Steamed Cat!

While we were away, I rang home to check everything was okay. Unfortunately, Snuffy, was unwell again.  Sparkling white teeth had not solved her problem. She was sneezing and coughing again. So, it was back to the vet with her once more.
This time it seems she has contracted a virus akin to herpes and the solution was to "steam" her. Joanne, my daughter, was told to place some Vicks ointment on her fur under her chin and then to place her under a towel with steaming water.
 She couldn't believe the vet was serious!  The image of Snuffy sitting calmly at the table with her head over a bowl of boiling water, while amusing, was highly improbable.

They came up with an alternative solution. Joanne and her sister turned the shower in Joanne's en-suite bathroom to it's hottest.  With difficulty they applied the Vicks and put Snuffy in the bathroom and closed the door.

Tens minutes later they opened the door expecting to see a cat shooting out the door, instead she was a cowering mess, hiding behind the toilet. Any attempt to clean the Vicks from her fur was greeted with her bared teeth and claws.  Joanne has the scars to prove it. This had to be repeated twice a day.
The upshot of this is that our quiet docile old lady has become a snarling beast that refuses to come near the house.

Fortunately, she is improving.
 Unfortunately, it is a virus and it can flare again and again at anytime, particularly if she gets stressed.

The whole household will now revolve around keeping her calm and stress free. Is it a cunning plan on her part to see out her years, treated  as a queen bee?