Losing Battle?
I'm tired again. It's not because I had a fantasy football draft last night and had a few beers. It's not that I'm being overworked at my job (but I'll never tell my boss that). It's not even from playing too much online poker at night. You're going to think I'm crazy, but I've been having a battle with my sister's cat. Yeah, you heard me right. A cat. Not necessarily a very smart cat, just a very persistent one.
My sister Deanna is moving in with Al and I on Saturday. She'd gotten layed off from her job when Bank of America bought out Fleet Bank and closed her site. She's been looking for a job for the last 10 months without success. We've talked about this many times over the last few months, and I'd told her before that she'd probably have much better luck in this area with the number of banks and financial institutions in the area. With other circumstances giving her a nudge, she's decided to move in with us for the next couple of months to look for a job in the area and help us pack for the new house. When we finish purchasing our new house, she and her boyfriend will be taking over the townhouse we're renting now.
Ok, enough background.... (if you ever need anyone to make a short story long, let me know.) Since Dee didn't want to have to deal with the cats (Bonnie and Clyde) in the moving van, she brought them down last Wednesday when she met with my landlord. They're pretty good cats for the most part - very lovable. After my cat did a little adjusting to the new visitors, things had been pretty good. That's when the trouble started.
It seems that Bonnie doesn't feel like she's getting enough attention. It's bad enough that my cat now feels unloved in his own house, I now have to deal with Bonnie's emotional problems. She's been acting out, much like you'd expect from a 2 year old. My sister swears that she didn't have any problems with Bonnie in their apartment after the initial training. Now, I'm dealing with Bonnie on the dining room table - WHILE I'M STANDING RIGHT THERE! I have a paper tube from a roll of wrapping paper that I use to make noise and will even swat her with if it needs to be done. When she sees it, she flees.
With the threat of the tube, you would think she'd behave. Nope. It didn't stop her from jumping on the counter in the kitchen when Al was there. It also didn't stop her from trying to sharpen her claws in the carpet. She got a "time out" for that one - just like a 2 year old, I put her in a room by herself (with hardwood floors) and let her "think" about what she did wrong.
The latest trick has been to visit us at night. You would think that this isn't so bad, but my sister doesn't allow the cats in their bedroom and I'm trying to keep the same boundaries. Bonnie just won't hear of it. I woke up two nights ago to find Bonnie sleeping on my feet. Some people would think that's cute, but I must tell you that she's a 20 lb. (or so) cat putting her dead weight on my feet. It will cut of circulation if you're not careful. I push her off the end of the bed and roll over. I just get back to sleep when I have this same cat getting comfy between Al and I - pushing me out of the way. I don't think so!
I pick up Bonnie and put her outside the room, shutting the door. I wake up about 20 minutes later to the same cat sleeping between my legs (I'm laying on my back) and I can't even roll over because she's so heavy! Al picks her up and dumps her outside the room again. It turns out that the door doesn't latch very well. Al puts something in front of the door to discourage her from pushing it and comes back to bed. I'm getting comfortable again when I hear, "thump, thump". Bonnie is using her thick skull to head-butt the door open. Here she comes again! This gets Bonnie a time-out for the rest of the night. This was Sunday night. I wake up to find that Al's let Bonnie out of the room. When she heard Al was up and moving Monday morning, she started scratching at the door to get out. She's going to end up declawed shortly, and not by the vet...
So, now we need a new plan. We go to bed last night and put a small file-size fireproof safe in front of the door. This thing must weigh at least 50 lbs. with the stuff we have in it. This should keep her out, right? Wrong. The safe has a plastic case which slides on the hardwood floors. She's up with us again. Al picks her up and tosses her out again. Somehow, Al McGyver rigs something up with the safe, a pillow, and my laptop case to keep her out. Luckily he's the first one up and getting ready so he tore down the booby-trap before I had to deal with it. When I open the door to head to the bathroom, Bonnie comes barrelling into the room and hides under the bed. At this point, I don't care.
These "episodes" have been occurring at around 3:30 every morning, right in the middle of deep sleep. My eyes feel like someone has poured sand into them and I've been grumpy all day. Am I fighting a losing battle? Probably. Dammit, I refuse to let a cat get the better of me, though I might not have a choice....
My sister Deanna is moving in with Al and I on Saturday. She'd gotten layed off from her job when Bank of America bought out Fleet Bank and closed her site. She's been looking for a job for the last 10 months without success. We've talked about this many times over the last few months, and I'd told her before that she'd probably have much better luck in this area with the number of banks and financial institutions in the area. With other circumstances giving her a nudge, she's decided to move in with us for the next couple of months to look for a job in the area and help us pack for the new house. When we finish purchasing our new house, she and her boyfriend will be taking over the townhouse we're renting now.
Ok, enough background.... (if you ever need anyone to make a short story long, let me know.) Since Dee didn't want to have to deal with the cats (Bonnie and Clyde) in the moving van, she brought them down last Wednesday when she met with my landlord. They're pretty good cats for the most part - very lovable. After my cat did a little adjusting to the new visitors, things had been pretty good. That's when the trouble started.
It seems that Bonnie doesn't feel like she's getting enough attention. It's bad enough that my cat now feels unloved in his own house, I now have to deal with Bonnie's emotional problems. She's been acting out, much like you'd expect from a 2 year old. My sister swears that she didn't have any problems with Bonnie in their apartment after the initial training. Now, I'm dealing with Bonnie on the dining room table - WHILE I'M STANDING RIGHT THERE! I have a paper tube from a roll of wrapping paper that I use to make noise and will even swat her with if it needs to be done. When she sees it, she flees.
With the threat of the tube, you would think she'd behave. Nope. It didn't stop her from jumping on the counter in the kitchen when Al was there. It also didn't stop her from trying to sharpen her claws in the carpet. She got a "time out" for that one - just like a 2 year old, I put her in a room by herself (with hardwood floors) and let her "think" about what she did wrong.
The latest trick has been to visit us at night. You would think that this isn't so bad, but my sister doesn't allow the cats in their bedroom and I'm trying to keep the same boundaries. Bonnie just won't hear of it. I woke up two nights ago to find Bonnie sleeping on my feet. Some people would think that's cute, but I must tell you that she's a 20 lb. (or so) cat putting her dead weight on my feet. It will cut of circulation if you're not careful. I push her off the end of the bed and roll over. I just get back to sleep when I have this same cat getting comfy between Al and I - pushing me out of the way. I don't think so!
I pick up Bonnie and put her outside the room, shutting the door. I wake up about 20 minutes later to the same cat sleeping between my legs (I'm laying on my back) and I can't even roll over because she's so heavy! Al picks her up and dumps her outside the room again. It turns out that the door doesn't latch very well. Al puts something in front of the door to discourage her from pushing it and comes back to bed. I'm getting comfortable again when I hear, "thump, thump". Bonnie is using her thick skull to head-butt the door open. Here she comes again! This gets Bonnie a time-out for the rest of the night. This was Sunday night. I wake up to find that Al's let Bonnie out of the room. When she heard Al was up and moving Monday morning, she started scratching at the door to get out. She's going to end up declawed shortly, and not by the vet...
So, now we need a new plan. We go to bed last night and put a small file-size fireproof safe in front of the door. This thing must weigh at least 50 lbs. with the stuff we have in it. This should keep her out, right? Wrong. The safe has a plastic case which slides on the hardwood floors. She's up with us again. Al picks her up and tosses her out again. Somehow, Al McGyver rigs something up with the safe, a pillow, and my laptop case to keep her out. Luckily he's the first one up and getting ready so he tore down the booby-trap before I had to deal with it. When I open the door to head to the bathroom, Bonnie comes barrelling into the room and hides under the bed. At this point, I don't care.
These "episodes" have been occurring at around 3:30 every morning, right in the middle of deep sleep. My eyes feel like someone has poured sand into them and I've been grumpy all day. Am I fighting a losing battle? Probably. Dammit, I refuse to let a cat get the better of me, though I might not have a choice....
posted by EvieMarie at 4:05 AM
3 Comments:
I would love to see the cat head butting the door.
That is one stubborn cat. I don't think you can win this one.
Spray bottle (like one used for haircuts) keep it by the night stand ready to fire at the cat's nose.
Cat getting comfy between Al and you??
Sorry . . .that was me. I've been trying to stop.
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