Today I had to take Sam to the vet for shots. It was his first visit out since we got him a year ago, and I was not at all sure how he would fare on the ride over. My experience with cats in cars has been they don’t like it. With the exception of one large female I had years ago who would sit happily on the seat and enjoy the view, the rest of them have been howlers. Sam was no exception. I first had to get him into the carrier. It was rather like trying to stuff a large sausage with teeth and claws into a casing barely big enough to contain it. Once zipped in, he began the howling. The trip to the vet is about half an hour +/- on a good day. Today I got behind an elderly woman in a Volvo wagon doing 15 miles under the speed limit almost all the way over. The howling, yowling and lamenting coming from the carrier made me question whether there was just one cat with me. No amount of reassuring could quiet him. Once there, we stepped into the waiting room and out came a couple with a dog. Not a huge dog, but big enough to traumatize poor Sam even more. Skulking down in his carrier, he was not in a good mood when I brought him in for his shots. In spite of all, he had a good exam – 14 and a quarter pounds of solid cat, good teeth, no issues. I expected the ride home would be another sad chorus, especially where he was already miffed at me for taking him on this unpleasant ride, but nothing. He was quiet and content the whole way. Once at home, Indy met him at the door like he had been gone for weeks. Steve told me Indy cried and meowed the whole time Sam was gone. Go figure. His appointment is next.