The human-animal bond

Like millions of other people, I recently saw the movie Avatar. My favorite part? I loved how the Navi could bond with the animals so closely that the two practically became one. They bonded physically and mentally.

I’ve written before on this site about how close I am with Thurston – my neurotic, OCD, tubby, but extremely loving and adorable tabby cat. I’ve mentioned how he likes to rest his head on my face when he thinks I’m asleep, to sit on my lap while I drink coffee, and to generally snuggle up and get extremely, extremely close.

Thurston (who in the past has licked all the fur off his belly) seems to have developed a case of feline acne (aka “catne“) on his chin – he’s going to the vet this weekend to get it checked out. In the meantime, guess what’s happened to me? I am breaking out on MY chin in sympathy with Thurston. Sigh. Hopefully this will clear up soon, for both of us!

7 thoughts on “The human-animal bond

  1. Thurston — if that’s him in the photo — is adorable and it’s no wonder you’re so close! Good luck to both of you on clearing up the catne. Tickles, rubs and snorgles to Thurston from all of us! 😉

  2. Yep, that’s Thurston in the photo. It’s actually difficult to get a good photo of him when he’s awake because he won’t stop nuzzling my hand while I’m holding the camera. I took this photo with the built-in camera on my laptop – he likes to jump up on my lap while I’m at the computer, of course.

  3. By any chance do you use plastic food or water bowels? I read somewhere that they can cause acne on the chin. I’m not sure how or why a plastic bowel would be responsible, but that’s what I read for what it’s worth.

  4. No plastic bowls – ceramic & metal. The other cat doesn’t have this problem.
    Oh, and it’s definitely feline acne – the vet confirmed. Thurston is getting topical treatment and antibiotics. Wow, getting a pill into this cat 2x a day for a week is a CHALLENGE.

  5. Beautiful cat! My cat had chin catne. The vet suggested I try washing his chin, which I did with a washcloth and a tiny bit of soap (followed by just a wet washcloth to get the soap off). It went away after a few washings. Like human acne, it can be caused by oil (maybe from contact with food while eating).

  6. I realize this advice comes late but I put benzoyl peroxide (strong–10%) on my cat, Raskolnikov’s, chin and it cleared up right away and hasnt shown a sign of recurrence in over a month. Persa gel or a similar brand is easy to find at Duane Reade. Worth a try if it’s a persistent problem!

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