I like pets, but I don't liiiiike pets. A cat or two is OK in my book. But I never wanted to be one of those "cat ladies" or families balancing a four-footed menagerie.
Up until about two months ago, we had only one cat, a pretty laid-back 15-year-old named THOMAS. But I kinda wanted another cat. I'll admit it -- I did the Hollywood thing and wanted a younger companion. Not that I'd give up Tom, but it would be nice to have another kitty with a different vibe to contrast.
So after much deliberation, we carefully adopted 10-year-old SIMON.
Simon was (relatively) youthful and sexy and won my heart; leaving Thomas despondent and ambling around aimlessly like he had dementia. It was bad, and I was bad. I had to learn to balance my affection better between the two.
About a month later, we were getting ready to move when this young woman who we never met before ran into us on the street with a tiny kitten surgically implanted into her flesh. My boyfriend offered to take the rather nervous stray the woman picked up off the street home in his messenger bag. The lady said she wanted to keep the kitten, but asked if it didn't work out could she call in a few days and have us pick up the cat and find her a new home; we said sure. An hour later (a HOUR later) she called begging us to take the kitten. This should have been our first warning.
Instead, we adopted OLIVE.
Simon quickly learned to his dismay that compared to the tiny black-footed Olive, he was just a middle-aged cat with a higher-than-average vocal range. On the other hand, Thomas enjoyed seeing Simon's quick fall from his former (and brief) glory as Cute Cat.
Olive was (is) slightly problematic in that she likes to attack the other two cats and chew on their soft flesh. But she's very, very cute.
Did I mention yet that my boyfriend is allergic to cats?
Then we occasionally pet-sit our friend's dog MEL. We have done so for the last week. Mel was greeted by the cats with initial hostility, which has since mellowed into silent contempt.
Having four animals in your house is like having children. They each have different personalities, which often clash.
My sister, who is the expert on large pet/human families (with two adults, one baby, seven cats, and a dog under one roof), advises thus on multi-pet situations: it is crucial to keep a handle on the feeding and the bathroom needs. If you let that slip even for a half-a-day because you're just not in the mood, you're in trouble.
Despite the inconveniences that 3-4 animals bring, there are also many rewards. Having all four crawl into bed with you and sleep like angels is kinda nice.
Then one of them will dig your used maxi pad out of the trash and deposit it directly in front of the door so all your guests can see. Yesterday, it was my half-eaten dirty underpants. I am noticing a trend.
Email Me!
