I told you a couple of entries ago, a friend of mine left her two cats (Stinky and Snickers) with a roommate who shittily abandoned them, (what kind of asshole does that?) and today, I had to perform an emergency rescue mission and bring them to my apartment. My friend's former landlord let me in, where I saw that though Stinky and Snickers had enough water, there was no telling how long it had been since they'd eaten, and they were more or less romping around in their own filth, inasmuch as any creature who has been abruptly abandoned can be expected to romp. Stinky and Snickers are long-haired cats, both of their coats are matted and full of knots from neglect. Stinky was happy to see me, and was eager to be saved, and Snickers seemed too weak to resist being stuffed into the cat-carrier. So, I got them home no problem, aside from som forlorn yowling in the cab.

Now, that they're here, it's no picnic. My Ziggy hasn't seen another cat in over a year. Since living with me, the only time he's even seen the outside of my home is when I moved from the third floor to the seventh. This is his fuckin' house, and he's not a gracious host, and I don't blame him for having a little bit of attitude about my bringing two freaked-out, traumatized strangers into the house. I feel really bad for him, and aside from that, I never wanted to see my easy-going Ziggy make those horrible demoncat faces. Seriously, the growls and hisses coming from the cat's face are unlike anything he's ever uttered. I went out tonight, thinking they'd be okay, and when I got home, none of the cats appeared to have moved since I first left the apartment.

Stinky's big and stupid and sweet, like the feline persuasion's answer to Barney the Dinosaur, and I'm really not worried about him, other than the fact that Ziggy don't like him at all. Stinky's okay. He's actually curled up by me right now. And my Ziggy is STARING at us jealously.

Snickers is REALLY FUCKING ANTISOCIAL, and I'm not kidding you when I say that I'm the first living creature she ever liked, when I moved in with her and my friend a couple of years ago. She lived in a goddamned cabinet until I first met her, and she came out and said hello, surprising her owners. She and Ziggy are hating each other, and what's also concerning me is that she suddenly hates Stinky, too, even though Stinky and Snickers have lived together for over three years, and coexisted amiably.

Each of the three cats is sequestered in a different part of my studio apartment. (Oh, yes. THREE cats in a STUDIO APARTMENT right now.) Stinky's lying dejected in the hall, when he's not cowering in my closet. Ziggy's prowling nervously around my bed and the kitchen. Snickers has not left the futon/bookshelf area, and I really think she's shitting there, too, because she wants to avoid the litterbox in the kitchen. And, try as I might, I can't get her to eat. I took her into the bathroom with me and a plate of wet food, away from the other cats, and tried to pet her and coax her to eat. She completely ignored the food, and I'm worried.

None of the cats is aggressive, so I'm not worried that any one of them is going to be attacked, and Snickers and Stinky are only here until Tuesday, so it's not a huge deal. But they're all freaked out and defensive, and I'm worried that they're all getting, like, emotionally scarred, or something. I feel HORRIBLE, and I don't know what to do. Aside from that, I just know some of my stuff is getting shat on, especially because I STEPPED IN SOME OF THE SHIT.

Tomorrow I'm going to at least get another cheap litterbox to put at the other end of my apartment, so maybe Snickers will use that. One cat can shit on a LOT of carpet between Friday and Tuesday, and she's normally a really classy cat, even though she's a crusty old bitch.

They're all okay with me, too. They let me pet and comfort them. But it's getting kind of tiring and depressing to act as feline mediator ... not to mention, it makes a woman call into question her role in life when she finds herself wandering around her apartment saying "Ziggy? It's okay, Zigs. STINKY! Stinky, NO! Calm the hell down, Snickers. It's okay, baby."

If I ever get another cat, I'm naming him something really innocuous, like "Moe."

But, if anyone has any suggestions about what the fuck to do with these cats until Tuesday, please fucking tell me. Fuck. Poor things.

~ Last Five Entries ~

Arm-in-Arm Down Burgundy - 09.05.05

Motivated! - 08.25.05

Moths, and Relative Nonsense - 08.18.05

I Finally Have Internet Access in my Bedroom. But, No Ashtray. - 08.09.05

Here I Am - 08.02.05

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