Short [Diary] continued(2)
23rd September It a was very unusual experience to be woken up by a little furry creature nibbling on my hand. She was jumping in place, with my hand in her mouth and her little paws holding my wrist, tugging me out of my bed. When I got up, she ran towards the door and started pawing at it. I quickly got dressed and slipped the collar around her neck, before opening the door. She ran down the stairs faster than I could follow.
It was a very early morning, barely dawn with streets completely empty. It took me a while to find the little fox, well actually, she found me. She pounced me from behind attaching herself to my back with her claws in my shirt. I had no choice, but to carry her like that back to the apartment. She did jump off me when we were back, but then I caught her and pulled to give a morning bath, partly as my revenge. But I guess it wasn't really my day, as she managed to grab the shower head and point it at me, soaking me completely while letting out something that sounded like a giggle. I had my chance to hear more of it, when I was drying her fur with a towel. I used that occasion to tickle her, but not being too rough on her, she's just a little kit after all.
I got her a warm ham sandwich for breakfast, as we stopped for lunch at a coffee shop. The shop wasn't empty, with only a few folks around, mostly catching breakfast before work. The fox sniffed at the sandwich at first, before eating it, though it didn't seem like she enjoyed it too much. I guess, even she can tell that fast food isn't good for you.
The clinic was in a rather small building and was pretty empty from what I saw from the outside. I was surprised when the security officer told me that pets aren't allowed in the clinic, unless they are guide dogs. I guessed it was no sense in saying that I was there to check my little guest's health. Though the security person was kind enough to point out that there is a veterinary clinic close-by.
I had a mixed feeling about what happened. Firstly, she was human like so why they didn't they see her as a human, but on the other hand, she act as an animal, so maybe I was stupid to think that a pediatrician will check on her. That was on my head, but clearly not on hers, as she ran around the side walk as much as the leash allowed her. The streets were nearly empty at after the morning rush to work. I watched her playing with a piece of scrap paper that was blown in the air. She managed to catch it and brought it to me in her teeth as her trophy. I patted her on the head and took the paper, before throwing away when she wouldn't notice.
The veterinary clinic was a very small place, clearly owned by a family or even a single person. The sign said 'open', so I entered, leading the little fox by the leash. The corridor was completely white, with a few chairs by the wall and window in the other wall, obviously for registering patience. I noticed diplomas hanging on the walls, so I took my time to look through them. A few degrees in medicine and a lot in veterinary. I was pulled away from reading by a lady in a lab coat, asking me for my purpose of visit. She had a decisive voice, not something that you probably would want to argue with, though not cold. Her face expression lead to me to guess that she was still a bit sleepy and she didn't want annoying people to bother her so early. I explained her my reason for visit, skipping unneeded parts. She looked down at the fox, who looked up and gave a toothy smile at the looker. The doctor's face expression changed, she smiled lightly, before showing some of her dissatisfaction when she looked at me again.
The examination room was more or less what I've seen on TV shows. A table in the middle, a big light over it, different cabins by the walls and cages by one of the walls. There wasn't anyone in those cages that I could see when we entered. I was asked to take the collar off my guest, which I of course did, resulting in the little fox getting more lively, even though the doctor had some trouble keeping her on the table even with the collar on. Though a quick search in one of the drawers and the patient had a squeaky toy in her paws, nibbling and squeezing at it happily. I just stood at the wall, looking over the furry creature and the veterinarian. It didn't looked like a veterinarian examining an animal, more like a pediatrician checking baby's health. She didn't use any force to make the fox turn or do anything she needed, instead she would trick her with the toy. She asked me once to help hold the fox as she wanted to measure the temperature. I though of a wrong measuring way, so it ended up with me getting a smirk from the lady, when I was trying to hold the girl down, before I was informed that she can measure the temperature inside the kit's ear.
In the end I found out that those bite marks aren't serious. I received an ointment for the two fresh bite marks and also I got a warning that I need to vaccinate her. I explained that I wasn't going to keep her as a pet, but in a reply I got a rather long and exhausting explanation why is it a bad idea to release her back and where the bite marks came from. Parents usually force these strange kits out of the den in the age of one year to free up space for the new litter. The kits are forced to live on their own, usually feeding on what they manage to catch, which usually isn't much, because their bodies aren't the same as their parents' from whom they learned to survive. In the end the furrs are either taken as pets or die. The bite marks are from other foxes who fight for their own territory and see the kit as a threat. I was hinted to search for 'furr' in auction webpages and just see what people do to them.
We were signed up for another appointment in a few days to get the vaccines, an identification chip and all the ownership documents done. Which reminded me that I was stupid enough to carelessly walk around without any ID for the girl. I received a temporary ID for her, it was just laminated piece of paper with a picture of the kit, her paw print, her name and my information. She was named behind my back by the doctor. 'Vulpy', that's what it said on the ID next to the brown muzzle and a right under the black pawprint. While I was still looking at the ID, I was suddenly yanked by the leash in my hand as Vulpy jumped towards the door. Just a moment later, a little black kit jumped from the opening door and pounced the fox girl. Before I reacted to the situation, I heard a "d'awww" from the doctor and then I realized that the kits were just playing. Soon a lady showed up in the doorway and immediately command her fox to heel, which he did. Vulpy sit up rather unhappy at the sudden loss of playmate, but she quickly scoot up and tried to hide behind my leg. I recognized the fox, it was the same one we met last night. Same black furr with white collar and white shorts. I smiled to the owner of this fox and she replied with a smile, apologizing for losing control of her pet. Though it sounded like she had problems with calling the kit a 'pet'. I thanked the doctor, who seemed a bit happier than she first saw me and I said goodbye to the lady and her fox. Vulpy dubbed me by yipping at everyone happily and giving a few additional yips for the black fox, who did yip back a few times. As we left, I still heard the veterinarian asking the kit: "How is out little boy doing?" in a childish voice.
We stopped at the pet shop, since Vulpy was going to live with me, I thought that getting her at least a decent collar and leash would be a good start. I got her a black collar with thin line of glass gems going around it. The size was perfect with place to grow. Also we got a matching leash to go with it. She was a lot happier with the new collar, the owner of the shop told me that the collar was just delivered so it doesn't have any foreign scents on it. For being a cute customer Vulpy received a squeaky mouse toy from owner. I was happy to see her liking people easily, though that did disturb me a little too.
As we headed back home, I held the leash loosely, letting Vulpy explore as much as she wants, but the little vixen was more interested in the squeaky toy she received, playing with it. I had to take it away as she dropped it since I didn't want her to put that in her mouth. I had a "squeaky toy" of my own. It wasn't squeaky or a toy, but I was occupied with it the same way she was with her toy. It was the ID, it contained some additional information on the other side, like species, sex, age and the vaccine list, which had no ticks on it. It kinda surprised me when I saw one year, written as age. She really looked older by human age, I would say at least three.
We did another stop at the grocery shop and I let Vulpy use her nose to decide what she wants. She tried to bite through one package, but after being yanked by the leash, she didn't do that with any other, just sniffing around as I let her lead me. It didn't take Sherlock Holmes to guess where she would led, as we ended up in the meat isle. With her choosing, I picked some meat that she seemed to have interest in.
As we were passing through the other isles, I couldn't help myself to think that if she's going to stay at my place, I should teach her how to use the bathroom instead of running outside each time she needs to go. But that though would had to wait, since while being in thought I paid no attention to Vulpy and she managed to undo the leash from her collar and run away.
So there I was, in the middle of a shop, with a leash in my hand...
Another part, longer than previous, but I'm more happy about this one that the previous ones..