![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
I've come to a decision about the cat.
Sunday morning, I discovered that the cat had had quite an eventful Saturday night, a night that involved both bleeding and vomiting. There wasn't a huge quantity of blood, just a lot of smears of it, as if after the cat hurt himself he ran around all frantic. I didn't find any particular objects with blood on them, so I don't know how he hurt himself, but I guess he pinched a paw or the tip of his tail or something. Some of the marks are at tail height on the wall so that would make sense. There wasn't any blood on the chair where the vomit was, but my theory is that he ate all his food, hurt himself somehow, and then was all scared and crazed and that made him throw up. (This is the first time he's thrown up since I've had him, so I don't think it's normal for him like it is for some cats.)
So of course, after finding my kitchen bloody and vomitous, I immediately went to check on the cat to make sure he was okay. I found him on a windowsill, picked him up, and tried to look at him to see if I could spot any wounds. But I couldn't, because he was (justifiably) even more terrified than usual, and wriggled away from me and ran to hide on the floor behind the entertainment center. Where I cannot at all reach him. I tried to pet him a bit around the stereo, but he's still freaked and still back there this morning.
It's not that he made a mess that concerns me--stuff happens, cats sometimes make messes, that's what you sign up for when you get a cat. But my cat injured himself, and I can't look at him to make sure he's okay. (I'm sure he is okay, but that's not the point.) I can't comfort him, I can't *help* him, because of this hiding thing. I know any normal cat would hide under these circumstances too, but a normal cat can be coaxed out of hiding, or I could keep an eye out to snag the cat the next time it comes out. Those aren't options with this cat. His hiding habits are just not acceptable for me, because it doesn't just impact my relationship with the cat, it also impacts the degree to which I can care for my cat's health. What happens if he *really* cut himself, or ate something wrong, or needed to go to the vet in some other emergency? That's hard enough with a normal cat, but when the cat is terrified, injured, and also agoraphobic, and you have to move the furniture to get to him, that's just not something I want to worry about.
The cat has to go back. That's it. I'm going to try to see if there's a way I can drop him off one night this week.
Sunday morning, I discovered that the cat had had quite an eventful Saturday night, a night that involved both bleeding and vomiting. There wasn't a huge quantity of blood, just a lot of smears of it, as if after the cat hurt himself he ran around all frantic. I didn't find any particular objects with blood on them, so I don't know how he hurt himself, but I guess he pinched a paw or the tip of his tail or something. Some of the marks are at tail height on the wall so that would make sense. There wasn't any blood on the chair where the vomit was, but my theory is that he ate all his food, hurt himself somehow, and then was all scared and crazed and that made him throw up. (This is the first time he's thrown up since I've had him, so I don't think it's normal for him like it is for some cats.)
So of course, after finding my kitchen bloody and vomitous, I immediately went to check on the cat to make sure he was okay. I found him on a windowsill, picked him up, and tried to look at him to see if I could spot any wounds. But I couldn't, because he was (justifiably) even more terrified than usual, and wriggled away from me and ran to hide on the floor behind the entertainment center. Where I cannot at all reach him. I tried to pet him a bit around the stereo, but he's still freaked and still back there this morning.
It's not that he made a mess that concerns me--stuff happens, cats sometimes make messes, that's what you sign up for when you get a cat. But my cat injured himself, and I can't look at him to make sure he's okay. (I'm sure he is okay, but that's not the point.) I can't comfort him, I can't *help* him, because of this hiding thing. I know any normal cat would hide under these circumstances too, but a normal cat can be coaxed out of hiding, or I could keep an eye out to snag the cat the next time it comes out. Those aren't options with this cat. His hiding habits are just not acceptable for me, because it doesn't just impact my relationship with the cat, it also impacts the degree to which I can care for my cat's health. What happens if he *really* cut himself, or ate something wrong, or needed to go to the vet in some other emergency? That's hard enough with a normal cat, but when the cat is terrified, injured, and also agoraphobic, and you have to move the furniture to get to him, that's just not something I want to worry about.
The cat has to go back. That's it. I'm going to try to see if there's a way I can drop him off one night this week.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-05-14 02:51 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-05-14 03:34 pm (UTC)From:Just saying...cats, like people, have different ways of reacting to things. So it's not really a case of what a "normal cat" would do, so much as this one is doing things you can't deal with well.
Doesn't make you a bad person.
(My rant, last week, btw, was not intended for situations like this, in case that's why you were offended)
no subject
Date: 2007-05-14 03:50 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-05-14 05:10 pm (UTC)From:He obviously eventually gave in to being held and petted.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-14 06:53 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-05-14 05:12 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-05-14 06:54 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-05-14 06:29 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-05-14 06:56 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-05-14 08:50 pm (UTC)From:*hugs & comfort* to you. Hopefully Stormy will end up someplace where he can hide and also be willing to come out of hiding, and hopefully you will find the right cat for you when you're ready to try again.
I'd offer Danamarie's cat to you, since he LOVES to sit on laps and climb onto laptops/books when you're trying to work, but she'd very likely murder me for giving Prufrock away. :-P I just wish he got along with my kitty.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-14 10:04 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-05-14 10:26 pm (UTC)From:If not I can pretend to be your cat, so far I'm not employed so all you have to do is feed me and I'll purr and cuddle in your lap.