I found out that Tux, our 3 year old cat is 100% Manx and his aloofness is endemic to his breed. I like how that sounds, but not what it means. Because he's a Manx, he doesn't act like a Burmese or even a Bichon. No, I didn't cuss; that's the name of a dog breed. Tux is the epitome of the adage, "Dogs have masters and cats have staff."

Again, we got Tux because I really wanted a cat, even though I was allergic to most. The Manx, bobtail and all, is one of the few dander-free cats and the only one in my knowledge that doesn't look too weird. Then again, when my Brazilian neighbor saw Tux, she swore we cut off his tail.

Where was I? ...oh yeah, hypo-allergenic cats. Regardless, we set about getting another Manx cat, this one a mixed breed, a cross between a Manx and a Tabby. Yup, she's a Mabby, and we named her Chessie after she reminded me of the sleeping kitten in the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad ads. It sure beats calling her Tanx.

She's now about six months old and we did the Bob Barker thing and had her spayed. Tux has been neutered already, which is a far less "invasive" procedure. Invasive is surgeon-speak for "big money." It also means that Chessie has a big ol' incision on her tum-tum. This wouldn't be a problem for normal cats, but Chessie's personality just can't leave new things alone. She messed with the wound and got it infected. Now the poor thing has staples in her belly and an Elizabethan collar around her neck. That's the "radar dish" thing they put around dogs that don't know any better. Obviously, she hates it. She's been moping and trying to carry on with life as normal. Tonight, my wife actually wondered what it was doing to the cat's self-esteem. My guess is that Tux's only thought is, "Do you get all the channels or just Animal Planet with that thing?"

Also tonight, we got to give her liquid antibiotics. Contrary to what you might think, the collar did not serve as a funnel. My wife was holding her and became the ultimate victim of the ordeal with a couple of scratches down her arm. I'm wondering how many more days are we supposed to give her this stuff and whether we can get some leather gloves that cover the arms. Maybe we could get some twine and bamboo shoots (Hey, it worked for Gilligan).

Despite all of the recent trouble, Chessie is quite a bit more affectionate than Tuxedo and purrs at my touch. She's still suspicious of me, but she's very approachable, just like any good boss.

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