I have another cat. My penchant for taking care of strays - the one I held down quite ruthlessly for years - has finally been allowed out and I was privileged to "rescue" a small treasure for my very own. It was just luck that had my niece "E" sending me a message as a last ditch to find a home for her little cat, Bella. After a couple of messages back and forth, "E" and her roommate stopped by with a frightened little kitty in a cat carrier. I tucked her into the bathroom on her own and shut the door.
Before the end of the night "Bella Meow" had decided that the cabinet under the sink was a good place to hide, so she opened the cupboard and crawled in behind the epsom salts and the paper cups. It was two days before I was sure she had eaten something or had any water, and she was terrified of the other cats, the dogs, loud noises, the carpet cleaner, or anything else that seemed different I suppose. The rotten dogs decided to gang up on her and would bark aggressively until I picked each one up and presented them - butt first - to Bella's face! A couple of sniffs later and I had peace of a sort for a little while, but had to repeat THAT fairly often! Daisy was always submissive, and still tries to steal Bella's canned food. Folly barks like a lunatic, but when Penny gets into the mix, WATCH OUT! Full dog assault corps have cornered the cat again!
After two weeks of Bella in the bathroom, adding one cat at a time for company and so they could sort out the pecking order, I decided the dogs would have to bunk with me at night to allow Bella to venture out on her own. I had been told Bella was an "outside" cat and she had "accidents" so I made sure the catbox was clean and hoped for the best.
Bella made a decision to move into my craproom/office on the first night the bathroom door was left open. She has been in here ever since. There has not been a single accident on the carpet, although one of the dogs and evil Xena have made messes since then! Thank goodness for my new carpet cleaner! The room smells like freshly opened cat food, occasional happy kitty farts, and computer paper. Nothing else. She hasn't had a problem living inside, and I am proud of her. I decided to install a cat door in the office window, with the "kitty tree" underneath it as a jumping up point. Although it has not been installed yet I have everything here now to get that job done. I just need to clear the stuff to make room!
Having to change the use of the room has finally given me a chance to think outside the box for the rest of my living space. The closet next to the bathroom (which had been housing cleaning supplies and pet stuff) has been taken over by the portable countertop dishwasher on a rolling caddy. The cleaning supplies store underneath it and my towels and TP fit in the two remaining shelves above it. The power cord and the water lines fit neatly around the door frame and I can still use my kitchen sink while the dishwasher is operating. It also stores the dirty (rinsed) dishes between washings! With the "kitty tree" and pet supplies moving into the "office" it leaves more room for me! I am seriously thinking about removing the cat box from the bathroom as well so I have one less mess in there! If I can get all three cats to use the cat door instead of the cat box my place will be a much fresher one!
I like sitting in my soft leather chair in the evening, tooling around on facebook or checking messages... Bella comes over and cuddles up in my lap or watches me from the pile of comforters folded on the dresser... she stays here in the office with the baby gate in place, always out of sight of the dogs. Her water is fresh, she gets a can of food to herself once in a while, and sometimes I hear the contented "crunchcrunchcrunch" of her nibbling the kibble she likes. It's a "win/win" as far as both of us are concerned. I have another warm body to love, and she has a safe place to be. And really, isn't that what we all want? A safe place to just be?
Having so many pets makes me feel a little like the "crazy cat lady" sometimes. But I can't help feeling lifted when they offer me their trust. I'm looking forward to a summer of having active cats and dogs sharing space with me, trusting me to care for them, and having the peace that comes with knowing where I am in the world. I'm right here. And as far as I'm concerned it feels just right!
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