For young mothers, it’s pretty obvious what stays undone in their lives. Keeping up with energetic, curious toddlers, and perhaps having a husband whose mother failed at teaching him what a laundry hamper is for, can be exhausting, if not downright infuriating, until Moms finally just give up.
At this stage of my existence, just staying ahead of my indoor cat’s misadventures is what continually remains undone in my life. Frequent CATastrophes occur at home.
When my cat Lucky is feeling stressed or anxious about life in general – especially outside noise encroaching on our home, such as a (take your pick) vehicle with a diesel engine in the driveway – anything can happen! Boogeyman alert, for sure!
It’s impossible to keep the house tidy or presentable for any visitor other than another true cat lover, not a pretending-to-be-polite person.
Sometimes I hear a thundering demolition in the living-room as books and shelves tumble after a moth or a crane fly has sneaked inside. This, by a cat who can walk so daintily among future breakables that he never disturbs even one of them.
At other times, Lucky hits the security door with such force that I jump out of my chair in the other room. He does this when a young squirrel or bird approaches too closely, all mischief and innocence at the same time. Yet lizards he will watch quietly for an hour with just his long grey tail betraying his excitement. When they sidle up to the threshold, a paw shoots out under the security door and pulls one inside. Then I have to move fast before he rips off a lizard’s tail while tugging it out of a hiding-place.
Lucky is terrified of strange humans coming to the house but completely fearless when it comes to heights and leaping. He’s a grey Abyssinian and even more athletic than our Seal Point Siamese was. Actually, I think he’s a Blue, given that his pads are purple. But since Blues look much like Greys, it takes time to explain to non-cat people.
If a lizard comes inside on its own while Lucky’s on his tree-house, he drops on it like a stone. Again, I have to move fast to protect the lizard and prevent any visitor from screeching because I didn’t dispose of the tail and clean up the mess. (Lizards can only shed their tails if given time for the internal mechanisms to shut down first.)
Worse are the days that the neighbor’s 24/7 outdoor cat comes to the security door and a snarling, screeching catfight starts. Both cats can lie on their sides and slash under the security door, something to keep in mind at a future home. (This house turned out to be DIY all the way by a previous owner, so nothing fits quite the way it’s supposed to.)
Worst of all are the days when Lucky is stressed enough to be an “air pee-er”. Then I really know I will never stay ahead of him, even with a deep storage container as a litterbox and puppy pads hanging behind it and placed underneath it. He rakes the litter into a pile, then stands up to pee over one side or the other, instead of squatting like neutered cats are supposed to do. There’s no indication of urine crystals and he races around the house with lots of energy.
He can go a week or two without ever air-peeing, so is completely unpredictable. His behavior is apparently not that uncommon but he is the 12th cat I have owned in my lifetime and the only one ever to present me with this challenge of letting me know when he’s really ticked off.
That said, I finally found two covered litter boxes large enough for his long legs, and both of them are acceptable to him! Sometimes, even a blind sow finds an acorn. No “accidents” since I bought them both. Staying ahead of Lucky’s misadventures is what continually remains undone in my house.
Disclaimer: My blog posts are statements of opinion only. I am not in the business of giving financial, legal, medical, or any other type of advice. See Terms of Use and Disclaimer for further disclaimers.
In addition to my archives here, more of my writing on a wide variety of topics appears at
https://shirleyannparker.medium.com
Occasionally I also write at Vocal Media. Sorry I can’t provide a direct link to what’s mine but if you don’t mind, put my name in the Search box and you’ll find me.