Concerns for Kitty, Questions for Me
Dear "Sally Forth" Readers:
Over the past week I have read/received/heard screaming from across interstates concerns with — or confusion about — the recent (and ongoing) "Missing Kitty" story. I would like to take this opportunity to address them.
How can you not miss your pet for six days. Do they not feed this cat?
Careful readers will notice that the cat was missing for two days, prompting a search that lasted five days.
As for whether or not anyone feeds the cat, let me just say three words: "Automatic cat feeder." I have used one for my cats Boris and Natasha for 12 years and they are both happy and healthy.
(Note: Variations on this comment have included the phrase "not noticed missing for five days" or "not noticed missing for seven days." In each case I believe it was an understandable confuson between how long the cat was missing and how long the owners searched for her.)
Was no one checking the litter box for several days?
Regular readers may remember a story line about six weeks back in which Sally is concerned that Hilary does not do enough around the house. Sally's solution? From then on Hilary would take care of the litter box. That is why on the very first panel in Monday's strip Sally is thanking Hilary for doing her assigned chore. Neither Sally nor Ted were monitoring the litter box because for the past six weeks Hilary had been on top of the task. But, like any 10-year-old, Hilary let it slide and so no one immediately noticed until two days later that in fact Kitty had not been using the box.
How could the Forths not notice that the cat had not eaten for several days?
This concern has also been phrased as "You'd think they would have noticed food piling up in her bowl." To which I can only respond, "Who said the cat had not eaten?" Such a remark was never made in the strip. When my cat Boris failed to go the litter box for a few days, he still continued to eat each and every day. It was not a dietary problem. It was a problem with his colon and inability to defecate. Luckily after surgery and numerous hospital visits, Boris eventually did defecate...and with a vengeance.
Ok, pop quiz everyone- What is your vet’s phone number? It concerns me enough that either Sally does, or has it on speed dial, that I’m crossing her off my list of pet sitters.
I know my vet's phone number by heart. But that's because my cats are very, very important to me and I make sure to be able to get them all the medical treatment they need on a moment's notice.
What? They’re such budget-minded cretins they don’t take poor Kitty into the vet unless it’s an emergency?
Who said that they have never taken Kitty to the vet? "Sally Forth" exists for 18 panels and a Sunday strip each week. Every action they take — including vet visits — cannot be shown in such a limited space. They don't eat every day in the strip. Does that mean they are routinely starving? When was the last time you saw of any the family members go to the bathroom? Is that something any of us really want to witness?
Just because your self-centered characters finally noticed it and are concerned is not a good model for responsible pet ownership.
I know this sounds cruel but honestly, whenever I see a posting that refers to the Forths as "self-centered" I can't help but conclude that's the writer's way of saying "Why haven't your characters talked about me or the exact way I live yet?"
From personal experience, I can say they are looking at a several hundred dollar vet bill. Of course, I took my beloved cat in after two days of her not eating. These self-absorbed twits let poor Kitty suffer alone for days.
"Several hundred dollars"?!? I don't know what cut-rate vet this person takes his/her pets to but I don't think I'll be asking them for a referral. Perhaps they mistakenly took their cat to Jiffy-Lube instead. The total bill for my "beloved cat" Boris came to $4900 (not including subsequent, weekly check-ups). My wife and I also took lessons to learn how to administer a feline enema twice a week for the rest of the cat's life. That's right, people. It's a a tube, KY and one displeased cat every Tuesday and Thursday.
Hey now, the cat only appears in one strip every two years on average; why shouldn't the adults be forgiven for overlooking it in the interim?
Okay, that one makes sense.
Truthfully, I really appreciate your interest in the strip. Anyone who takes the time out of their day to read what supposedly humorous thoughts I jot down is exceedingly kind and deserves my utter gratitude. I also know that half the fun of reading a comic strip is trying to second-guess the characters' motives or determine the plot's ending before it is ultimately revealed. I only ask that you let the storyline play out — and that you read it carefully and do not draw assumptions — before allowing yourself to become incensed by it (I'm not saying you won't be incensed by what I write. I'm just saying give it a little time to prove you wrong...or right).
Please note, I do not make a habit of over-explaining strips (to do such seems self-indulgent). I just wanted to address these issues because I would hate for anyone to think that I take the well-being of a family pet lightly.
"Sally Forth" is owned by King Features. It is drawn by Craig Macintosh. It is written by me. But once it hits print it is the property of all the readers who share in the experience each and every day. It is your strip and you have every right to say what you will about it. If you have questions, I 'll try my best to answer them. If you have concerns, I will certainly try to address them. If you hurl something at my head, well, I'll probably try to get behind Scott Stantis.
Thank you.
Ces
Over the past week I have read/received/heard screaming from across interstates concerns with — or confusion about — the recent (and ongoing) "Missing Kitty" story. I would like to take this opportunity to address them.
How can you not miss your pet for six days. Do they not feed this cat?
Careful readers will notice that the cat was missing for two days, prompting a search that lasted five days.
As for whether or not anyone feeds the cat, let me just say three words: "Automatic cat feeder." I have used one for my cats Boris and Natasha for 12 years and they are both happy and healthy.
(Note: Variations on this comment have included the phrase "not noticed missing for five days" or "not noticed missing for seven days." In each case I believe it was an understandable confuson between how long the cat was missing and how long the owners searched for her.)
Was no one checking the litter box for several days?
Regular readers may remember a story line about six weeks back in which Sally is concerned that Hilary does not do enough around the house. Sally's solution? From then on Hilary would take care of the litter box. That is why on the very first panel in Monday's strip Sally is thanking Hilary for doing her assigned chore. Neither Sally nor Ted were monitoring the litter box because for the past six weeks Hilary had been on top of the task. But, like any 10-year-old, Hilary let it slide and so no one immediately noticed until two days later that in fact Kitty had not been using the box.
How could the Forths not notice that the cat had not eaten for several days?
This concern has also been phrased as "You'd think they would have noticed food piling up in her bowl." To which I can only respond, "Who said the cat had not eaten?" Such a remark was never made in the strip. When my cat Boris failed to go the litter box for a few days, he still continued to eat each and every day. It was not a dietary problem. It was a problem with his colon and inability to defecate. Luckily after surgery and numerous hospital visits, Boris eventually did defecate...and with a vengeance.
Ok, pop quiz everyone- What is your vet’s phone number? It concerns me enough that either Sally does, or has it on speed dial, that I’m crossing her off my list of pet sitters.
I know my vet's phone number by heart. But that's because my cats are very, very important to me and I make sure to be able to get them all the medical treatment they need on a moment's notice.
What? They’re such budget-minded cretins they don’t take poor Kitty into the vet unless it’s an emergency?
Who said that they have never taken Kitty to the vet? "Sally Forth" exists for 18 panels and a Sunday strip each week. Every action they take — including vet visits — cannot be shown in such a limited space. They don't eat every day in the strip. Does that mean they are routinely starving? When was the last time you saw of any the family members go to the bathroom? Is that something any of us really want to witness?
Just because your self-centered characters finally noticed it and are concerned is not a good model for responsible pet ownership.
I know this sounds cruel but honestly, whenever I see a posting that refers to the Forths as "self-centered" I can't help but conclude that's the writer's way of saying "Why haven't your characters talked about me or the exact way I live yet?"
From personal experience, I can say they are looking at a several hundred dollar vet bill. Of course, I took my beloved cat in after two days of her not eating. These self-absorbed twits let poor Kitty suffer alone for days.
"Several hundred dollars"?!? I don't know what cut-rate vet this person takes his/her pets to but I don't think I'll be asking them for a referral. Perhaps they mistakenly took their cat to Jiffy-Lube instead. The total bill for my "beloved cat" Boris came to $4900 (not including subsequent, weekly check-ups). My wife and I also took lessons to learn how to administer a feline enema twice a week for the rest of the cat's life. That's right, people. It's a a tube, KY and one displeased cat every Tuesday and Thursday.
Hey now, the cat only appears in one strip every two years on average; why shouldn't the adults be forgiven for overlooking it in the interim?
Okay, that one makes sense.
Truthfully, I really appreciate your interest in the strip. Anyone who takes the time out of their day to read what supposedly humorous thoughts I jot down is exceedingly kind and deserves my utter gratitude. I also know that half the fun of reading a comic strip is trying to second-guess the characters' motives or determine the plot's ending before it is ultimately revealed. I only ask that you let the storyline play out — and that you read it carefully and do not draw assumptions — before allowing yourself to become incensed by it (I'm not saying you won't be incensed by what I write. I'm just saying give it a little time to prove you wrong...or right).
Please note, I do not make a habit of over-explaining strips (to do such seems self-indulgent). I just wanted to address these issues because I would hate for anyone to think that I take the well-being of a family pet lightly.
"Sally Forth" is owned by King Features. It is drawn by Craig Macintosh. It is written by me. But once it hits print it is the property of all the readers who share in the experience each and every day. It is your strip and you have every right to say what you will about it. If you have questions, I 'll try my best to answer them. If you have concerns, I will certainly try to address them. If you hurl something at my head, well, I'll probably try to get behind Scott Stantis.
Thank you.
Ces
posted by Francesco Marciuliano at 8:20 PM
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11 Comments:
Thanks for taking a little time out to clear up some of the confusion...Although I still believe Hilary can hold off going to Paris until she's at least fourteen (which is never going to happen because the girl has been ten for at least twelve years), but hey, that's just two cents from the peanut gallery.
I think it's great that you took the time to respond to the grumbling you were hearing.
Not to beat a dead horse (kitty?) here, but...two days, three days, five days, wouldn't people notice if their pet was missing for even ONE day? I mean, you come home from work or school and there he or she is to greet you. (Hey, if your pet is a dog, you walk back in from picking up the mail and it's "Welcome back! I missed you!") I'm not picking on you, I'm just not getting the whole "Gee, come to think of it, haven't seen old Kitty in a few days."
Thanks, Ces, I'm sorry to say I was one of the ones thinking Kitty hadn't been noticed for 5 days and hadn't been fed. That'll teach me to jump to conclusions! Looking forward to the outcome of this plotline. At least, I hope it's a happy conclusion...
Lor
You write a week's worth of strips about a family's reaction to a sick kitty and this is the flack you get.
Meanwhile, I publicly cackle with glee at the thought that Kitty may be a mummified corpse, plus speculate that Ted might use the situation to get play and get a free pass.
Ain't no justice in this world, Ces. I guess this what comes of making the big King Features bucks. Sucker!
jf
Ces,
Why haven't your characters talked about me or the exact way I live yet?
Actually, I have had the same sort of experience with my kitty as you did with Boris. One of my guys has dilated cardiomyopathy which is incurable and invariably fatal. Medication twice a day, constant monitoring which precludes my going anywhere longer than overnight, medical equipment including an in-home oxygen cage ... all to make sure one cat can live a relatively happy and normal life for however long he has left. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it -- 90% of the time he feels good and lives a normal cat-existance.
Aside from having my vet and three different animal hospital phone numbers memorized/on speed dial, I've spent God knows how much on him -- I stopped counting around $5K. Thanks to a small inheritance from a cat-hating relative, I haven't had to choose between total financial ruin and treating my cat which makes me luckier than most people faced with a beloved pet's chronic/terminal illness.
It will be interesting to see what happens with Kitty and what the Forths have to decide. But I have to agree with a comment on Josh's site ... you could have Hilary meet an untimely death at the hands of a drunken weed-whacker wielding Ted and you wouldn't see nearly the hue and cry you would if Kitty bites it.
LC
Since no one else has bothered to put down what I'm sure a lot of the readers of this blog are thinking, let me be the first to bravely go out on a limb and say it:
It's a comic strip, everyone. Get a flippin' grip.
And let me say that I own three cats who each have pulled a vanishing act for several days. Turns out they were doing what cats do - hanging out in the basement, under furniture, and/or in closets, coming out when they felt like it to eat and use the litter box. I have not experienced finding a cat dead in the basement, under furniture, and/or in a closet, but owning three cats, it's almost inevitable that it could happen with one of them. That's life - just like it seems to be in the strip. There are plenty of other things to worry about out there, people. Cut the comic strip some slack.
Ahh. There. I feel much better now.
Personally, I'm in the camp that wonders why the Forths don't see their pet every day. But I guess they're too busy smirking on the couch to notice such trivial things as a cat. Unless it sheds on one of Sally's chic work blazers.
Also, still waiting for Hilary's ponytails to get cut off in a freak cat-feeding Parisian accident, or something.
I'm with Tracey up there. And I prefer the name Tracey with the optional "e" at the end too.
But while I was (skimming) the responses to those who are either on house arrest or heavily sedated (thus rendering them liable to read way too heavily into comic strips) I couldn't help but remember one of my favorite old Dr. Katz scenes.
Stan: "...why do you do that.."
Katz: "what?"
Stan: "explain the joke like that...when you do that, uhhh...life's not worth living."
That and one of my own favorite quotes: "If you have to say 'I'm just kidding' then you're with the wrong people."
It's an okay story line even with the flaws. It points out the concerns of many pet owners, and those, like an elderly couple I know, who will not take in another pet because they cannot afford the high level of treatments available. Now, the decision is no longer, is it time to put my dog to sleep, but do I have to choose between solvency and death of a pet.
In general, regarding comics, I was traumatized by Farley's death just because the death of a pet is so distressing. I like the family comics, but really don't need to be reminded of every single awful human experience when I'm reading the funny pages.
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