Plan A: trail of treats
Failed. He fell for it last time, but I doubt it'll work again.
Plan B: throw a towel over him, burrito him up and put him in
Failed. My throw technique is poor, and he backed up faster than I expected, eluded the towel, and ran under the bed.
Plan C: blanket corral
This didn't need to be as extensive as it was for Aurora because I know he can't go through the sections of the bed frame that have a horizontal bar because of the cone. He always goes in and out from under the bed in the same two directions. So I put a blanket and the open carrier on one end and me at the other. Then I alternated giving him treats that were just out of reach in the direction of the carrier and gently shoving him from behind. He was not happy about it, but it worked!
He is great in the car and he was great for the vet. His tail is healing well! We're all still hoping they don't need to amputate. They cleaned the stub and soaked it, and since he can still reach to groom the very end, gave him a slightly bigger cone. Poor guy. No bandage, though, so that's probably a good sign.
Philip is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in him!
