Soccer Ball Kitty Demonstrates Her Strength

Burt Likko

Pseudonymous Portlander. Pursuer of happiness. Bon vivant. Homebrewer. Atheist. Recovering Republican. Recovering Catholic. Recovering divorcé. Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of Ordinary Times. Relapsed Lawyer, admitted to practice law (under his real name) in California and Oregon. There's a Twitter account at @burtlikko, but not used for posting on the general feed anymore. House Likko's Words: Scite Verum. Colite Iusticia. Vivere Con Gaudium.

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21 Responses

  1. Joe Sal says:

    Damn that’s some in depth cat logistics, I probably would have led with feeding the coyotes. 😉

    It takes some time, but it gets better, maybe even better than before. Hang in there.Report

  2. Jaybird says:

    Have you considered toxoplasmosis? The smell goes away.

    (This sucks, dude. I don’t really know what to tell you. Our Momo is very high stress and gets into scuffles with the other kitties. We’ve found that Feliway does some good at getting the kitties to calm down. But only some.)Report

  3. Francis says:

    Nonetheless, please accept my condolences.Report

  4. Murali says:

    My condolences on the divorce.Report

  5. Pinky says:

    An ill-tempered cat with claws who hates to be groomed? I’d give him water balloons to “play with”.Report

  6. Don Zeko says:

    So this post brings to mind a few autobiographical tidbits. First, about a year ago I broke up with my long-term, cohabitating girlfriend, a process that entailed a great deal of emotional, practical, and professional difficulty. Second, I’ve spent the last few months being the primary support system for a close friend who has just moved to a new state and is undergoing a divorce from her husband of seven years. And third, I spent the last few years growing up sharing the house with a cat that, after being declawed and prescribed a course of prozac for his behavior issues, liked to defecate on my bed and then pull the covers over his little gifts.

    In other words, this was a wonderful essay that I related to in all sorts of ways. I’m very sorry to hear about your divorce and feline difficulties. Judging by my experiences with a substantially shorter relationship and smaller level of practical entanglement, I can’t imagine the process is any fun at all. Here’s hoping that you get through the hard times sooner rather than later and keep writing wonderful stuff like this.Report

    • Burt Likko in reply to Don Zeko says:

      [A] cat that, after being declawed and prescribed a course of prozac for his behavior issues, liked to defecate on my bed and then pull the covers over his little gifts.

      Oh, HELL no! Kitty becomes Coyote Chow for sure.Report

      • Don Zeko in reply to Burt Likko says:

        I was in high school and/or home from college, so it wasn’t my decision. Also he could still be really sweet to my Mom and occasionally others. Once my room in the mostly finished basement got a proper door, the situation resolved itself.Report

  7. Michael Cain says:

    My best wishes for a quick and peaceful resolution of all the issues in your life. Also, my life is so… ordinary.Report

  8. aaron david says:

    Very sorry to hear this Burt.Report

  9. Stillwater says:

    _ing animals. We had a very old dog that curled into a ball in the backyard without moving for over twenty four hours. By midmorning the next day I called my wife and told her it’s time, I’m gonna call the vet to put her down. Appointment at four, the kids come over to say their goodbyes, my wife and I weeping. Then the doorbell rings. I leave the circle to receive the vet and and tell her what’s up, and then walk her to the backyard. When we get there Chama was not only upright but strolling about in the back corner scratching, peeing and sniffing, acting like a frisky youngster. We all agreed now wasn’t the time.

    Sorry about the divorce Burt. I think I linked this back when your mom died. I’ll link it again. It’s given me some solace confronting my own losses.Report

  10. greginak says:

    Sorry to hear about this Burt. I know it’s a long ways off but things will get better. I’ve been through a divorce so i know it is deeply unpleasant to say the least.

    The Wife ( current wife to be clear) is very much a pet person while i’m not. She just took in a cat due to the very sudden death of a friend of hers yesterday. I’m not thrilled but i wont’ have to do anything with it so i can cope.

    Mixing pet and non-pet people is harder, i think, then mixing religions for lots of people. But at least we agree on religion.Report

    • Stillwater in reply to greginak says:

      But at least we agree on religion.

      You and the cat, or you and your wife?Report

      • greginak in reply to Stillwater says:

        Yes to both i guess. The wife and i both lack any religious belief. The cats recognize my significant powers to propel them across the room if some basic tenets of my beliefs about their behavior are not complied with. They also treat my space as a sanctuary not fit for mere cat.Report

  11. Zac Black says:

    I just saw this; sorry to hear about this, Burt. That’s really rough, man. Onward and upward, dude, don’t forget you’re still a BAMF.Report

  12. Damon says:

    Burt,

    It’s curious how are lives are parallel. Sympathies for the divorce.

    So when my now ex moved out, she left me with Reilly and Patience. Reilly was the first cat adopted post her “pre-marital” cat dying. He was cool, undemanding, a bit “metro”, and liked to look at himself in the mirror on the vanity. Like your wife, mine came up with the brilliant idea that Reilly needed a companion, and so we got Patience. Patience, who had none, had lived on the street for some time and was a bit of a bully. They did not get along. She’d eat his food, and so we had to keep them separate so Reilly could eat in peace, but that was manageable. What was not was the peeing in the dining room. It’s kind of hard selling a house with a formal dining room that stinks of cat piss.

    So one day, I told the soon the be ex that she needed to take one of the cats. I offered her Reilly. I took the bully. However, once they were separated, everyone settled down and was happy. We replaced the piss stained carpet and sold the house. I’ve had Patience now alone for over 5 years. She’s still demanding, especially now that she has gone deaf. She wails when she wants attention, food, or just to know where I am; so much so that I have to put her in the “waiting room” when she wakes me up at 3 am.

    No one can sleep through that noise? Tell that to my ex who could. 🙂Report