Mondays With Merlin: Baths & Beach Blanket Bingo+
Someone said I looked grungy. You know like old men in nursing homes drooling food into their beards. That’s what happens when liquids gets squirted all over the place: food, meds, sub-q and wet wash cloths don’t cut it. I was feeling pretty darn good after my illness until I heard a four-letter word: B-A-T-H. My total number of baths in 20 years? Zero! My bath total in the past six month? Three! It helped that #3 was on a hot summer “beach blanket bingo” kind of day.
You want to know about old? I’m old but not that old. The world’s oldest human celebrated her 116th birthday on July 6th in New York. Susannah Mushatt was born in 1898 and attributes her longevity to “sleep,” clean living and positive energy. Why, that’s my secret to longevity too! Then, I found an old book from 1902 which features distant Siamese relatives of mine. My, how my breed has changed since then. At least cats aren’t called someone’s property like poor Pearl of Arrandale. But crazy cat names haven’t changed a bit like Abdul Hamet of Dingley. Notice all the cat owners are ladies. I chuckled over the tongue twister: “Mrs. Cratty’s Swiss Angora Jungfrau. But enough talk about cats and people from a hundred years ago. If want to see my drowned rat fur-do, Layla posts several pics daily, not seen here on our Cat Wisdom 101 Instagram page.
Here I am half dried. It didn’t take long in the 90 degree sun. Quite the delightful spa treatment and I enjoyed the special coddling.
All clean and smelling almost kittenish. My furs are now softer than the puffy clouds in the sky. But best of all are chin rubs.
30 Comments
Robin
It must feel nice to dry off in the sun! You are soooo cute 🙂 I hope that you enjoy your nap. It looks like a really beautiful day where you are.
Penelope
Wowwzers! Merlin baths is not a lot of fun. Mes knows. When mes was really sick with the herpes, mes has to has one. Mes HATED it, but Kozmo was nice enough to helps licks the water off. Mommy was suitably blooded and mes sang the song of our people so loudly, the next door neighbor comed over!
Yous looks marvelous darling! Mes should comes over and wes can sun bath together!
Special Kisses
Nellie
meowmeowmans
Aw, Merlin, we loved your post today, dear friend. We are glad it was a day conducive to a bath and sun spa, and that you’re feeling clean and looking handsome as ever.
Hugs to you and Mom, and the rest of the crew!
Harvey, Miranda, Silver, Phoebe and Marjorie
What a lovely post! I just know Merlin will have loved a bath!! oh and the history!! Made us smile and it was fun!!
Cherry City Kitties
We call it the “fresh kitten smell” and you’ve got it in spades dear friend!
Ellen Pilch
Awww….you look beautiful Merlin.
Flynn
Merlin looks so lovely and soft after his bath.
Skeeter And Izzy
We love the picsof the other cats but we absolutely ADORE the pics of you dear, sweet Merlin. You are the most beautiful, handsome, soft and fluffy ,sweet smelling Meezer we ever saw!!!!!
We send you more purrs, prayers , hugs and kitty kisses.
Luvs
Skeeter and Izzy and the Feral Gang + Twig & Peanut & Romeo >^..^<
XXOOXXOOXX
Layla Morgan Wilde
Thank-you dear ones. Merlin is quite pleased with himself.
The Swiss Cats
You look super soft after your bath, Merlin ! That’s great you could dry in the sun. Purrs
Andrea and the Celestial Kitties
Well, I guess baths don’t have to be horrible, if you get beachy blankets, sun and chn rubs afterwards! Wish I could touch your soft downy furs!
Andrea and the Celestial Kitties
that’s CHIN rubs..
Brian Frum
You look fantastic and ever so soft Merlin!
Sammy
Merlin you look GREAT after your bath and I just know you feel better……snuggling with Mom Layla in the sun shine? Heavenly! You look so SOFT!
Hugs, Sammy
Annabelle
Merlin you do look very kittenish!
So sweet!!!
Layla Morgan Wilde
I must admit he looks younger 🙂
Sallly Swanson
Oh, I wish I could pet Merlin! He looks so soft and fluffy! Hugs and purrs!
Layla Morgan Wilde
Sally, he’s soft as a bunny now.
greg1948
Immediately after a cat bath, the animal almost always makes a beeline straight for the litter box.
Layla Morgan Wilde
That’s your experience? Not Merlin.
da tabbies o trout towne
dood….we could all hope ta look az good; if we iz for chew nut enuff to get ta bee yur age….bee sides…due ewe noe how famouz grunge IZ….just ask de doodz with Pearl jam, Alice in Chains, STP, Nirvana…..just ta name a few ~~~~~
♥♥♥
Layla Morgan Wilde
Yes, but Merlin does not want to wind up like Kurt Cobain 😉
Kathryn
Merlin looks so young and fresh and happy. Lovely Instagram pics on the site and lovely pics here. The kids used to give Ched and Mao baths. They’d climb in the tub with them, they’d have raincoats on – to protect against splashes and and scratches. Mao howled; Ched said nothing. They did seem happier after a bath. Time for another bath, when both kids are here.
Sue Brandes
You look purrfect. And to get to lay in the sun after too. How wonderful.
Layla Morgan Wilde
Sue, he’s a happy camper. He loves the hot weather.
easy rider
oh you look great… I hope that’s not a sign for rain showers when you are april fresh now Merlin :o) I agree with you it’s interesting to see how our ancestors looked once… and it’s amazing to read what names they got from their humans… I’ve read about a barzoi named shashlyk d’ avochoz :o)
Layla Morgan Wilde
There lots of funny suggestions for names in these old books!
The Island Cats
Wow, Merlin. That bath made you all handsome again.
Summer
I get baths twice a month, whether I need them or not! (My human calls them “practice baths,” to make sure I stay used to them.) I’m not that fond of them, but I have to say, my fur feels awesome afterwards. I’m sure yours does too.
Layla Morgan Wilde
Practice makes purrfect then, right?