The Once and Future Sin

Eight years ago – was it as long ago as that? – Tucker came to live with me, returned to the rescue-group after five years with a family because he was wetting where he shouldn’t. After a couple of instances of that in my home, he ceased it. Now, it has begun again.

I blame Parker. In fact, I do think it is the orange-boy’s fault, though inadvertent nonetheless. Tucker simply doesn’t like the foster-cat. To show this, he uses the litter-box in the library, which is where Parker is sequestered when I am absent or asleep. Actually, Tucker wets in front of the box. I have a soaker-pad in the spot for that reason, but the roly poly usually hits its edge.

There are three reactions I intend to have in response to this: one is to make an appointment with the veterinary and have Tucker examined for infections, etc. I do not believe he is suffering from anything physical. I think his wetting, considering its location, is due to his resentment of Parker. Two, I will buy a larger soaker-pad, to cover more area. Three, I will put away the library’s litter-box when Parker is not in there to use it. Puck will use the general boxes in the store-room. Number three has a risk attached to it: I want to leave nothing there to encourage Tucker to wet in that location, which means removing not just the litter-box but the soaker-pad in front of it. If Tucker still wets there, he will hit the carpet, damage which the soaker-pad was meant to avoid.

But Tucker is branching out. A couple of days ago, the roly poly wet in one of my shoes. That's right. Why he chose to do that, I don't know, though it may have to do with my wearing of those shoes when I take Parker for walks. They have orange-cat-smell on them now. Sigh. I must admit that, considering he's had a perineal urethrostomy, his aim is pretty good; he didn't get any outside the shoe. If I were a different sort of cat-owner, I'd return him. As it is, I'll keep my shoes up on boxes.