Cat Drama & Life Lessons

The beginning

This morning I took Trinity to the vet to get her vaccines. I put her in her carrier and off we went. She was vocal on the way there, but not too stressed.

She got a clean bill of health from the vet. She’s just the right weight and shouldn’t gain anymore. Eyes, ears, and nose look good. She got her vaccines. Back to the car she comes. (They are doing curbside pickup because of Covid.)

She was vocal on the way home too, but quieter. When we got home, I picked up the carrier and there was a puddle in the passenger seat. At first I thought I spilled coffee before I put her back in the seat. Nope. Poor Trinity couldn’t hold her bladder anymore, so she went in the carrier.

I got the carrier inside the house and got her out of it. Her back half was wet from urine. I threw the carrier back outside, because it was drenched with pee too.

Bubo hissed at Trin and began hissing and yowling at everything around her. I took Trinity to the bathroom where I knew there were baby wipes.

I wiped her down, but that wasn’t going to cut it. To the kitchen for a bath. Trinity scratched me a bit trying to get away, but mostly she was calm. I was able to soap her up and rinse her off so she didn’t smell like urine anymore. I was able to dry her off, while she had to finish the rest with a good licking.

Vélo was mostly curious, sniffing the air. Bubo was still upset. But things were mostly calm post-bath.

I went back out to the car to clean up the puddle in the passenger seat.

The middle

Later, hours after Trinity’s pee incident (poor girl), I noticed Vélo’s eye was squinty. I went and gave him some pets and to get a closer look. He right eye was a bit swollen and leaking a bit. I gave him some pats and let him go. I’ll monitor his eye and take him in if the swelling isn’t down tomorrow.

I don’t know what set Bubo off, but after I released Vélo she started hissing and chased after him. She swatted him and chased him. Vélo went and hid.

Then she started stalking/hissing at me. At one point she scratched my hand, drawing blood.

She’s done this before. The first time was a few months back and triggered by another cat coming up to my back door, probably spraying. I get her being upset/mad at a different cat being around, but she was extremely upset through the whole night that first time.

Today I think it circled back to the pee incident and smelling smells that weren’t supposed to be where they were, even if they were more familiar. (Bubo & Trinity share litter boxes, after all.) Bubo happened to take her displeasure out on Vélo in that moment and then me. (I wonder if she went after him before and swatted him in the eye. Not sure.)

When she first did this, a few months ago, it went on for hours. I finally lost patience and threw her in a bedroom.

The end

This time, I remembered that she loves to be brushed. Loves. It. So while she was mad, still stalking me sometimes, I grabbed the brush. I held it out to her, and it gave her pause. She was still vocal and sometimes hissed, but she calmed and let me brush her. Sometimes I would hold my hand out to her so she could get my smell before I’d give her pets, and that helped too.

With all of this kitty drama today, there are some life lessons snuck in.

• First, I’m so sorry Trinity went so long without peeing that she had to go in her carrier. That must have been terrible for her. I wish she’d gone on the floor in the vet or something, but she must not have felt safe enough… I’m glad I was able to be there for her by cleaning her up, and that she didn’t seem too traumatized by all of that.
• Second, Bubo. Most of the time she is a good cat. She definitely has her own personality, but she’s a good cat. Yet, something primal is triggered in her sometimes, and it’s teaching me. Because I remember times that I didn’t know how to communicate healthily when I was upset. There have been times I’ve raged, and I wish I’d had someone in those moments who could truly be with me to help me calm down. I’m not getting angry with Bubo as these outbursts continue to occasionally happen. Not that anger was calming the situation anyway… I’m learning to meet her where she is, hoping to help her calm down.

I know these things might seem silly since I’m writing about my relationships with my cats. But the practice is everywhere, and today it manifested in my cats.

I’ve experienced a transformation. Once upon a time I met Bubo’s extreme outbursts with anger. I’m not doing that anymore. And that is helping her to calm faster…

I’ve experienced a transformation. Once upon a time, I might rage in extreme outbursts of anger. I can’t remember the last time I did that. I could be blocking it, but I used to remember because I would feel so ashamed for doing it. Again… But I’m pretty sure it’s been a long time.

And I know that faced with future situations with extreme emotion, that I can do the same thing: 1) not react in anger and 2) potentially be there for someone else at the same time. And honestly, compared to when I was younger, that’s fucking amazing. Probably not too many people would have believed that about me if they’d heard it.

Today’s example of positive change in my life revolves around my cats. An awesome lesson in humility too!! (I’m laughing at myself with this!!)

I hope you enjoy my cat drama story. What did you take from it?