I’ve needed to write this post, but I’ve been unsure how to go about it.

I went down to Orlando for a few days last week. It was a quick trip, came in the middle of a really busy season (with Christmas events), and I never really explained why I went. The truth is, I went to take my kitties down to my parents and leave them there. Is it ironic that this happened on the 6th anniversary of me getting them?

My parents offered to take them a while ago, on the condition that if the cats start acting up at their house my parents have free reign to rehome them however they wish (which includes a kill shelter). At the time of their offer, I was not comfortable with that. After I found out that Ebony had a urinary tract infection which explained the increase in frequency, I decided to give it another go. She was doing much better, but there were still a few accidents. And I was reaching the end of my rope.

I’ve been an emotional wreck, to be honest. Packing up their things was so hard. When I left Orlando and went to say goodbye to Ebony, she hid from me. That’s normal – she always hides in anticipation of a car ride. But I was sad I didn’t get to give her one last head scratch.

Part of me feels guilty that I had to do this, and part of me feels guilty for being glad they’re gone.

To be honest, being at my parents’ is probably the best alternative solution. The cats have always come with us when we have gone to Orlando, so they are familiar with the house. They’re familiar with my parents and my parents know them. There is a huge screened-in porch where the kitties can spend their days “outside” without the dangers of actually being outside. They’ll get love and head scratches, and no little babies to disrupt things. Also, I’ll be able to see them again when I go visit.

I really hope this works out. In the meantime, I can’t believe our house won’t have those cute faces waiting in the window for us every time we come home. It really seems weird to come home to a truly empty house. I can’t believe that “twentysixcats” does not have a cat anymore.

So now I enter Christmas week a little sad and a little trying not to think about it.

Lewis had been acting odd the last few days, so I took him to the vet today. Turns out, he has two bad puncture wounds from another cat in his neck. Now he’s wearing a neck cone, and I have to give him antibiotics and pain meds the next 10 days.

So, this marks the end of our attempt to make them outside cats. :-( I feel horrible, forcing them outside when they obviously don’t want to be there.

The other option is anti-anxiety meds for the cats. We need to get some bloodwork done to make sure they are healthy enough, and then we’ll go there. If this doesn’t work… I don’t even know where to go from there.

I have contacted several no-kill shelters in Atlanta, and all are full. I have put ads on Petfinder.com and Craigslist. But seriously, who is going to want a cat who pees everywhere? I don’t have much hope that I’ll be able to find another home for them.

I cried all the way home from the vet. I feel like I have just been so overwhelmed with everything lately, and I am between a rock and a hard place with these cats. I am trying to do right, and the thought of having them euthanized just breaks my heart. And I feel like a horrible person for forcing them outside and then having them get attacked by a neighborhood cat. They don’t even like being outside. I feel caught in this house I don’t like with these horrible smells all throughout it, and I can’t do anything about it.

We put the first coat of sealer on the floor in the den yesterday, and today I went to check how it turned out. In the corner, I found a wet spot – cat pee. Argh!

My cats are driving me nuts right now. They are constantly peeing in the den, and we are nervous about how to get them to stop. We don’t want them peeing on our new carpet!

I think they are peeing in other areas of the house, too. I just haven’t found out where yet.

Everything has changed since Savannah was born. Before, they were my everything. Now I just don’t have the time or interest to take dote over them like I used to. However, getting rid of them is not an option. When I adopted them, I committed to taking care of them for their entire lives. They are only 5 years old, so they are not old and sickly.

I have been considering letting my cats outside. They desperately want to go. They stand at the door and cry. They will jump out of 2nd story windows to get outside. I wonder if that will help with the whole peeing thing. Maybe if they are bored being inside all the time? We’ve always had a porch for them and we don’t have one anymore.

I don’t know. They are driving me nuts, though.

I wrote a post about Lewis on my pet blog. Suddenly, my to-do list doesn’t seem to matter.