Buddy's Makeover

Merci: We hope you have noticed our sidebar has sported a beauty tip widget for a couple of months now. We think it's really neat.

Cotton: We figured Buddy could use a make-over. He's a hound and hounds have deep worry wrinkles in the face, so we decided to try our favorite beauty tip on him to see if it really works.

Buddy, before his beauty treatment by the Funny Farm.

Cyndi: We wanted to try Pond's cold cream as a facial because it supposedly gives deep moisturization. (We don't think that's actually a word, but we're furries, so we don't care.) Now Buddy sleeps very heavily, so he was an easy mark. Cotton volunteered. She quietly and gently applied a mask of cold cream to his face. Avoiding the eyes, of course. And his nose -- he has to breathe. We all watched the clock -- one minute. .... eight minutes..... finally, the ten minutes were up. Then came the hard part.

Cotton: One of us had to either use a warm washcloth or a paper towel to wipe off the cold cream.

Cyndi: Cotton, you mean tissue. A tissue, not a paper towel.

Merci: And none of us girls wanted to volunteer. Sam gulped and offered to try. His sigh of relief when we all said no nearly blew Cotton off the bed.

Cotton: None of the other guys would offer. They said it would take a gentle touch and they're man cats and dogs, so their touch, although gentler than Sam's paw of the cement block, wouldn't cut it.

Cyndi: That left only one solution. We volunteered Cotton to finish the beauty tip.

Cotton: Yeah, wimps and cowards, all of my siblings. But I'm a tortie and I've got tortitude, so I very, very gently ran a tissue over Buddy's face, hardly daring to ...

Merci: Breathe, Cotton, before you pass out.

Cotton, breathing deeply: Ahhhhhh.

Buddy, leaping to his feet: What happened? Who just poked me in the eye?

Cotton: Sorry, Buddy, it was an accident. But we have a surprise for you.

Cyndi: Yes, Buddy, go look in the mirror. We gave you a .. Ouch! Cotton you stepped on my foot.

Cotton, very quietly: I did? Fancy that. Probably because you were about to tell a guy we gave him a beauty treatment before he's even seen the results.

Merci: It's amazing, Buddy. Notice how your lines and wrinkles have softened.

Buddy after the Pond's cold cream mask.

Buddy, posing before the mirror: Yes, I can see that. I look ten years younger and ...

Cyndi: But, Buddy, you're only going to be 5 this month. How can you look ... Uh, never mind I don't think I want to go there.

Cotton: You do look handsome, Buddy. Are you pleased with what we've done?

Buddy: Pleased? I love it. What did you do? Whatever it was, we need to try it on Jan before she wakes up.

Cyndi: I don't know. Do you think one jar is enough to smooth out Jan's wrinkles so she looks as good as Buddy does?