Wednesday, July 18, 2007

There are no rules to being utterly irrational when it comes to pets.

MIL is visiting.

Selectively incontinent senile pacifist cat disgraces himself.

Again.....

In the children's playroom.

"You are going to have to take a managerial decision over this one", says MIL, whilst explaining to Tinkerbell Mushroom the dangers of toxocariasis.

MIL leaves to return home, and I go into deep depression. Well, yes of course I know the dangers of having an animal in the house who feels free to adopt certain rooms as his bathroom. And yes, I can see that it is purely selective, because he never "goes" where he sleeps or eats. And yes, I know that he was a stray that we adopted three years ago, that he didn't belong to us in the first place and that he isn't an ideal pet, or even proper cat material.

But he's a pet. And although I have always thought it absolutely bizarre that people become quite so attached to their pets, I suddenly begin to see their point.

There are no rules to being utterly irrational when it comes to pets.

Admittedly it was possibly a bit over the top of my mother for instance to go into full dress mourning for five years after the departure of our old English sheepdog. My Dad must have felt a bit left out really.

I ring my friend. She has two cats who live outside. They have a farm. She has said before that she would be willing to rehouse the pacifist cat, but when push came to shove I didn't have the heart, and so he stayed again for a few more months.

I pluck up the courage and I arrange to drop him off the next day. I tell the children , quickly squashing any ideas that it might be the type of farm that Phoebe in "Friends" parents use, and that they will be able to visit him.

The next day comes. It is ED's birthday.

"I need to see PC" she says, “before I go to school. To say goodbye."
Seizing the opportunity I say, "Would you prefer that he didn't go today?" I say. "I can rearrange it."

"Yes please she says."

Relieved, I phone my friend, and we rearrange the handover for Friday.

He's been good since Monday.

Yes. I know.

It's only Wednesday now. And it's not been raining. He's definitely worse in the rain. He doesn't like going outside in the rain. Trouble is that he won't use a litter tray either, unless its in a central area of the house that isn't cold or anywhere near any food or sleeping quarters.

But it's a bit of progress.

Maybe by Friday he will be completely cured of selective incontinence and will be able to stay? Maybe it will stop raining forever?

No.... I know.

Cat pee does smell. The dressing up clothes and hubby's trunk in which they were housed have been ruined. A dozen books have been ruined, not to mention Sensible's shoes and countless toys.

Hubby is not a cat lover. Actually he and his whole family hates cats. PC was a concession to that lifelong hatred. But he let us down. The contrary animal!

I fear that I will have to make that journey on Friday.

24 comments:

FH said...

Are you sure Friday is THE day?!:D
I know how you feel.Our dog got lost once.Although I am not fond of him like other family members,I drove around and around looking for him and found a leaflet announcing that they have found our dog but he is in the Dog pound! YUP! Paid $40 and some to get him back!You feel guilty,what can you do? He pees and poops sometimes in our dining room, and I keep cursing myself for bringing him back!:))
Hope you can do it Friday,Good luck.

Anonymous said...

Sally, I'm sorry.
I'm not a cat person myself, but I am an animal person, ANY animal.
I just had to put down my 12-year-old yellow lab last month, and I am still heartbroken.
He was Marley,(like from the Me and Marley book.) Certainly not even close to a good dog, but he was MY dog, and I miss him.

enidd said...

sally, did you mother really wear mourning that long for the dog? amazing.

Unknown said...

I hate cats as well. Useless bird killers. Do all the songbirds a favour , Sally, get rid of it/them. They aren't 'pets' anyway.

sallywrites said...

Asha - It's so hard!
Lisa - Exactly. it's an unexplainable attachment.
Enidd - Metaphorically speaking - yes!
JG - You would get on well with hubby!

pierre l said...

I have to say that PC does not sound like a bird-killer. We already read that he's not too good with mice - hence the Pacifist label. Very sorry to read about your problem, Sally.

meredic said...

I have two cats up here Sally. They both live outdoors but are allowed a little fire time in the evening. They live well and have a whole mountain to roam. I prefer them to a dog myself as they can look after themselves for a day or two if need be. Don't tell that john.g though...

Anonymous said...

:(
noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

I know that Pacifist Cat does need to go sometime, but he looks so lonely even when we leave him for an afternoon! And the wee smell isn't that bad...and he doesn't poo anymore!

MAYBE......?

he won't live much longer anyway...he's old and has lived a very tiring life...maybe if we leave it six months....

*sob*!

love ED xxx

pierre l said...

poor ED :-(

sallywrites said...

Pierre
It's very difficult.
Meredic - I have considered blocking up the cat flaps and making him an outside cat here, but I think he may come in whenever the door is open...
I agree about them being easy to look after otherwise.
ED - He does poo sadly. I cleared some up only today. He was disgracing himself as I wrote the blog!
Pierre - I know. I'm really sad about it.

Anonymous said...

Tough decisions I know. I'm very glad we never had to worry about our cat. Thinking positively, it is a less hard decision to move him to a home where he'll be better suited than have to decide to put him down.

sallywrites said...

Hi Ig -

Yes I know...

ChrisB said...

I'm more a dog person and I mourned my dog like any other member of the family and even now I can sometimes feel sad when I look at old photos and that's after 14 years. I hope the cat decides to turn over a new leaf for good, but if not good luck come Friday.

Beccy said...

Seeing as he let you down whilst you were writing the post I think that journey may be necessary on Friday. We had a cat once for six months. It kept running away and the last time we couldn't find it (the next day the vets bill arrived for haing her spayed). I remember the smell of her wee, not pleasant.

la bellina mammina said...

I love cats - but not when they pee where they want. :-(

Alice Band said...

I have three cats. Hubby and I love them BUT they are independently minded little sucotashes are they not. It's their aloofness that I love but I have now gone through three tins of flea spray at £15 a tin. I'm being eatne alive. Poor ED. Get a kitten, they are frenetically clean.

sallywrites said...

Thanks La B and Alice!

I guess you are right...

Pamela said...

write a list pros/cons

see where you end up

sallywrites said...

Good idea Pamela!

Akelamalu said...

I'm not a cat person but you DO get attached to pets whatever they are. Good luck with the handover, methinks it is for the best.

Just trying to catch up after my hol so will have to come back to read more.

You have an award m'dear, please call by my blog to collect. :)

pierre l said...

Hi Sally. I notice you have been quiet lately. I sincerely hope you are not flooded, and that none of your family members are stuck somewhere because of the rain.

~ej said...

oh no, i wonder if PC behaved and was dropped off friday or not. or maybe he was whisked away to hogwart's to play out his days in exciting wizardry. or perhaps he's on the farm, enjoying his days in the barn (seeing as it's raining, he'd go indoors).
i love cats, but have never owned one myself. kids and hubby are allergic.

Anonymous said...

bummer - there is nothing worse than having cat spray in the house. I detest it...but, being a cat lover, I just put up with it and keep cleaning it up.

He is unhappy about something - you just need to figure out what it is. Good luck with it all.

Norma said...

It is hard to give up a pet, but the smell might make it easier.