get me off this crazy thing

Bailey is a lover, not a fighter. He's also a class A flirt. Since coming to live with us, Bailey has charmed his way into more people's apartments than we're ever gonna know. I can't tell you how often my roommate or I have been approached by one of Bailey's admirers gushing over how much they love Bailey.

More than once I've needed to go knocking on doors to ask for my cat back.

During the election campaign, we swore Bailey was out canvassing for Obama.

It started to get to the point where Bailey was like that friend who sacks out on your couch and doesn't pay rent and parties all the time.

While we were at home, we usually would leave the door open so Bailey could come and go as he pleases (sadly, we do not have a cat flap. that would have made things a lot easier. no escaping adipose) and sometimes he would come running in from the outside, meowing urgently. Seriously, it would be like, "OMG, Bailey, what's wrong? Is Timmy down a well??" That kind of urgent. And then Bailey would just get frustrated at our lowly human inability to understand him.

Then, a few weeks ago -- probably during one of Bailey's all night parties with his posse and stable of foxy kitties. Pimp Daddy Bailey! -- Bailey got in a fight with another cat! Oh noes.

A couple days later, Bailey's head swells up. Yikes. He's got an abscess on his jaw, which heals beautifully after the vet fixed him up, but the poor fellow had to wear a cone for about 2 weeks. And he had to stay inside. This was rough on all of us. *g*

But then, the cone did this magical thing, because while Bailey is a lover not a fighter, he also likes his space and he likes to bite. He's that kind of a dude, if you get my drift. *g* haha. Anyway, the cone made him all needy and lovey and snuggly. And all of a sudden, Rommie and I had a lap cat! I gotta say, I kind of loved that cone.

Once he started to feel better, though, the yowling and begging and scratching at the front door, scratching at the windows, meow meow meow, started back up again, and so naturally, to save our sanity, we let him out. Only Bailey was all hesitant! And sniffed for a long time before daring to go outside. And then he went out for maybe half a minute before he came charging back in howling like the devil himself was after him. And so that's how it's been for a few weeks now. He complains until we open the door, he then hunkers down and twitches till he gets the nerve to go outside. He goes out for like a minute, tops, and then comes barreling back in meowing up a storm.

At first we thought it might be the dog that moved in a few doors down. Poor BaileyCat has his turf invaded by a smelly dog! And the cute dog is super friendly and is eager to make friends with Bailey, and Bailey's not having it. But, I've seen Bailey with the dog and aside from eyeing her suspiciously he's not flipping out. So, we're guessing Bailey was traumatized by the whole vet/cone thing. The fight couldn't have been it, since it took us 4 days to see the abscess and Bailey was mostly outside that whole time.

Not that we mind! It's nice not having to hunt hi and low for Bailey. And to put a stop to his bad habit of partying all night long. Although the poor thing is so frustrated. He whines until we open the door and then he sits at the front door, staring outside. If it weren't kinda funny, it's be a little sad. But he's all right, the little bastard. *snuggles him.*

Bailey, doing his Gollum impersonation, quite effectively:



It's a shame he's the exact same color as my carpet.


~~~

In other news, I called in sick today. I don't think I'm really sick, but I was out till wee hours last night and had 3 glasses of wine and also drank part of an electric blue vodka drink that was lethal, and so, wonder of wonders, felt like crap this morning. And I'd been wanting to give myself a day off for weeks now, but had to meet a bunch of deadlines first. bah. I have completed all the scary parts of my new job now, so at least I know what to expect going forward. I'm rather terrified I did something wrong and it won't become evident until a real attorney looks at it.

And so now I cook some food, and I still feel ill. And I'm trying to work up some motivation to do some writing. I have horseback riding tomorrow, so I hope I don't feel ill tomorrow and can stay on my horse!