Haven't really been inspired to write since BatCat died, but I figure that I'd better get back to it or I'll drop off again like I did with the last blog. Stubby has been let back into the house. 1st Floor only. Not full time, yet, as he'd have none of that since he now likes the out of doors. I had given away all indoor-cat-related things when both cats were relegated to the outdoors, so the day after we lost BatCat, I headed over to Tractor Supply and got a new litter box, a great supply of litter, a scoop, a couple cat toys, Nature's Miracle (which, thankfully, we've yet to use), and Feline Pet Ease (the equivalent of a natural Xanax for cats).
At first Stubby was scared to even come in at all. Then when he realized that this would be where his meals were, he started arriving at the door at the appointed times. It has been easier to get him to stay inside at night as Mozart goes to bed about the time he gets fed, so the environment is much calmer. He has stayed inside a handful of day, but even when he does, it seems like he needs his fix of the outdoors for a little bit in the evenings. Mozart doesn't help. In fact, I'm not so sure it's the outdoors so much as the need-to-get-away-from-that-insane-moving-beast-of-a-toddler that has him wanting to go out in the evenings.
He has been a bit of a love though. We are doing our best to love him up as much as possible. For the day or so after we found BatCat, he seemed out of sorts - maybe it was just us, but it did seem that he missed her in a way. I just want him to be happy. And not leave pee-puddles to attend to.
Showing posts with label Cats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cats. Show all posts
And then there was one.
There's no way to soften the blow. TW came home from work on her lunch break and found BatCat. Dead. She called me at work but I was busy. She called back twice more within minutes and so I excused myself and got the news.
I am heartbroken, but I cannot imagine what TW is going through. She got BatCat before she met me and when she was having a very hard time. She has often referred to how much support she got from her. And that they are kindred spirit or a kind of soul mates. And after finding her she couldn't even grieve properly as she had to go back to work.
In tears, I got off work an hour early, dropped Mozart off at Mme. Child's, stopped at the store and got several bags of ice, then went home to ensure BatCat's stability until we can decide what to do (burial or cremation) and where it will happen. I got flowers, wine and ice cream for TW, and then picked up the boy.
I explained to him that Mommy is sad and so she might be crying a little bit tonight. He wanted to know where her boo-boo is and I told him it is in her heart. He offered to "give her hug and I fix it." He is a wonderful child. Since we got home he has been checking in with her and giving hugs.
TW and I haven't had a chance to talk yet, so Mozart doesn't know the reason that Mommy has a boo-boo on her heart. I'm thinking of telling him that BatCat had to move to a happy cat place, and we are sad because we didn't know she had to move away until she was gone. Or, because we have already referred to people who have died as living in our hearts, that she lives in our hearts now. And if he asks why Mommy's heart has a boo-boo, then we'll say that it sometimes hurts little when people (or cats) move from living with us to living in our hearts.
Well. I'll keep thinking on this. If you have an ideas for telling him or dealing with the loss of a pet, by all means, let me know.
I am heartbroken, but I cannot imagine what TW is going through. She got BatCat before she met me and when she was having a very hard time. She has often referred to how much support she got from her. And that they are kindred spirit or a kind of soul mates. And after finding her she couldn't even grieve properly as she had to go back to work.
In tears, I got off work an hour early, dropped Mozart off at Mme. Child's, stopped at the store and got several bags of ice, then went home to ensure BatCat's stability until we can decide what to do (burial or cremation) and where it will happen. I got flowers, wine and ice cream for TW, and then picked up the boy.
I explained to him that Mommy is sad and so she might be crying a little bit tonight. He wanted to know where her boo-boo is and I told him it is in her heart. He offered to "give her hug and I fix it." He is a wonderful child. Since we got home he has been checking in with her and giving hugs.
TW and I haven't had a chance to talk yet, so Mozart doesn't know the reason that Mommy has a boo-boo on her heart. I'm thinking of telling him that BatCat had to move to a happy cat place, and we are sad because we didn't know she had to move away until she was gone. Or, because we have already referred to people who have died as living in our hearts, that she lives in our hearts now. And if he asks why Mommy's heart has a boo-boo, then we'll say that it sometimes hurts little when people (or cats) move from living with us to living in our hearts.
Well. I'll keep thinking on this. If you have an ideas for telling him or dealing with the loss of a pet, by all means, let me know.
Success!
I'm running this morning, but I just have to announce: BOTH CATS ARE USING THE HOUSE!!!
I seem to go in spurts with my posts, and while I have lots that I've thought about posting - so, so need to show off the Halloween costume that I did for Mozart, for instance - the last week has been a flurry of activity and it seems that it will continue for a day or so more. So wait with anticipation for that Halloween post, but not with bated breath please, as I don't want to be responsible for anyone passing out.
I seem to go in spurts with my posts, and while I have lots that I've thought about posting - so, so need to show off the Halloween costume that I did for Mozart, for instance - the last week has been a flurry of activity and it seems that it will continue for a day or so more. So wait with anticipation for that Halloween post, but not with bated breath please, as I don't want to be responsible for anyone passing out.
Bats, Cats, and Gym Rats
The other night The Wife was making a horrible racket - I was more than a little put off by being woken, but snapped awake when she said, "Something is in the house!"
I jump out of bed in a daze and follow her. She grabs a shoe. I think, that doesn't make sense, but ok, we don't have any baseball bats, so she could throw a shoe... My heart was apoundin' as I trail her, armed with that shoe, from room to room and downstairs. Finding nothing, we head back to bed. Me somewhat perplexed and her saying, "I am not hallucinating!"
'Course, I did think she was hallucinating or at least that her imagination was a bit overactive. I went back to sleep and thought not of the incident again.
Until the next night, when, shortly after I'd gotten to sleep, I am once again not-so-gently roused, and this time she was saying in a voice somewhere between a whisper and a scream, "I saw it, there is a bat, get up, GET UP, you have to get the BAT!"
I jump out of bed and follow her. Again. Now I recall the shoe from the night before and it suddenly makes more sense - not an intruder, but a much smaller thing. I follow her, but this time I find myself in the lead.
I look in the bathroom.
Nothing.
I ruffle the curtains.
Nothing.
I go in the spare bedroom.
Ack! There is a bat hanging out on the wall! I shut myself in the room with the thing and instruct TW to go immediately and get a Tupperware. She does, gives it to me, and leaves me alone with the little creature.
It is a stand-off. I swear that thing was eyeing me.
Nonetheless, I gathered my courage (I may have shrieked once or twice before gathering it) and miraculously got the Tupperware over it.
We debated just letting the thing go, but remembered the warnings from DPH before and kept the poor thing to turn over to animal control for rabies testing. Hopefully the results will come back with less suspense than last time. The animal control guy did say that there hasn't been a case of bat rabies in two years, so that is somewhat reassuring. I will update on this if testing comes back positive, but otherwise just assume we are in the clear again.
On to other things. Namely CATS. So, if you've been reading past posts, you know that BatCat and Stubby have been expelled from the house and are now porch kitties. I can't recall if I mentioned that I made them a cat house. I am extremely proud of said cat house:
Do you see how I built it directly into the porch. It was big enough for both cats and was fully insulated so that it would be a proper shelter come winter.
Well, turns out - and I guess I knew it all along - these two cats can barely tolerate each other. And BatCat, formerly known as Bitchy Queen, will have none of this sharing business that was suggested by having only one house. She would sit inside and should Stubby, also known as Scaredy Cat, get anywhere near the door, a yowling fest would occur.
So I had to remake the cat house. I should have done it this way in the beginning - with two door. Would have been so much better for the remake, but I just wanted them to be the warmest, and two cats huddled would be much warmer than one cat huddled. So I got to work. I had some leftover board from the first project, so all I had to do was get more trim and something for the cat doors (missing piece from the last one). The boards weren't long enough for the whole facade, so I had to saw and refashion it to make it long enough and accommodate doors. Then once the facade was done I had to redo the insulation on the inside so that instead of one long house, it was two smaller houses. I'd planned on spending two or so hours on the project. I spent 8.5 hours on it.But Voila!
Not bad, if I do say so myself. You can see that BatCat is turning up her nose at it, but by morning she had gotten her act together and had made herself at home in the right kitty condo.
I don't know where Stubby is keeping warm, but at least now I can be assured that he has a proper shelter should he choose to use it.
And on a final note: I am back at the gym. Hallelujah! It has been two full months now and I've gone every morning, M-F, and only missed one day from being sick. Mozart is finally sleeping in the morning long enough that I can sneak out before he stirs and then I get back just about the time he wakes up. This was foiled only once, and I packed him up in the stroller and walked to the gym where he stayed while I did my weights and then we walked back. That, of course, won't happen in the snow, but that was an especially accomplished morning. And the other gym rats thoroughly enjoyed him. They now ask about him regularly.
And best of all. I feel great!
The cat that caught the canary.
That would be BatCat. Camouflaged within the leaves that had blown onto our porch, was a bright yellow bird. Feet up and long gone. BatCat was looking at me, expecting praise, I imagine, as she gets when she brings a mouse. I couldn't look at her.
Poor Tweetie.
Poor Tweetie.
Of cats and dogs.
I have to make this more to the point than story-teller-ish* as I've clearly done too much office work today and my hands are bothering me. A whole post in and of itself, but I may not go there.
First the dogs. Per Mary's request over at Bread and Roses.
I found the previously mentioned Chicago Dog at Captain Jack's Roadside Shack, which is new little joint in Easthampton on our way to blueberry picking. I'm not sure if they have it regularly as it's not listed on their website as one of the items, but I will be going back to find out. I did not take a photo - I often take a photo of very delicious things - as my phone was fresh out of memory, could not hold any more photos, and I was too hungry to erase something in order to make room.
From Wikipedia:
And now for the cats.
It turns out Stubby was doing it too. I know that BatCat was the main culprit, but pee-puddles don't form themselves. Turns out they really were having a Pissing Match.
So now we have two porch kitties. I was fairly worried about Stubby for the first week as he could hardly be coaxed out from under the porch even to eat, but he seems to have settled in nicely enough. Sure he still yowls occasionally. And he did try to sneak back in just tonight, but he seems to be holding his own. I got them each a Kitty Cubby for the porch and their huge tree-shaped scratching post is now on the front porch. The neighbors must think we are nuts.
In my opinion, the house still smells of cat pee. I've had feedback that it doesn't, but I'm not sure if 1) they were just being nice, or 2) they didn't get a whiff because they weren't in the right spot. There is heavy cleaning in our future, but once it is done then it is done. And then we will be able to get a new rug and new couch and new chair... ok, I may be a bit wistful now... but when we can afford it, we won't have to worry about pee and fur and scratching!
*TW informs me I am no good at this as I have "been typing away furiously over there," but really, I did have a lot more to say.
First the dogs. Per Mary's request over at Bread and Roses.
I found the previously mentioned Chicago Dog at Captain Jack's Roadside Shack, which is new little joint in Easthampton on our way to blueberry picking. I'm not sure if they have it regularly as it's not listed on their website as one of the items, but I will be going back to find out. I did not take a photo - I often take a photo of very delicious things - as my phone was fresh out of memory, could not hold any more photos, and I was too hungry to erase something in order to make room.
From Wikipedia:
A Chicago-style hot dog, Chicago Dog, or Chicago Red Hot is an all-beef frankfurter on A Chicago-style hot dog, Chicago Dog, or Chicago Red Hot is an all-beef frankfurter on a poppy seed bun, originating from the city of Chicago, Illinois. The hot dog is topped with yellow mustard; chopped white onions; bright green sweet pickle relish; a dill pickle spear; tomato slices or wedges; pickled sport peppers; and a dash of celery salt. The complete assembly of a Chicago hot dog is said to be "dragged through the garden" due to the many toppings. The method for cooking the hot dog itself varies depending on the respective vendor's preference. Most often they are steamed, water-simmered or grilled over charcoal, the latter of which are referred to as "char-dogs."
The canonical recipe does not include ketchup, and there is a widely-shared, strong opinion among many Chicagoans and aficionados that ketchup is unacceptable. A number of Chicago hot dog vendors do not offer ketchup as a condiment.I'll let you head over to Wikipedia to get the History and such. While, as you can see, they do not typically have ketchup, I do prefer mine with as I am notoriously a Condiment Queen. I could also take or leave the onions, and while I first learn of these spectacular dogs in Chi-Town itself, I have never actually had it on a poppy seed bun. As there is quite a lot to do in order to get everything on there, I often take a bit of a shortcut and my home version has dill relish, tomato, sliced peperoncini, ketchup and celery salt. Ooooh, my taste buds just water to think about it....
And now for the cats.
It turns out Stubby was doing it too. I know that BatCat was the main culprit, but pee-puddles don't form themselves. Turns out they really were having a Pissing Match.
So now we have two porch kitties. I was fairly worried about Stubby for the first week as he could hardly be coaxed out from under the porch even to eat, but he seems to have settled in nicely enough. Sure he still yowls occasionally. And he did try to sneak back in just tonight, but he seems to be holding his own. I got them each a Kitty Cubby for the porch and their huge tree-shaped scratching post is now on the front porch. The neighbors must think we are nuts.
In my opinion, the house still smells of cat pee. I've had feedback that it doesn't, but I'm not sure if 1) they were just being nice, or 2) they didn't get a whiff because they weren't in the right spot. There is heavy cleaning in our future, but once it is done then it is done. And then we will be able to get a new rug and new couch and new chair... ok, I may be a bit wistful now... but when we can afford it, we won't have to worry about pee and fur and scratching!
Pissing Match
It seems that's what we've got going on over here.
About two weeks ago we decided we'd had enough of BatCat peeing in inappropriate places and we put her out. That is, she is now an outside cat.
For a very long time, we did not know which cat was the culprit of the random peeing, but we long suspected that it was BatCat. She just has that streak of vengefulness in her personality that Stubby doesn't. But the evidence was building against her as well: she was often seen scoping out the places that had recently been targeted, my parents suitcase was peed in when they visited (she had recently been seen in their room, whereas Stubby was afraid), at times she would be found in other unhit places, sniffing about with her mouth open, and then when she escaped outside, twice, for long stretches, there were no further hits. This was not done without a lot of thought, procrastination, and multiple, multiple attempts at trying to find her another home. But we had no luck. And the list of items that we had to throw away was growing exponentially.*
When it first started happening we took both cats to the vet to make sure there wasn't a medical issue. Nope. He said it was clearly behavioral. We did all kinds of things the vet suggested, and friends who are good with this kind of thing, but the problem continues. We looked into sending her to a "no kill" shelter, but it turns out that they do have to put down cats with this kind of behavior because they just can't rehome them either. We nearly got a commitment to take her from a friend who has a barn and a lot of land so that she could be a barn cat, but it turns out there is a fox den on her land and that would be just as certain of a death sentence.
We tried to put her out and let her back in at night, but that really just seemed to make the problem worse. So out she went. For good this time. We feed her twice a day as we did before, but we take the food in after a period of time so as not to attract animals or ants. She finds her own place to pee and poo. She sleeps under the porch or in a small cat hut I put on the back porch.
BatCat seems to be holding her own outside. She is hanging around and coming like clockwork for mealtime. At first she hid under the porch most of the time, but now she can mostly be found on the step or lounging in the backyard. She has not given up about wanting back in though, and nearly every time we open the door she makes an attempt at installing herself as a house cat once again.
Since the change, Stubby has seemed much happier and more relaxed. They never did get along all that well. Let's face it, she terrorized him. We are also much more relaxed with out the constant threat of something else being ruined.
Then, yesterday, she got in. It was for less than a minute. TW was leaving, she snuck in, TW called out, and I went to find her. I thought she'd have gone upstairs right away, but I found her next to the stroller, and put her straight out again. That was that. Or so I thought.
This morning, when preparing to go to the Farmers Market, I found that the stroller had been peed on, so add to the list below one reusable grocery bag, an umbrella, a blanket, and several brochures of things I'd wanted to check out. I doused the stroller with Nature's Miracle, and we have yet to find out if that needs to be on the list of lost items.
So one of two things happened. Either BatCat is extremely vengeful AND extremely quick about it. Or it was Stubby. If it was Stubby, though, was this coincidence? Was it because BatCat got in and threatened what is now his territory? Or do we have a second problem on our hands? I have scoured the house to see if there have been any other hits. I have not found any new spots. In one of the old spots I found what, most likely (?), is a small drop of missed grossness, but not a full hit.
I am trying not to be paranoid. I am trying not to think about what we will do with Stubby if he has also acquired this very bad habit. He is afraid of the outdoors. He is a Scaredy Cat. I am more scared about his survival out of doors... So now I guess we wait.
*List of Casualties (may not be inclusive due to being forgotten, not disclosed by TW, or not yet found)
About two weeks ago we decided we'd had enough of BatCat peeing in inappropriate places and we put her out. That is, she is now an outside cat.
For a very long time, we did not know which cat was the culprit of the random peeing, but we long suspected that it was BatCat. She just has that streak of vengefulness in her personality that Stubby doesn't. But the evidence was building against her as well: she was often seen scoping out the places that had recently been targeted, my parents suitcase was peed in when they visited (she had recently been seen in their room, whereas Stubby was afraid), at times she would be found in other unhit places, sniffing about with her mouth open, and then when she escaped outside, twice, for long stretches, there were no further hits. This was not done without a lot of thought, procrastination, and multiple, multiple attempts at trying to find her another home. But we had no luck. And the list of items that we had to throw away was growing exponentially.*
When it first started happening we took both cats to the vet to make sure there wasn't a medical issue. Nope. He said it was clearly behavioral. We did all kinds of things the vet suggested, and friends who are good with this kind of thing, but the problem continues. We looked into sending her to a "no kill" shelter, but it turns out that they do have to put down cats with this kind of behavior because they just can't rehome them either. We nearly got a commitment to take her from a friend who has a barn and a lot of land so that she could be a barn cat, but it turns out there is a fox den on her land and that would be just as certain of a death sentence.
We tried to put her out and let her back in at night, but that really just seemed to make the problem worse. So out she went. For good this time. We feed her twice a day as we did before, but we take the food in after a period of time so as not to attract animals or ants. She finds her own place to pee and poo. She sleeps under the porch or in a small cat hut I put on the back porch.
BatCat seems to be holding her own outside. She is hanging around and coming like clockwork for mealtime. At first she hid under the porch most of the time, but now she can mostly be found on the step or lounging in the backyard. She has not given up about wanting back in though, and nearly every time we open the door she makes an attempt at installing herself as a house cat once again.
Since the change, Stubby has seemed much happier and more relaxed. They never did get along all that well. Let's face it, she terrorized him. We are also much more relaxed with out the constant threat of something else being ruined.
Then, yesterday, she got in. It was for less than a minute. TW was leaving, she snuck in, TW called out, and I went to find her. I thought she'd have gone upstairs right away, but I found her next to the stroller, and put her straight out again. That was that. Or so I thought.
This morning, when preparing to go to the Farmers Market, I found that the stroller had been peed on, so add to the list below one reusable grocery bag, an umbrella, a blanket, and several brochures of things I'd wanted to check out. I doused the stroller with Nature's Miracle, and we have yet to find out if that needs to be on the list of lost items.
So one of two things happened. Either BatCat is extremely vengeful AND extremely quick about it. Or it was Stubby. If it was Stubby, though, was this coincidence? Was it because BatCat got in and threatened what is now his territory? Or do we have a second problem on our hands? I have scoured the house to see if there have been any other hits. I have not found any new spots. In one of the old spots I found what, most likely (?), is a small drop of missed grossness, but not a full hit.
I am trying not to be paranoid. I am trying not to think about what we will do with Stubby if he has also acquired this very bad habit. He is afraid of the outdoors. He is a Scaredy Cat. I am more scared about his survival out of doors... So now I guess we wait.
*List of Casualties (may not be inclusive due to being forgotten, not disclosed by TW, or not yet found)
- Booster Seat
- Foam Play Mat
- Play room rug
- Two shelves full of video cassettes (including classics such as Fried Green Tomatoes)
- Three Pairs of shoes
- Over-the-door shoe holder thingamajig
- Two bathrobes
- Skirt
- A bra
- My favorite satchel
- Our entire stash of tea
- File cabinet
- And multiple cardboard boxes protecting other items in the vicinity of target areas
- Other things listed in above post and possibly a wool rug, which we can't bear to admit.
Short stories.
Earlier this evening. Mozart is attempting to climb the stairs while holding a book. BatCat watches him from two steps above. He looks at me and notes that I have a case of diapers in my hands, then turns to the cat, with the book presented, and says, "Bat-Cat, hold this." Resourceful, yes, but the cat could not comply.
Our Little MouseCat-eer.
I'm not yet sure whether I'm writing about BatCat or Mozart here.
I suppose it started with BatCat. The other morning I was feeling quite ill after running some errands and Mme. Child had offered to oversee the Boy for a couple of hours. I stopped home to get some scallops for her - I had bought them two days earlier and with the aforementioned illness, I was not about to fry 'em up, so they were going to Mme. Child as well. I park the car, run in the house, get the scallops and notice BatCat on the stairway. She had a mouse. Per usual, she had not killed the poor soul, but instead let it down and batted it about for a minute. I freeze, stare, and scamper around the kitchen trying to find a container that I can put the thing in. I do. I catch the thing (it was alive, but apparently injured/in shock enough so that it wasn't moving too fast), and go to the far corner of the yard to let the thing go.
I thought briefly that perhaps I should take it someplace far away from the house so that it didn't try to get back in, but I just didn't feel well and was already past when I'd told Mme. Child I'd be there.
Fast forward to the next evening. I was feeling much better, though the Boy and I hadn't had any real playtime. We'd gone to pick strawberries, sure, but he still needed some run-around time. Instead of a sit-down dinner, I made him an elaborate snack (including several freshly picked strawberries, of course), and let him play in the yard while eating on the run. I know, I know, not the best habit, but I figured he'd go down easier if he ran around a bit and we didn't have time to sit for a meal and run around. So he's out there munching away, running around, inspecting rocks, munching some more, riding his trike, munching some more, inspecting the grass, munching some more, and telling me about the cute little mouse.
WHAT?!
Oh, yes. That mouse did exactly as I suspected it would do. It headed back to the house. Unfortunately, it's injuries were too much for it and it succumbed to it's end right in the middle of Mozart's play area. I screeched, "Don't touch it!" and for the second time that weekend scampered off to find something I could carry the thing in. And thankfully Mozart did not touch it, but he did want to, "Keep it?" I told him no, definitely not, it had to go. "Where?" he asked. And I said something to the effect of, a journey to heaven, or the like, as I tossed it into the trees.
Thankfully he did not ask further questions, but I realized that he is not to the age when he will start asking more difficult questions, and I'll have to explain things like death, love and war. *sigh* He is growing up. I am in awe every day by what he is saying an thinking and doing.
I suppose it started with BatCat. The other morning I was feeling quite ill after running some errands and Mme. Child had offered to oversee the Boy for a couple of hours. I stopped home to get some scallops for her - I had bought them two days earlier and with the aforementioned illness, I was not about to fry 'em up, so they were going to Mme. Child as well. I park the car, run in the house, get the scallops and notice BatCat on the stairway. She had a mouse. Per usual, she had not killed the poor soul, but instead let it down and batted it about for a minute. I freeze, stare, and scamper around the kitchen trying to find a container that I can put the thing in. I do. I catch the thing (it was alive, but apparently injured/in shock enough so that it wasn't moving too fast), and go to the far corner of the yard to let the thing go.
I thought briefly that perhaps I should take it someplace far away from the house so that it didn't try to get back in, but I just didn't feel well and was already past when I'd told Mme. Child I'd be there.
Fast forward to the next evening. I was feeling much better, though the Boy and I hadn't had any real playtime. We'd gone to pick strawberries, sure, but he still needed some run-around time. Instead of a sit-down dinner, I made him an elaborate snack (including several freshly picked strawberries, of course), and let him play in the yard while eating on the run. I know, I know, not the best habit, but I figured he'd go down easier if he ran around a bit and we didn't have time to sit for a meal and run around. So he's out there munching away, running around, inspecting rocks, munching some more, riding his trike, munching some more, inspecting the grass, munching some more, and telling me about the cute little mouse.
WHAT?!
Oh, yes. That mouse did exactly as I suspected it would do. It headed back to the house. Unfortunately, it's injuries were too much for it and it succumbed to it's end right in the middle of Mozart's play area. I screeched, "Don't touch it!" and for the second time that weekend scampered off to find something I could carry the thing in. And thankfully Mozart did not touch it, but he did want to, "Keep it?" I told him no, definitely not, it had to go. "Where?" he asked. And I said something to the effect of, a journey to heaven, or the like, as I tossed it into the trees.
Thankfully he did not ask further questions, but I realized that he is not to the age when he will start asking more difficult questions, and I'll have to explain things like death, love and war. *sigh* He is growing up. I am in awe every day by what he is saying an thinking and doing.
More Pee-Puddles
I'd like to say that I've solve the pee-puddle problem. But no. Not so much. On my way out the door this morning I noticed a funny shadow on Prancer's booster seat. I turned on the light with suspicion. Sure enough. One of our cats peed on the booster seat. The $65 booster seat. Soaked right through. No point in trying to clean it. The cover is not removable. It is now in a trash bag out back.
A friend posted on Facebook the following:
Am so exhausted tonight, I think that's all I have the energy for. Walked a 2.5 mile parade today. In itself, that is not too bad, but had to stay on my feet and chase or push Mozart around in the stroller for an hour before we were supposed to step off, and then an hour before our turn came. I'd planned on getting dinner at the fair and taking Mozart to some of the attractions on arrival to the Fair, but no. Definitely not. I think I've mentioned my achin' feet before. They are literally pounding with pain. We came directly home. I have iced the feet. I have given the feet a warm soak. They are currently elevated. Bed soon and work again tomorrow.
A friend posted on Facebook the following:
Sadly, I'm actually a professional in this area (sigh)... First, you should have at least one more litter box than the number of cats in the house (ie: if you have 2 cats, then 3 litter boxes). You must keep them clean daily...add attractant to litter called "Better Way"...it clumps and is flushable (if you do that), it will make them want to use the box more. Next; get a black light and find/clean every spot of pee with "Nature's Miracle" an non-toxic enzyme that will destroy the urine smell so the cats will not want to remark--clean well at least 2-3x, spray lightly after cleaning and let air dry (this is IMPORTANT, you cannot cover up cat pee with other smells, it will only make them want to remark more). Then apply "Zero Oder" and spray to the same areas as Natures Miracle and let dry. Lastly, invest in "Feliway" cat fermones...these are the happy "check" fermones...cats are less abt to mark in places marked as happy. (The plug-ins are great for long term, spray is great for highly affected areas) TADA!! Cat-Pee-Gone ;)
oh, ps... your cats love you, they're probably just telling you they are unhappy when you are gone :(We only have two cat boxes - they rarely use the 2nd, so we haven't bothered with a third as there is not really a place for one. We might as well take up stock in Nature's Miracle. We use extraordinary amounts in these spells. The last time we had a spell we did get Feliway also, and it apparently worked because they stopped the pee-puddles. Can't find the stuff and am about to go online and get some more...
Am so exhausted tonight, I think that's all I have the energy for. Walked a 2.5 mile parade today. In itself, that is not too bad, but had to stay on my feet and chase or push Mozart around in the stroller for an hour before we were supposed to step off, and then an hour before our turn came. I'd planned on getting dinner at the fair and taking Mozart to some of the attractions on arrival to the Fair, but no. Definitely not. I think I've mentioned my achin' feet before. They are literally pounding with pain. We came directly home. I have iced the feet. I have given the feet a warm soak. They are currently elevated. Bed soon and work again tomorrow.
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