Leelanau Whippersnapper

Today will be the last time I write about my cats KD and Pooh.  A long time friend of the family has come forward and offered to adopt Pooh as a barn cat, KD on the other hand will likely find a different fate in the hands of my veterinarian.  As you all know this has been a long time coming.  About a month ago I reached the decision that the cats could no longer remain in this house.  Nothing I had tried to fix their problems was successful and their issues were continuing to get worse as time went on.  Couple that with the fact that since I moved in here, cats were not and were never supposed to be permitted in this condo.  I’ve kept them in hopes that I could resolve their problems successfully and they could live here with me without destroying the place.  That has not turned out to be the case and I must do the right thing and the most humane thing with each of them.  Pooh will leave on Thursday to join 3 other cats, 2 calves (yes, baby cows) and a couple of dogs at Lucy’s farm here in Traverse City.  With multiple families living on the farm and lots of kids, Pooh will be well taken care of, will have lots of food and attention, and will finally get to play outside which is something he has been dying to do since my former roommate introduced him to the outdoors against my wishes last year.  I don’t yet know what KD’s fate will be but I will be consulting with my vet on Thursday to learn what my options are for her.  She is sick again and while she is not losing weight, she is urinating everywhere.  I suspect she has another bladder infection which I am told can be a chronic illness in cats and quite often an irreversible condition.  Regardless of the outcomes for both, each cat has lived a long life.  Jirar and I adopted them when we first began our relationship.  KD was just a kitten under a year old and Pooh was about 3 years old.  That makes them today about 9 and 12 years old which by many standards is old for a cats since most don’t live longer than 15 years to begin with.  I’m sad to see them both go, they have been wonderful companions, lap cats, and guard cats.  They are the first pets I obtained in my adult life and they certainly won’ t be the last to be sure.  Anyhow, they will be missed.

I hate people sometimes.  Actually I hate people who make assumptions and judgments about you before you even open your mouth to say something.  In sales, I’ve been trained not to make judgment calls about people based on their demeanor or appearance…or even their tone.  Quite often, the dirtiest, most foul individual on the planet can be your most valued customer who spends the most money.  Apparently those who work at the Cherryland Humane Society have never had training in how to deal with the public.

As you all know, the cats are done.  It was an agonizing decision to make and certainly one that I did not want to make however nothing I have done to correct their problem behaviors has helped and I can no longer afford to continue letting them destroy this house.  Whatever their issue is, it is too costly for me to fix and I must resolve this problem as quickly and efficiently as possible.  In an attempt to do the right thing, I contacted the Cherryland Humane Society in Traverse City today to ask them what my options were for my cats.  The immediate response I got on the phone was intimidating, condescending and really horribly inappropriate.  As has been reported on the news, I understand that these folks have been inundated with pets since the economy went down the toilet.  People can’t afford them, their shelters are overcrowded and there are a LOT more animals today that need homes than there were even just 6 months ago.  That however is not my concern with this post.  I was asked the ages of the cats and becuase I’m an honest person, I informed them that they were 8 and 10 years old.  “Sorry can’t help you” was the response in short bitchy tones.  Apparently the Humane Society is not in the business of helping people whose pets are older than 5 years old.  They refused to consider them at all which tells me a lot about their primary focus (money).  The conversation continued and at this point I felt I was being treated as some sort of criminal for having the audacity to even consider giving up my pets.  Look, the issue is very simple here.  I have 2 cats that must vacate this house immediately.  There are 2 ways for this to happen.  Way #1 involves adoption through an animal shelter or adoption agency like the Humane Society who IS IN THE BUSINESS of treating animals with respect and dignity.  Way #2 involves leaving them in the woods somewhere.  NEITHER of those ways involve the cats STAYING in this home! Now, do you really think as an animal lover and someone who has had pets all his life is going to choose way #2?  I think not but that seems to be the only option anyone is willing to give me.

The humane society has made it perfectly clear that change can not and should not ever occur in a human’s life and circumstances could never possibly change.  They are intent on making what is truly one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make in a LONG time that much more difficult and in the process they’ve managed to piss off a potential donor or contributor to their cause.  There are very few non-profits out there that I would ever consider making a random donation to.  I support the Humane Society’s mission but they’ve been removed from my list due to the lack of professionalism exhibited by their employees.  YOU LOSE.

At the end of the conversation, I was given the name of AC Paws which is a pet adoption agency in Traverse City that works out of Pet Smart.  I sent them an email tonight explaining my situation and asking for their help in placing these cats in a new home while clearly stating that they can not stay here.  For now and until I able able to find some sort of support or help in this community, the cats will remain with me while I try to save up enough money to repair the damage they have already caused me both to my house and emotionally.

It’s too bad I am not yet able to afford my own house.  I’m OK with cats fucking up my own house, I’m NOT OK with cats fucking up someone else’s; ESPECIALLY when I can not afford to successfully repair the damage.  I’m off work tomorrow, likely will head out to Leelanau at some point.  I’ve not been in the mood lately for much writing.  I’ve been somewhat emotional I think due to the change in the weather.  I’m just not ready for winter this year..I hate winter to begin with.  I’m sure my mood will change soon.

A bit of a busy week at work for me!  We had our final inventory audit for the fiscal year and if I am nothing else, I am incredibly consistent.  We passed and I get my bonus.  Without saying too much, inventory audits are conducted as an incentive program and designed to help us keep stock levels in check, the shelves full, and the ordering system functioning.  Passing them means I am doing my job correctly.  There is still room for improvement but all said, my department is where it needs to be right now.

I am a little distressed lately about my cats.  When I last wrote about them, I had indicated that they were living here on a trial basis.  Unfortunately, neither KD or Pooh has been able to correct some of the problems they have using the litter box and I simply can not afford mentally or monetarily, to allow their behavior to continue.  KD has begun marking again and I’ve spent the last month picking up Pooh’s poop off the floor.  Neither animal appears to be unhealthy, both of them know how to use their box becuase I’ve watched them both use it to make sure, neither seems to be under any great deal of stress or anxiety.  I’ve spent hours on the web looking for solutions and I’ve found nothing that is helping.  Tomorrow I will set up a 3rd litter box and I am taking down the baby gate that shuts off their room.  I keep them in the back part of the condo when I am not here, I am wondering if Pooh poops on the floor because he can’t get to the box fast enough.  By removing that barrier (which he has to jump over first to get to the box) perhaps this will reduce the problem.

It’s sad because up until last year, both of these cats had been great animals.  Jirar and I never had one ounce of problems with either of them.  Then, with Jirar leaving, a new roommate and the addition of another cat as well as easy access to the outside yard, both of these cats behaviors changed dramatically.  For fear of insulting the spy’s who read this blog, I won’t interject my opinion as to why my cats are now unable to cope with themselves.  I am willing to go 3-4 more weeks maximum trying to change their behavior.  If there are no improvements, I will be taking them to the humane society or I will attempt to find them a new home.  While I treat them like my children, they are in fact NOT children, they are pets.  Not expendable by any means but pets are bread to conform to the needs of humans, not the other way around.  I don’t have unlimited resources to fix the problems they are creating.

Tomorrow is a day off for me.  I think I will go out to the cottage with Gavin and perhaps spend some time on the boat.  It is supposed to be quite nice, it might be one of the last good days for boating this season.  Cheers!

Well tonight was the big move for KD and Pooh.  It did not go well.  I went over to the parents house to see Brian, Sarah and Christopher (picture below) and after that I had the arduous task of moving the cats from the old place to the new one.  God I hate moving cats.  KD was easy, she went in her cage but cried for the entire hour trip back.  Pooh on the other hand got wise pretty quick and I had to chase him all over the house to catch him.  Almost immediately after we got underway, he shit in the cage, moments later, he threw up.  He does not deal with change very well although now he is actually exploring the new place a bit.  KD doesn’t seem to care much but doesn’t look very good in general.  She needs to gain weight.  Poor Gavin was stuck in the front seat, his head stuck out the window for lack of any breathable air in the car.  Just as a dog would, he has no concept of why it was so difficult to go from one place to another.

So now they are moved, hopefully they know where the litter box is and where the food is.  This is a trial run for those of you who have been following.  If KD’s health does not improve and if Pooh does not start using his litter box, steps will be taken to put them out for adoption.  As much as they are my children, they are still indeed PETS (not kids).  I am in no financial position to sink hundreds of dollars into trying to cure whatever it is that ails KD, nor am I about to fork over hundreds of dollars to replace carpet and wallpaper in a rental because my pets destroyed it.  It just ain’t gonna happen folks.  Call me uncaring, cruel or whatever, they are pets NOT people, I will love them if they can all be successful and adapt to a domestic lifestyle for which they have been bread over millions of years.  If not, they will have to go.

I got to meet Christopher tonight for the first time.  He’s adorable, funny, and quite small (well normal for 4 weeks old but small to me).  Been a LONG time since I held a baby, can’t honestly say I’d want to do it 24/7 (don’t worry Sarah and Brian, eventually he’ll stop asking you for food every 2 hours) but it is kind of special to have a new person in the family.  It will be fun to watch him grow up.

Well, now I have to go pick the poop out of Pooh’s fur.  Wish me luck.