Well, I used that mania and I cleaned all the litter boxes, like a boss, and topped them off. Of course Spot climbed aboard and took a dump in the primary box just because... [laugh]
I find it funny that they have 7 boxes, 4 in the front room, two in this room, one each in the bedrooms. That is 8. OK, I have 8 boxes. They only use 4 of them. All six cats only using 4 boxes. I can always tell Biscuit's pee because he has huge, lemon sized chunks if not bigger.
And there's Biscuit eating his dry like a good boy. I need to get more, it ain't cheap but worth it. He is such a sweet cat and so loving to the kittens, so polite to Mama cat. Just a really good boy, but a shelter would probably put him down due to his condition.
He's loving life, has a great quality, no pain, no suffering. He has food and treats he enjoys, loves his catnip and the catio - a good quality of life. I make the hard choices when that suffers or they're in pain that can't be remedied. I mentioned that at the vet recently "I don't let them suffer" and the tech nodded approvingly.
Sad but true, there is ALWAYS another cat out there. I could see Ron and I going (assuming something horrible happened to all of them) to the shelter and adopting a couple of older black cats, or a tripod. There is always another deserving animal out there.
Torbie is a good case for that. 2 days left when I got her - no one wanted her because she was older and she is probably the healthiest of them all.
So I did the boxes. Ron woke up and came out, talking to me. We made our trips for tomorrow. I will call the vet tomorrow, take Spotty in, and then maybe they can neuter him Thursday. I will ask. Worst case I make an appointment for next week. Cleo can smack him up to that point. She is making a really good recovery from her spay - Mama cat was so depressed and lethargic after hers, but she had a much more intensive procedure.
I still feel bad about the unborn kittens :( but I couldn't even find people to take Spotty so I had no choice.
He asked me what I wanted for dinner and I said I had planned to eat some of my cereal. He was horrified and got very upset, kept saying he would buy me something to eat. I said I was fine, some nights I wanted something special and some nights I just wanted something to get the pills down. This was one of those cases. I told him he could buy me dinner tomorrow.
Then he had to figure out his own dinner, and went for some chicken and dumplings. He liked them, he couldn't remember eating them before but he has holes in his memory. His parents cooked a lot of creole/cajun food for him growing up, gumbos, etc. They loved the automatic rice cooker and always had it on and loaded to the top with rice. At the end of his day Dad would throw the rice to the birds.
I sat in my "new" chair ate my cereal. It was surprisingly comfortable. I thought I would have to make adjustments but it was about the same as my old chair in terms of comfort. And I didn't have to worry about little legs and the rockers because Mama & co. LOVE hanging out under my chair. Really glad I did it.
It makes the front room look even worse, in some ways, a big red plastic chair but it is reasonably comfortable and cat safe. I don't think I can ever do a rocking chair again. It does have a more spacious feel which I like, the old chair was pretty big and heavy. I just don't have the space for that.
I hate going to a small home and they have all this big heavy furniture crammed into the room - Ron's parents did that as my most memorable. It felt very cramped. I always thought it would be so much more spacious if they just took out a few chairs. They had to when Mom went to a wheelchair and that was better - sorry for her but the house was more spacious.
I try to keep that in mind, believe it or not. But I do have a huge rack for the evangelism/Bibles and then a big stack of Bibles besides. At some point I don't know what I will do about my bookcase but I will work on cleaning it off during some mania in the future. I do plan to donate my pressure cooker and canner to someone I know local. I know I won't take it into work, for sure. They would freak.
So we had our dinner and I took my pills, we talked a little. I had to bring up one of those "Heather can tell him this because it is too awkward for me to say" issues with Ron. I was asked to talk to him. It was awkward and embarrassing but he took it with good grace. I think that is all I can say but he did agree with me. And the person was right, he would take it from me but not from them.
I would hate to see Ron without a moderating influence. Not saying he would be lost without me, although he says that all the time - just that he does need SOMEONE at times.
And Spotty is trying to be a rapist again. I need to get him neutered.
Oh, I took out the trash, a couple of times I had to run things out to the can, sitting at the curb. One of those times the Fed Ex man came with part of my Chewy order, the toys. I thanked him sincerely and he said something nice to me (I forget).
I took the toys in the house (I bought them to hit the free shipping limit, and because my cats have a lot of toys). I had a compressed catnip mouse, I was happy to open the package and find two of them. They had 2 on the webpage but didn't indicate it came as a 2 pack. Glad to see it. I put one in the cat apartment on the kitty tree. Biscuit had a lot of fun chewing on, and batting it, around. It is good to see him living life.
The second item was a $2 set of toys with "silvervine" and catnip. They called it "Hypernip". Said cats would go crazy. So I took one out and it got some interest, but the compressed catnip toy got the most. I put that toy on the top shelf of the cat tree.
Ron wanted to play with Spotty so I got him a wand toy with a squeaker on it. Ron complained he couldn't really hear the squeaker. I told Ron I put these wand toys on the birthday list my stepmother requested. It will make me happy = a good gift. They had some fun for a while anyway until Spotty lost interest.
Sometimes, in the past, I have neglected playing with my cats when I am depressed, but I am a lot better at it now. If I had to make a list of the cats' favorite toys:
Shoelace - oh, no, I just realized I took that out to the garage, I will have to fix that before I go to bed. It was on the old chair. Probably #3 [edit: got it in the house]
Wand toy with squeaky mouse - everyone loves that thing, probably the #1 toy. Ron loves it because he can play (not easy for mobility impaired blind man)
Squeaker mouse just by itself, no wand, probably #2. They like that.
For Biscuit, #1 toy is compressed catnip.
Baby Girl and Torbie tend to get aggressive when they have catnip, though. I caught Torbie bullying poor Cleo, I scolded Torbie and she stopped, went back in her apartment. Later I caught Cleo nursing. It was adorable but my phone was off. I am glad Mama cat is so generous with her milk because it can't be comfortable to nurse a half grown cat. Especially after having surgery.
I am glad Cleo gets her Mommy back. And brother, although he is a little pervert right now that won't last.
I have talked about the hoarders who roam my neighborhood. One time I had a dead plant in a pot. I took the plant out of the pot and set it at the curb, a dead plant with a rootball, and someone still took it. I took out one of my big Chewy boxes (too big for recycle can) and left it at the curb, someone took it within a few hours. It would be good for a pet or small child's playhouse. But do like I did, keep it around for a few days for the cats and then get rid of it.
Life is hard enough without a lot of junk, and,having seen my house, you may wonder but it could be so much worse.
An example, for some odd reason both my grandmothers had wedgewood blue living room furniture. My aunt recovered the couch and kept it for her own living room, it looks good and the grandkids love it.
My sister took all the furniture back to her own house, even the broken furniture. She did not remove or repair it, she kept the broken furniture in the living room so no one could use it. Why? Maybe it was rebellion against her house church thing, they were very into having "open homes so anyone could come in several times a week". I believe that is one reason she hoarded "so hard" as well. To block them. I don't know.
But all my furniture is functional and most of it cost less than $100 a apiece. The computer room chair costs $20. Front room seating set (rocking chair and loveseat) cost about $300. Hell, even my bed only cost about $400. That includes the frame. I just don't see spending a lot on furniture which is one reason I like Ikea when I am in the market, I can buy something that looks really good for a reasonable sum. Much of it is cat proof. Like the chair I like:
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50434312/?gclid=CjwKCAjwnrjrBRAMEiwAXsCc4z-mLPl6-Co1chlUPa0mK1zSDmkOo2StRdQrFIcagqUcAFeEwoDL3BoCYGIQAvD_BwE
Or this one:
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70434311/?gclid=CjwKCAjwnrjrBRAMEiwAXsCc49fZAXOGsoQ8647TIYr3fWbYoLdNnIq497zYmYW9LSPSe7y1t7E4-hoCaIUQAvD_BwE
Found another:
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00343545/
All are really nice, unique, chairs that are totally cat proof. Cannot be wrecked by scratching - worst case they rip up the cushion and I buy another. Easy looking assembly. Very reasonable prices, too. I like that.
So I love Ikea. Ron and I always figure out how to put the thing together except my old bedframe. That was a nightmare. This time I got a Sleep Master, you can look them up on Amazon. Very easy assembly.
But I try VERY hard not to clutter up the house. Regular purges when I'm manic, etc.
Just in the last hour Cleo has nursed, initiated play with her brother, and initiated play with Biscuit, who very gently bopped her on her nose. Biscuit makes a wonderful father. It is really good to see Cleo blossom and SO glad I listened to those who said to bring her in the house.
It says a lot: every time Cleo heard the kids next door she would hide. She doesn't, anymore. She knows I will protect her. But what did those kids do I don't know about? I am glad I don't.
That is it for tonight. Ron said Spotty puts his front legs on Ron's thigh, and meows at him, for petting. "He might even get in my lap".
I told Ron we might have a hard time getting Spotty back after his neuter. The vet will want to keep him! He is such a charmer - and he was NOT social when I first met him. I did the old "Pet him while he eats" routine and that worked. I am glad it worked out and give God the credit for giving me the sense and good direction on what to do.
That is it for tonight. Have a good one.
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