Snaggletooth Loses His Snaggle

Snoozey has, for most of his life, had a large tooth jutting out over his lip and I often called him Snaggletooth. Though he lost that jutting tooth a while back, he still had several visible teeth and retained the affectionate nickname:

Snoozey began to show signs that he wasn't feeling well. He would slink around from corner to corner, keeping as hidden as possible. He would curl up in hidden spots and sometimes I'd see him drooling with his mouth hanging open. I was becoming concerned that my old Snoozey had some rotten teeth which were bothering him:

His friend, Rocky, sometimes provided him the comfort of compassionate company:

But I knew I should take Snoozey to the vet for a check-up. When my income tax refund arrived, I made an appointment and stuffed the protesting Snoozey into a cat carrier. He was not happy about this:

And off we went to Drumm Veterinary Hospital during a snowstorm (it was snowing much harder than it looks in this photo):

The veterinary staff welcomed him and had an office cat perched happily on the counter:

Another office cat came over to say "Howdy" but Snoozey was pouting and not in the mood for greetings:

Into the examination room we went but Snoozey didn't want to leave his carrier. He was not interested in being poked, prodded and stuck with needles:

But a friendly vet tech knew how to win his trust and managed to get his weight and temperature:

The vet declared that Snoozey had only four teeth left anyway, and those were in very bad shape. So Snoozey went in for surgery and came out toothless. He is no longer a Snaggletooth:

I am happy to say that Snoozey's former relaxed and friendly demeanor has returned. He is content to spend a bit of snooze time near his buddy, Clover:

And all is now well with Snoozey, the cat who has survived two hernia operations, neutering, tooth extraction and being abandoned at the Shelter. He's a happy boy once again: