no biting, please

predictability at 0350 is better

Americans like happy endings. We believe so often that a minor twist will solve a problem, then we can live happily ever answer. Sadly, some challenges don’t always lead to the preferred outcome, no matter how hard we wish otherwise. The fairy dust dispenser seems permanently depleted these days.

Actions create consequences can be a cosmic or a rather personal application. Today it’s the latter that has me apprehensive, hoping it to descend into downright sad. But, I will hope my fears are incorrect.

We all need and crave predictability in our lives. Humans often talk about change, variety, and the desire to try new options but we are actually quite routinised, particularly as we age. We tend to find a consistent time we like our meals. We tend to get out of bed at the same time daily while retiring at roughly the same hour. We tend to like to listen to the same radio stations repeatedly. We tend to like the same colours in the clothing we regularly reach for when we begin our days. We read the same genres and listen to the same news sources. And the list goes on.

And we like to know how animals, especially our beloved pets, will react to us. We don’t enjoy surprise attacks, especially at 0350.

The biting or scratching are neither constant nor life threatening for people but the irregularity of this action is debilitating for a relationship between a person and her/his pet. For us, the unpredictability means we are in a distinct trust deficit this morning a growing deficit since the first instance occurred Wednesday.

It’s not the first time it’s happened, although absences do tend to be a trigger. The difference is that usually is a single incident immediately upon the heels of travel while these events are happened three, four, and five days later. He is drawing blood as well, creating a possibility of infection.

I am in search of a solution but the guilty party is running out of time. We recognise we would have to disclose this nasty consequence if we tried to surrender him to a humane society as it would be irresponsible to ‘dump’ him off on someone else without a warning. Yet the trust deficit is decidedly deeper than the current reservoir of hope. I am not sure where the consequence of this will lead.

We have tried the pheromone diffuser. We have been to the vet twice. We feed the guilty party regularly and predictably. The cat receives incalculable amounts of affection, including not 60 seconds before this occurred in the wee hours. Additionally, this is an affectionate cat 99% of the time but that other 1% leaves us unsettled, unsure, and scratched and/or bitten.

Actions create consequences as I note regularly. I am hoping for a miracle or fairy dust or a smart reader who can give me a solution but the cat is living with us on borrowed time.

Thank you for bearing with my personal actions and consequences musing today. I appreciate you reading the column any day as I welcome rebuttals, thoughts, suggestions and comments on any and every column. I appreciate those who financially support this as that support motivates me every single day.

Earlier this week, I caught this angelic shot of the guilty party. If you know how to address this with guaranteed improvement, do send it my way!

It’s a dangerously hot weekend for everyone from the Carolinas north along the eastern seaboard, in addition to the traditionally brutal heat locations. Don’t do stupid stuff. Be safe and be well. FIN