Poor Kitty

As shown here, Tiger is not the world's healthiest (or smartest or most graceful) cat. Which she just demonstrated by inappropriate urination. Generally, if and when she does this, it's on a patch of carpet next to the room where we keep her litterbox, and is a heads-up to me, her mama, that she is unhappy with the state of her litterbox, her water bowl needs a wash, there's a scary pair of shoes between her and the box, the door is closed, etc.

Not this time. This time she leapt onto the table and used a pile of Abby's old (finished, graded, and returned) homework as her toilet. Not okay, cat. But it does suggest that there's something going on - a bladder or urinary tract infection for instance. (Stop that - I cleaned and sterilized the table. Good heavens.)

So she has an appointment at the vet tomorrow. Abby wondered what happened to the stuff she brought home from school and I had to tell her that Tiger is sick, peed on them, is going to the doctor tomorrow, and might not get better. Her reaction was typical for my sensitive-but-still-eight little girl - first she said "Oh no! If she dies I'll be so sad!" followed fairly quickly with "can we get a new cat if she dies?" (the answer to that, by the way, is "not until we have a house with a yard"). I'm not looking forward to telling Leanna this Friday when she comes for the weekend, should Tiger die.

Tiger's been with us since October of 1998, when she was "about 6 months old", so she's older than any of our girls. My mommy-side is upset and sad (yes, yes, I know it may not be serious) and the 10% of me that is practical is able to deal. I have to remember that although 13 is not ancient for a cat, it's no spring chicken either. And that Tiger has never been the World's Healthiest Cat; she seemed old even as a kitten

So Tiger is in her bedroom (the laundry room) for the night already. Abby and her (extra super noisy whiny today) friends are cleaning and hoping for Treasure Box rewards. And I'm trying not to scream at them for arguing as they clean, because I know I'm a little oversensitive.