More Kitty: Mouser the Hero
Catherine Ryan Hyde
Mouser's fangs explain his name. No rodent survives an encounter with Mouser.
When I began this More Puppy/More Kitty meme, I never expected to feature not one, but two, heroes--pets who may well have saved their people's lives.
This one, Mouser, comes courtesy of Charmaine Coimbra, who writes, "When first-time visitors witness our cat's bold behavior I simply say, 'Mouser is spoiled and we don't care.' There's a reason this 12-year old furball buddy is spoiled. He made a difference in my life.
"Mouser began an obsession with my left breast in January 2003 . If he wasn't pushing his head into my left breast, he kneaded his paws into my left breast. Sometimes it hurt. My husband said, "Your cat's a perv." I laughingly called him my booby boy.
Celebrating a New Year with Mouser's fave dish--shrimp"During my March 2003 annual check up I mentioned to my doctor that my left breast sometimes hurt when the cat kneaded into it. My mammograms were current and appeared clean. The doctor pushed and poked the breast and concluded it an age thing. 'Your breasts are changing as you near menopause, so they are more sensitive.'
"Two weeks into January 2004 Mouser's left breast obsession began in the middle of the night. This night when he pushed into it with his paws I yelped. It was like a really bad toothache and I had to push into it to see how bad it could hurt. With my right hand I pushed my two forefingers deep into my left breast. I froze when I felt the hard spot--it felt like a piece of Good n' Plenty stuck midway in my breast.
Mouser helps Charmaine review Judith Fein's book"Yes it was cancer. It was also a fast growing tumor--my oncologist explained that if we had not caught it when we did my cancer treatment would have become much more intense.
"After a lumpectomy Mouser intensely sniffed my left breast. He curled up against it and purred the both of us asleep. He also no longer bumps, kneads or obsesses over my left breast.
"Mouser is spoiled and we don't care. (As you can see, he either sleeps with abandon, eats, or helps me with book reviews.)"
Yup. I'd spoil him, too. Thanks for a great story, Charmaine.
