After I got home from running errands, I ate lunch. My ankle itched.
Since my encounter with the tick I don’t automatically scratch. I check to see what it is. It was my cat Hazel. She was intently smelling my ankle as if it was a piece of tuna. High quality tuna!
I shooed her away and went back to my lunch.
She came back with Morgan, my other cat. I could hear her say, “See, I told you it smelled awesome. Do you think it is dog poo or rotten bird guts?”
Morgan responds, “Get out of the way and let me smell it good. Maybe moose poo. Do we have moose poo? I saw a moose on Animal Planet once.”
Now my whole leg was itching. Both cats were smelling and using their whiskers. They wouldn’t let me eat lunch. Their wet noses would butt my leg.
I knew I was in trouble when they called Mollie out of her mid-morning nap (not to be confused with her early morning or early afternoon nap — often they all overlap) to investigate.
At first it was just my left leg. Then they moved to my right one. I didn’t use a different lotion. Nor had I met any animal who might deposit odors on me.
It wasn’t my shoes because I took them off. After investigating them properly for a possible poo-stepping incident, they went back to my ankles.
The only place I was (besides the old lady gym and Starbucks drive-through) was the grocery store. The produce section for heaven’s sakes! Vegetables, fruit, lettuce — no meat!
Well, I did buy bacon. When I buy it I bake it all at once. Then we nuke a piece as we eat it. Maybe some bacon juice dripped on my leg.
This went on for hours.
It was funny. Sort of. That is until I remembered about dogs smelling disease.
Then I remember that cat at a nursing home that when from dying patient to dying patient to comfort. If she jumped on your bed you were gonna die.
Am I gonna die? Can cats smell disease too? How do I tell my doc that I need a PET scan (no pun intended) because my cats smell something fatal? Should I take them along to demonstrate so he knows the exact spots?
This went on until dinner when I showered.
That is the power of suggestion…even from an animal.
Hey, what’s that on your nose?
Whiskers tickle. Hilarious phrase: “Catnip on a stick” That’s it…one started as a joke to fool the other one, then forgot and got into the sniffing for sniffing sake – “if that one’s sniffing, then I’d better, too…” Cats.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No one wants to miss something good.
LikeLike
I just wiped my nose.
And yet! I disagree with your conclusions. It is a mystery and there must be some detail you have missed. Maybe you walked through tall grass? Maybe y stray cat brushed up against you and you are so used to this sensation that you didn’t even notice?
And by the way, if a cat jumping on your bed meant you are going to die than neither of us would be having this conversation.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll never figure out what it was but you are right. It had to be something and I missed it.
LikeLike
I think you missed the obvious, Kate. There was no smell at all. The cats are playing mind games with you again!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It worked. They drove me crazy all day. Hasn’t happened since.
LikeLike
You got me nervous all of a sudden there, just before the end! Do give us some advance warning, please, if the cats do at some point actually smell your death. As a gesture of courtesy to your blog followers, I mean. Some of us have tender feelings.
😉
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’ll have a discussion but I must warn you. Previous discussions have fallen on deaf ears (or perhaps catnip ears).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just be honest–did you at any point in time ask the Beloved Husband to sniff your ankles and try to figure out what was going on? Please share all pertinent details. As well as all impertinent details. Just share everything.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Of course I did! (Did you forget we are the same?) It’s the first thing after trying to smell them myself. (All in the name of research for my dear readers.) He refused multiple times. I’m afraid it’s going to impact our relationship.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think they are showing great affection towards your lower self. That I think is better than Bacon (that is Kevin Bacon.)
LikeLiked by 2 people
Or they are crazy cats!
LikeLike
Had to be the bacon!
LikeLiked by 2 people
From the intensity and repeated returns all day long, it had to be except I don’t know how it would have gotten there. Perhaps the plastic it was wrapped in dripped when I put it in the trash.
LikeLike
I love little mysteries, but I’d like answers, too. I’m glad you didn’t freak out.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I was getting annoyed. I would be doing something and I felt tickling on my ankles.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The power of suggestion: 1) Hazel imagines she smells something. 2) Morgan thinks he smells something since Hazel did. 3) Mollie convinces herself she smells something. There’s obviously something smelly there since Hazel and Morgan smelled it. 4) You’re only the last in the chain to be sucked in.
LikeLiked by 3 people
It works, doesn’t it?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Have you put on anything with menthol on or near your legs? (like the icy hot stuff, or that green nordic stuff I can’t remember the name of?) Anyway, cats think menthol is almost as good as catnip.
LikeLiked by 2 people
No, I’m not a fan of menthol. No one has any interest in my ankles today so whatever it was is gone.
LikeLike
Maybe their whole intent was just to tease you.
LikeLiked by 2 people
It worked!
LikeLike
You must’ve brushed up against something fabulous. Of course, what animals think is fabulous is suspect.
Every since an encounter with a skunk, I have one dog who is obsessed. Makes Hannibal Lechter noises, even.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The intensity of three cats smelling was overwhelming. I was sure it had to be poop or decomposition. Can’t be anything good.
LikeLike
It could be mint. Or weird chemicals. I’ve known cats who chewed on photographs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wasn’t mint. I have no idea how chemicals would have gotten there. The only thing I remember is brushing next to my tomato plant. I did that today and there is no sniffing activity going on. It will be a mystery.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just sprayed my Sperry Topsiders that look very much like yours with Fabreze…twice. Boy, were they gamey, and I didn’t have a cat to tell me,
Did you ever read that book about Oscar who jumped on those beds? I know I sent it to you and was sorry later…poignant, but who needs to be sad. sigh.
Maybe they were just loving you, those girls.
LikeLiked by 3 people
That’s where I read about that death cat!
LikeLike
It was a tough read…not the best gift. What was I thinking? sigh
LikeLiked by 1 person
In it’s own way, it’s comforting. When I die I want my cats on my bed, a Starbucks on my nightstand and the beloved husband fussing around.
LikeLiked by 2 people
We will hold that thought.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, cats may smell disease, but cats are also NUTS. When it doubt I tend to go for the most obvious explanation… 😉
LikeLiked by 3 people
I was at nuts for a while. Then that worry that there’s more to it. But today it’s all gone.
LikeLike
Oh why can’t they talk??? I am taking care of my grandchild and her dog. Yesterday he had a major freak-out during a thunder storm. He wanted to be held in my arms like a baby!!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Dogs and noise are not a good combo. My cats aren’t too bad. They retreat to their happy place (under the bed) when it gets too loud. At least holding him worked.
LikeLike
Funny how your cats noticed something different. I don’t think my cats notice any smell except tuna.
LikeLiked by 2 people
They do. They just don’t tell you.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Come to think of it, they do have to give a sniff test to anything new that comes in the house. Cats do not like changes.
LikeLike
They like new smells though. Not dog. No, not dog smells but anything else.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A PET scan measures important body functions, such as blood flow, oxygen use, and sugar (glucose) metabolism, to help doctors evaluate how well organs and tissues are functioning.
Hope your PET scan turned out OK!
LikeLiked by 2 people
They used it for cancer checks when I was recovering in addition to the MRI. I’m guessing it can detect tissue masses too. I’m going to wait a few days to see if it was just moose poop.
LikeLike
Hahahaha! You are a “caution” Kate. I think that is avery old saying that means you are hilarious.
LikeLiked by 2 people
This stuff really happens to me. I wonder if I could have a reality show and make real money……hmmmm……
LikeLike
Funny!
LikeLiked by 2 people
They made me crazy all afternoon. I wasn’t safe anywhere. Two of the cats shortened their beauty nap to annoy me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
If only dogs and cats could talk.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Had you walked through some grass that maybe had cat spray?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Nope. Just parking lot although I checked on my tomato plants and may have brushed lightly against them. They have smelled that smell before.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maybe they were just showing their love. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol…that’s funny, although I would begin to get paranoid at some point. Thankfully the shower took care of the issue..:)
LikeLiked by 2 people
I was getting paranoid. Animals can smell cancer and diabetes and who knows what else.
LikeLike
Oh my… too funny! I love how they called a meeting to sniff your legs! I wonder what it was?
LikeLiked by 2 people
So far no action today or last night. We may never know.
LikeLike