Cat Problems

You can be cute and annoying at the same time. Exhibit A:

The kitchen sink is more annoying than the bathroom one. I turned the water on. 

We won't talk about how Shane balanced the dirty plate.

And why do you need to steal the dog's food? 

A fun picture or Carrie giggling can balance out some annoyance. In this case, the picture was evidence the kittens had been up to mischief.

And then there's outright trouble. We've caught Aria peeing outside the litter box. First it was a towel I dried Loki off with. Then it was on a blanket behind the dog cage. Then we noticed the dog bed smelled, too. Then Shane left the closet door open and I noticed her peeing on his snowpants.

Cat pee is terrible. All of those items are trash.

There are standing orders to keep doors to all bedrooms closed. I asked Carrie about getting another litter box in case that was the issue and have said, "She can always go back to being a barn cat."

Maybe Tsuki or another cat has done it, too, but I've only caught Aria in the act. It seems like a new problem, but she could have been wetting Loki's bed for a little while (It's not like we actually smell checked it frequently).

I would be okay with letting the cats outside more often. Any time they choose to use the bathroom outdoors is one less we have to do anything about.

Thought I will admit, I do feel a small amount of trepidation about letting them out. It's based on "How would Carrie react/feel if one didn't return?" 

Carrie seems fine with it and aware of the possibility. There are hazards outdoors and a cat's curiosity could keep one walking. So far, Max ranges the farthest. She's come back with ticks several times while the kittens stay close and tick free.

Happy cat has joined the morning outdoor romp. She stayed on the porch at first.

Then she started to range a little further out.

Shane has started to think of Happy as "his cat." Tsuki's claimed Carrie, Aria likes to bother me, and Max does Max. Happy started off her indoor career sneaking into Shane's bed to sleep. She likes to hide most of the day, but she's very tolerant about him snatching her and burying his face in her fur (no matter how many times Carrie says, "Don't do that.").

So Shane got nervous when all of the cats came in but Happy. He went out to look for her. Carrie followed a little bit later and found her on top of the hay bales. She had to climb to the top to retrieve her.

Will Happy get to venture out tomorrow? I don't know myself. I'm not used to being the hesitant one, but I'd just as soon leave her in. Carrie's the one who opens the portal to the yard each morning.

And that's the full cat update. The kittens are full of energy, cause trouble, zoom around, and wake Carrie up at night. They also curl up next to her and she falls back asleep making happy murmurs, so it somewhat evens out (I get to deal with any grouch/tired the next morning!).