Fickle Feline

People tell you lots of things before you have kids that you don't believe. One of them was that I'd start to feel differently toward my cat. Now D and I are bit nutty about our cats. Before the other one died, I syringe-fed her for weeks because I didn't want to put her down. Even before that, I've spent a fortune on vet bills, including ultrasounds and feline antidepressants! We said hello to the cats before we said hello to each other. I have her on special food that requires a trip to the vet to purchase. And I've turned down apartments, roommates and dates because of their incompatibility with felines.

So why does everything she does now make me completely mental? She craves attention but when she gets on my lap all I can think about is the cat hair. I have turned over litter-cleaning duties to D permanently because I just can't deal with it. All her irritating habits - the occasional puke, her incessant meowing before mealtimes, the fact that no food can be left on the counter for more than three minutes without her attempting to consume it - all seem a thousand times more irritating.

She's been banished from the bedroom since LM was born and D is now pushing for her re-entry. But although I used to let her snuggle next to my head, now I'm thinking she should be out of the bedroom permanently, even once LM is no longer in with us. I told D that and he looked shocked and surprised.

Don't get me wrong - somewhere deep inside, I still harbour affection for the little rascal - at least enough to feel guilty about my change of heart. But she has moved from queen of the roost to distant third.