring him to the friend who takes care of him while I\u2019m out of town. It hadn\u2019t worked. Now, I just throw him quickly into the car and go. But for the Vet, he needed to be confined.<\/p>\n<p>When Karen brought over the carrier, I\u2019d asked her to leave it outside, out of sight. Before bringing it in, I coaxed Michou into my bedroom and gently closed the door. Then, I brought the carrier inside the house and placed it in the center of the bathroom, the smallest room, one from which he couldn\u2019t easily escape.<\/p>\n<p>Step three was getting him inside the monster transporter. At this point, sneezy and voiceless with an aching head, my stomach became queasy with apprehension. Michou was not like any other cat I\u2019d had. First of all, he was a he. I\u2019d previously only had shes. And all those females had found their way to me on there own, were sweet and shy. Michou was a Ragdoll cat, which I\u2019d gotten from a breeder as a 10 week old irresistible ball of creamy fluff that, from day one, had made it very clear he was the King of Everything.<\/p>\n<p>Back to step three. I partially closed the bathroom door leaving a small gap so Michou wouldn\u2019t immediately see the carrier. Then I opened the bedroom door, and in one fell swoop scooped up Michou, bolted toward the bathroom, kicked open that door, carefully dropped him into the carrier through the top opening, and secured the locks. Michou was not happy. I, however, was, even as I also hated to have to trick him, not only into that contraption, but into a visit with a Vet.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"et_pb_row_4 et_pb_row et_pb_row_1-4_3-4 et_block_row et_block_row_1-4_3-4\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_column_7 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_4 et_block_column et_pb_column_empty et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"et_pb_column_8 et_pb_column et_pb_column_3_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_image_1 et_pb_image et_animated et_pb_module et_block_module\"><span class=\"et_pb_image_wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Michou-10-weeks-RR-post.jpg\" width=\"750\" height=\"526\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Michou-10-weeks-RR-post.jpg 750w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" class=\"wp-image-5974\" alt=\"Ragdoll cat 10 weeks Michou\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_7 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p>Michou at 10 weeks<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"et_pb_row_5 et_pb_row et_block_row\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_column_9 et_pb_column et_pb_column_2_3 et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_8 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p>When we got there, we had to wait, but the exam went better than expected\u2026at least at first. Michou was upset and nervous, not at all liking to be handled and probed, but he mewed only a little and didn\u2019t show any teeth or claws. The Vet could not, however, get a urine sample, and strongly suggested that I leave him there for a few hours so that they could inject fluid and hopefully get him to use a special litter box. Even though I seriously doubted that would ever happen (they did not know this cat), I consented. Two hours later, I called to find out how things were progressing (still no urine sample), and asked if they could cut Michou\u2019s nails, something he hadn\u2019t let me do in probably a year. An hour after that, I received a call.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m afraid Michou is very upset. Can you come and get him as soon as possible?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t suppose there\u2019s any way to get his nails cut now,\u201d I only half joked.<\/p>\n<p>There was no reply.<\/p>\n<p>Well, of course my poor kitty was upset. The Vet had made a big mistake. Without even telling me, she had given Michou a rabies shot. That was when he showed his true colors\u2014teeth, razor claws, and all 17 pounds of feline fight.<\/p>\n<p>So I went to pick him up, pay the exorbitant bill (which included boarding charges in 15 minute increments waiting for him to pee), and get his meds\u2014antibiotics in liquid form to be given to him out of a syringe squirted into the side of his mouth.<\/p>\n<p>The image made my solar plexus spin itself into a frazzle.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow in the world do I do this,\u201d I asked Amber, the twenty-something, vivacious Veterinary Assistant.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you know how to burrito a cat?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d I replied. I knew this meant trouble.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet me show you with Maxwell, one of the cats that stays here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She left and returned with a one-eyed, ridiculously docile Tabby.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s go in here,\u201d she said, leading me into a small room.<\/p>\n<p>The cat was already lying on the floor of his own accord. Amber took a large towel, threw it horizontally over his back. The cat didn\u2019t budge. Effortlessly, she plopped down on her young, agile knees and sat back onto her heels, one bent leg straddling each side of Maxwell, which made my own knees tense with anticipated pain. She then pulled up on Maxwell\u2019s shoulders so he was sitting, and wrapped first one side then the other side of the towel around the front of his body closing up the burrito. Holding him against her with her elbow, she smoothed the cat\u2019s brow, held onto his head with one hand, and with the other, inserted the syringe into the side of his mouth where she said there was a natural space for it.<\/p>\n<p>I wanted to cry.<\/p>\n<p>Later, at home\u2014 Well, I won\u2019t go into all the gory details, so let\u2019s just say that Michou would have no part of being burritoed in any way, shape, or form. And there was not a chance in hell of getting any meds into him from a syringe inserted in the side of his mouth. Numerous claw scratches, two bites, three wasted doses of antibiotics, dozens of website visits, and countless tears later, I finally came up with a new plan.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"et_pb_column_10 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_3 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_column_empty et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"et_pb_row_6 et_pb_row et_block_row\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_column_11 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_image_2 et_pb_image et_animated et_pb_module et_block_module\"><span class=\"et_pb_image_wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Michou-art-RR-blog-web.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"692\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Michou-art-RR-blog-web.jpg 900w, https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Michou-art-RR-blog-web-768x591.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" class=\"wp-image-5976\" alt=\"Ragdoll cat Michou\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"et_pb_row_7 et_pb_row et_block_row\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_column_12 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_3 et_block_column et_pb_column_empty et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"et_pb_column_13 et_pb_column et_pb_column_2_3 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_9 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p>The next day, I went to the compounding pharmacy and got a syringe of chicken flavoring (Michou is probably the only cat on the planet that doesn\u2019t like tuna). When I got home, I mixed a dose of his meds with the flavoring and a tablespoon of his favorite wet sliced food with gravy (he turns his nose up at any kind of p\u00e2t\u00e9) and put the bowl down on the floor. At first, he wouldn\u2019t go near it. Then, slowly, cautiously, he approached, sniffed, backed off a little, came forward a little, and <em>voil\u00e0!<\/em> lapped up the whole thing. Winning a billion dollar lottery couldn\u2019t have made me happier.<\/p>\n<p>So now, Michou is well and back to his old antics, which includes dismembering crickets, trying to pry glass covered hanging art off picture hooks, and using my headboard for a scratching post. Those claws desperately need to be clipped. I wonder if it\u2019s safe to give a cat Xanax.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"et_pb_row_8 et_pb_row et_block_row\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_column_14 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_post_nav_0 et_pb_posts_nav nav-single et_pb_module et_block_module\"><span class=\"nav-previous\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/full-moon-story\/\" rel=\"prev\" class=\"\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">&larr; <\/span><span class=\"nav-label\">Full Moon Story<\/span><\/a><\/span><span class=\"nav-next\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/challenge-choice-and-chi\/\" rel=\"next\" class=\"\"><span class=\"nav-label\">Challenge, Choice, and Chi<\/span><span class=\"meta-nav\"> &rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"et_pb_row_9 et_pb_row et_block_row et_animated\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_15 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_signup_0 et_pb_signup et_pb_newsletter et_pb_subscribe et_pb_bg_layout_dark et_pb_module et_flex_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_newsletter_description\"><h2 class=\"et_pb_module_header\">KEEP UP WITH MY POSTS<\/h2><div class=\"et_pb_newsletter_description_content\"><p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span>Subscribers receive a free PDF of my published memoir <\/span><em><span><br \/><\/span><\/em><span><\/span><span style=\"color: #57006d;\"><em>Rare Atmosphere: An Extraordinary Inter-dimensional Affair of the Heart<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_newsletter_form\"><form method=\"post\" class=\"\"><div class=\"et_pb_newsletter_result et_pb_newsletter_error\"><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_newsletter_result et_pb_newsletter_success\"><h2>Thank you for subscribing. Your gift is on the way.<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_newsletter_fields et_flex_module\" style=\"--flex-direction: row;\"><p class=\"et_pb_newsletter_field et_pb_contact_field_half et_pb_contact_field_half_tablet et_pb_contact_field_half_phone\"><label class=\"et_pb_contact_form_label\" for=\"et_pb_signup_firstname\" style=\"display: none;\">Name<\/label><input class=\"input\" id=\"et_pb_signup_firstname\" type=\"text\" placeholder=\"Name\" name=\"et_pb_signup_firstname\" \/><\/p><p class=\"et_pb_newsletter_field et_pb_contact_field_half et_pb_contact_field_half_tablet et_pb_contact_field_half_phone\"><label class=\"et_pb_contact_form_label\" for=\"et_pb_signup_email\" style=\"display: none;\">Email<\/label><input class=\"input\" id=\"et_pb_signup_email\" type=\"text\" placeholder=\"Email\" name=\"et_pb_signup_email\" \/><\/p><p class=\"et_pb_newsletter_button_wrap\"><a class=\"et_pb_button et_pb_newsletter_button\" href=\"#\" data-icon=\"E\"><span class=\"et_subscribe_loader\"><\/span><span class=\"et_pb_newsletter_button_text\">SUBSCRIBE<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"et_pb_signup_provider\" value=\"mailerlite\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"et_pb_signup_list_id\" value=\"\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"et_pb_signup_account_name\" value=\"123665865706047230\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"et_pb_signup_ip_address\" value=\"true\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"et_pb_signup_checksum\" value=\"3ffce166f074caed73b12d4f23536232\" \/><\/form><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lest you think I could in any way be referring to my cat and the kind of burrito one might eat, let me set your mind to rest. To \u201cburrito\u201d a cat is to wrap it tightly in a towel in order to calm it down enough to clip its nails or administer medication, which, in this case, was the reason for my attempt&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5670,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[31,32,20,121],"class_list":["post-5962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-humor","tag-cat","tag-cat-burrito","tag-humor","tag-ragdoll-cat"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5962"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5962\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46888,"href":"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5962\/revisions\/46888"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rachellerogers.com\/dev1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}