Monday, May 2, 2011

Swimming cat update

I admit it - the headline is disingenuous.

This blog refers to two previous blogs - one in which I survive my notorious cat attack (Cat Capers) and another describing my attempts to revise my swimming technique via a book called "Total Immersion" (All I need is a Book)

I thought "swimming cat update" might warrant a few more clicks than "Swimming/cat update".

Cute animal videos go viral all the time - you know you'd click the Youtube link to see a swimming cat.

The fact is, if we were as callous as those amateur videographers sometimes seem, we could have a video of a swimming cat.

Paco (our cat) likes to drink out of the swimming pool. He crouches on the edge, leans waaayyy over, and laps away. About four weeks ago, the pool level was lower than and he thought and ....splash!

Chris was outside at the time, so immediately performed pet rescue without first reaching for his camera.

Good for you Christopher!

I hate to admit it, but wonder if I wouldn't have put off rescue for at least one cute (horrible) swimming cat photo.

The swimming SLASH cat update now:

The cat outside experiment has been working fairly well. Paco typically hangs out in the backyard area from 3 - 5 p.m., wanders until 8 p.m., comes home to sleep for a few hours, wants back out at 11 p.m., then comes home for breakfast and a longer sleep.

The other evening when he didn't come home at 8 p.m., I went out looking. I found him - being chased around the neighbor's house and then cat-fighting. He didn't have too many scratches, so I think the ninja acumen he demonstrated attacking me must be quite effective against the neighborhood feral cat colony.

My husband noticed less cats hanging in the area - he thinks Paco is dominating and they are slinking off to new grounds.

I think he's delusional - it's all about the time of day. At 5:30 a.m. (Miami heat is on, so if I want to run, gotta get up and get moving), 12 cats languished on my neighbor's lawn and driveway.

The neighbors are more philosophical about this than I - "At least we don't have rats anymore!"

Don't worry - as appealing as a RAT tangent might be, I'll stay on topic.

We went to the condo in Clearwater for spring break - nine days. Paco and Aiden (dog) accompanied us.

Paco was a different cat. He slept 22/24 hours, wanted affection, no spraying, ate big dinners and cleaned himself until he glowed.

Like a teenager without his peers, Paco is a pussy cat when removed from the cat-gang infested land we call "home".

As to the pool activity -

My Total Immersion swimming is going well. I can swim 45 minutes without much effort. I am trying now to learn how to breathe to my left (I've always only turned to right). This doesn't sound hard, but it is apparently more than simply turning my head to that side. I thrash, I swallow water, I struggle. Last week, I had a breakthrough and was able to breathe left and right during a few laps.

Does anyone know how to keep water out of the ears - other than earplugs? They would be dangerous during an open water swim race.

Hooray for me - and if you are not RIVETED and THRILLED with the time you put into reading this BREAKING NEWS - sorry - no refunds allowed.

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