CAT-astrophe #1

Let me just say first of all, we haven’t even left town yet. We’re currently holed up in a hotel near the airport, while we finish wrapping things up here in Maryland.

The humans came to the hotel last night, but we didn’t bring the cats over until today. While the movers were at my mom’s place packing up her things, I ran over there, collected her 3 cats, and brought them back to the hotel. I had this very specific plan as to how things were going to be done with these cats for the move, and I’d say it probably took all of, oh, 5 minutes for that to be entirely out the window.

Here’s the original plan:

• We would have 4 large (32-inch) carriers – everyone would get their own carrier, except for Sophia and Ivy (momma and baby) – you know, to reduce the amount of times that I would have to clean one cat’s puke off of another cat
• Into each carrier would be placed a small, kitten-sized litter box. To keep the box from sliding around while driving, double-sided tape would be used to secure it to the floor of the carrier
• A puppy-pad would be placed on the floor of the carrier to cover the space not covered by the litter box – just in case of an accident
• 8 plastic bowls were brought along to be used for food and water – 2 for each carrier
• Once we arrived at the first hotel, and for the entire length of the trip, the cats would remain in their carrier – people seem to delight in telling me horror stories about cats stuck inside mattresses in hotels…that’s not going to happen to OUR furries…

My, how plans change.

I arrived at the hotel with mom’s cats, Sophia, Ivy, and Isabel. I brought them in their regular carriers, with the intention of transferring them to the large carriers in the hotel room. I placed a litter box in each of the two carriers, then laid a puppy pad down to line the space that was uncovered. I put the first cat, Isabel, into her carrier. Since we were in the hotel room, and not driving around, I filled one bowl with dry food and one with water, and placed them inside the carrier. Isabel promptly stepped on the water bowl, spilling all of the water into her carrier…which, of course, soaked the puppy pad. As she was scrambling to avoid the sudden flood, she stepped on the side of the litter pan, overturning it. (I hadn’t had a chance to get the double-sided tape yet).

She wasn’t in the carrier 5 minutes.

I still had to go back to my place and get my cats, Harley and Dinah. On the way, I stopped at Lowe’s for double-sided tape, and at PetSmart for some dishes that would clip on to the bars of the carriers. About $45 later, and 2 cats heavier, I returned to the hotel.

I found Ivy curled up asleep -inside her litter box – and Isabel hiding behind her still-overturned litter box. Sophia was meowing to be let out. Sigh.

I cleaned up Isabel’s mess, and got out my double-sided tape, only to find that it wouldn’t stick to the bottom of the litter box.

The new plan:

• No litter boxes in the carriers. They can have them at the hotel, but otherwise, hey, you’re the one who’s got to sit in it, not me.
• I’m not staying up all night listening to meowing cats – they can roam the entire hotel if they want, as far as I’m concerned.

Basically what I learned today was that all the money spent on the larger carriers, the special clip-on bowls, the double-sided tape…all a waste.

Oh, yeah, and I just realized that I forgot to pack socks. I have the one pair that’s on my feet, and they have to last me until next Monday. I could go buy some socks, but…why? lol