I Am Feeling Stressed

I didn't blog yesterday and am a little late today because I hadn't really decided what was going on with me. Finally (call me slow if you want) I decided I am feeling stressed. And I am beginning to figure out why I am so stressed. I have a lot going on. Nothing major medically but just too much stress for me.

Last month, in the spirit of doing something good, I decided to convince my husband we need to adopt a third cat. As soon as I asked about where are the good local shelters someone offered me her two cats that she needed to get rid of (because her son was moving home with his dog who didn't get along with the cats). [Maybe the son shouldn't have been allowed to bring his dog home.... but its not my house so I kept my mouth shut.]

We waited until we got back from vacation and picked them up a week ago Sunday. When we went to pick them up my husband said 'you are making a mistake' but I still thought I was doing something good.

They were two incredibly obese orange tabbies that had been locked into an unfinished room in the basement without windows for 'several weeks'. They were not in good shape. I still thought I was doing something good.

We brought them home and put them into a separate room and I put them on diet food. Except Sunday afternoon we had two cats. Monday we only had two cats for a brief period of time in the afternoon. Tuesday afternoon we had two cats for about 5 minutes. This Sunday morning, after reporting a lost cat to animal control, we then had two cats again at about 4 am. We also had two cats for about 30 seconds at 5 am this morning. One of them (I think its Jake not Ginger), can jump over the baby gate we have keeping them in a separate room. He keeps hiding in the basement (we think).

This morning I found someone had pooped on the laundry room floor and someone else had tossed their cookies on the rug in the finished part of the basement. I decided that's it. They have to go back. We took them conditionally - if WW III broke out in our house, they had to go back. Right now we have four cats who keep hissing and growling at us and each other. I can't take it.

Ginger (or whichever is not lost living in the basement) meows all the time when he is hungry - which is all the time because he is on a diet. He keeps me up. (Who names a boy cat Ginger anyway?) If I close the door to either his room or our room, I can still hear him meow. I don't sleep well because of my pain levels and other health issues anyway. And if one cat is not meowing, another one is, or growling, or hissing at each other and having a 'conversation' that keeps me awake.

I really wanted to do a good thing but I can't do this one. I need to take them back asap. Like this afternoon. I am getting rid of one today around 6pm. I just have to find the other one so I can take them both back.

I do feel guilt. But I also believe that I need to take better care of myself. I felt my stress level go down after I made the decision. I called my husband and he is okay with my decision (and is probably telling me that I was making a mistake in the first place.

I am not in the position to do good deeds until I am in a better place with my place (in a few thousand light years).

The Honest Truth

I have to admit this, especially since I am such a healthy patient. Its a constant issue for me.

I hate needles. I can't watch TV about the flu or another disease when they show people get injections.

Going for blood work is a bad day for me. And the last time I went I left behind yet another water bottle. Every Wednesday my husband gives me my methotrexate injection for my rheumatoid. I hate that part. I would never be able to give myself a shot.

Then today I had to take the cats to the vet and both of them got shots, and I was in the same room. They had my deepest sympathy on their discomfort from the shots - mental and physical anguish.

But now we can all take a deep breath and get on with our day. Until my next shot next week. Yuck.

A day with cats

I didn't blog yesterday. Well I did write about low self esteem after ailments but I didn't publish it. I just needed to vent. I was also really tired and busy. I had a dentist appointment in the morning and then I thought I had a 1230pm meeting but that was cancelled and my knitting group was postponed until 3pm. I arrived at 1245 for a 3pm meeting because of my inability to read an email. This meant I had a long day and was very tired.

Also, it was a day of cat vs rodent adventures. In rushing to my meeting, I went down to the car through the garage and found the cat, Boots, frantically looking behind folded cardboard boxes along the side wall. I moved the cardboard and the cat dashed and pounced on a chipmunk cowering behind it. There was an ensuing race around the garage and then out the door.

I went back upstairs and then downstairs again. Boots was outside and then proudly walked toward the garage carrying the chipmunk in his mouth, a gift for me, which he then deposited IN the garage. The chipmunk was alive and ran off again with Boots chasing. I left with the garage door closed firmly in hopes that there would be no repeats of live animals carried into the house.

After I finally returned at 5pm, exhausted from being out for so long, both cats were no where to be found. However they reappeared and were chasing yet another mouse who was hiding in the day lilies. We went to make dinner on the grill on the deck, I found a mouse nest IN THE GRILL. I needed back up.

I went and grabbed Boots, who hates to be carried, and brought him over to the grill so he could evict them for me. He ran off because he wanted to go catch his other mouse. Then I grabbed Zdpot and he climbed in the grill and tried to remove the mice. My husband intervened and the mice were evicted. The cats went back to their mouse hunting at the other end of the house.

When it was time to call them in for dinner, they were chasing yet another critter in the front yard. I intercepted them by opening a can of cat food in their ear shot and they came running in. 

Why am I blogging about our cats? It has been almost one year since we adopted our two cats. They have impacted our lives and made it warm and fuzzy. As my health has lessened, they have made things nicer for me by entertaining me, cuddling with me, chasing my yarn, and just being companions. Here are before and after shots of the two of them.

Boots before adoption	Zdpot before adoption
Boots now	Zdpot now

Boots came to us a very shy boy who was desperate for attention. He wanted to cuddle but was too concerned about being scared and abandoned. Now he sleeps next to me in bed. Zdpot, or Evil Kitty because he picks fights and steals Boots' food, was malnourished with white skin showing through thin short fur. He also had ear mites and internal parasites. He also did not know how to be a cat - he didn't meow, didn't know about toys, didn't know there was an outdoors, and had no idea how to be nice to anyone - human or feline.

Its been a nice year with our new cats. They like to take care of us and we like to take care of them.