The fix is in

My family has a history with cats. When I was little, our cat Agnes was scheduled to be spayed right after Christmas. On Christmas Eve, she went into heat, got out through the basement door, and got pregnant.

So I was nervous about Susu. Between traveling and work, it just hasn't been possible to schedule her for the operation. But she's getting close to six months old and I know we're in a race against her ovaries.

Hanging out on a shelf

I booked her for next Tuesday, when I have some time off. But sure enough, two days ago she started acting funny, rubbing against me and yowling a lot. I was sure she was about to go into heat, and the timing wasn't great. I'm going to Aceh today and I didn't relish the idea of leaving our half-crazed cat locked up by herself with every tomcat in the neighborhood howling outside the door!

Happily the vet agreed to take her early and give her back to us Monday, minus ovaries. I took her down in a cab yesterday. She seemed to be her normal self again.

Getting sleepy in the cat carrier

Spaying and neutering are not as common here as in the States. Even our landlord and his family, who are not impoverished, and who love their dog to pieces, don't seem to plan on getting her "fixed." When I asked him if we could have a cat, he advised me to get a male so I wouldn't get stuck with litters of kittens. (I didn't mention that we actually had the cat already. Minor detail.)

But there are some organizations working to popularize neutering and improve animal welfare. One of my favorites rehabilitates dogs off the street and gives them to good homes. They hang posters of available dogs at the vet's office. At the bottom of every poster are the words: "Our dogs are intended for dog lovers, and not to be used as doorbells or lawn decorations." Right on!