I usually check every day, just to see what might be celebrated on any given day. Every day seems to have some sort of special thing attached to it, Most days have several things.
Today I discovered that it is Superhero Day. I not much into superhero’s anymore, so that’s not a big deal. The last Friday of April is also Arbor Day. Planting a tree is never really a bad idea. It is also Blueberry Pie Day. Whoever came up with the idea of a blueberry pie day at a time of year when blueberries are not in season needs to rethink the idea. Pre-made blueberry pie filling is okay, but it really can’t stand up to home made with wild blueberries. So August would be a much better time for such a day in my mind.
The I noticed that today is Hairball Awareness Day. Now I’m convinced there really is a day for everything. A day to celebrate hairballs?
Not celebrate exactly, but be aware of them. If you own a cat, you are probably aware of hairballs. You probably dread the sound. That hacking sound that comes just before the arrival of the hairball. You can never tell exactly where it is coming from. You just know it will be out there somewhere. Waiting.
Usually the sound comes in the middle of the night. You might not want to get up and go looking for a hairball, so you try to remember that the trap has been laid. And if you forget? Don’t worry, your foot will surely remind you.
I think it’s one of those things that cats know by instinct. They find the most unlikely place for a hairball and leave it there, where some unsuspected person will put their foot and go, “Awww, yuck.” Or something similar. Perhaps something a bit more unsuitable for younger ears.
Cats are groomers. They like keeping themselves clean and neat, but without hands they are left using their tongues, which means hair that is in the process of being shed ends up being consumed. It has to come out one way or another.
You can groom your cat, trying to get all the excess hair off before they swallow it. But there is always more. It is suggested as a way to reduce hairballs. Probably by the cats themselves who are just looking for attention.
But if you have a cat, you probably don’t need a day set aside to be aware of hairballs. You just know they will be there.
May your bare foot never connect with one. Or at least a cold one.