Emily's a rare cat. Since kittenhood she's actually enjoyed visiting the
vet. She likes all the shiny bottles and vials on the counter just out of
her reach; and she likes all the attention. But this created a problem
during today's visit. She began to purr. She purred when the vet pried open
her mouth to check her teeth. She purred when he examined her from tip to
tail. She even purred when he gave her two hypodermic syringes of serum. But
when he tried to hear her heart with the stethoscope, all he got was a deep
rumble. We tried everything to stop Emily purring. Finally we stood her on
her hind legs, and this confused her just long enough for the doctor to hear
her heartbeat before the rumble resumed. Dear little Emily - she always
finds some way to complicate things!