Vet Visits and Nasty Cat Bottoms

Poor Pepper. She and Bear both went to the vet today for their annual shots. They both knew something was up and I think they understand the word vet-Bear ran off and tried to hide under the bed, Pepper hid under the entertainment center and then ran around the living room while we chased her. We finally got them both into their fancy cat carriers that look like duffel bags with mesh windows. Pepper was up on the vet table first and needed her bottom washed off because she is too fat to clean herself. She's had trouble with her anal glands needing to be expressed, so the vet helper person washed her butt and got the glands expressed. That put Pepper in an even crankier mood.
Then, we had to wait and wait for the vet, there being some sort of emergency or something. He says she needs to lose about 3 pounds, which doesn't sound like a lot, but when you only weigh 16 pounds, is actually quite a big chunk of kitty fat.
Bear is fine and so very docile, she didn't complain too much, but her gums are looking pretty bad so she's going to go back for a cleaning. She has always had kitty gum disease, the vet said it could just be genetics. We're supposed to try and clean her teeth every few days, uh huh.
And, since Pepper needs to go on a diet, they're all going to be on one. The vet says with so many cats, if one has to do something, they all do. So now we are going to put food down twice a day, and then pick up all the bowls after 30 minutes. He says after about 3 days they'll get used to it and eat when it's offered or not at all. Pepper has meds that need to go on her food once a day anyway, so maybe this will help get those meds into her.
Poor old Bear has 2 different meds that are supposed to help with her gums that you squirt into her mouth. She sometimes tries to make a run for it when she sees me coming, but I guess the stuff doesn't taste too bad, one of them smells like beef broth.
Next we have to get little Lucy spayed, she has been in heat for the last few days and the poor thing just doesn't know what to do, she goes around mewling and raising her tail and bottom up in the air. Come and get me boys!
Good thing they don't go outside or we'd have every boy kitty for miles hanging around our house!