You may call me crazy, but...

I moved our younger cat, Poncho, back into the house. When I originally put the two cats in exile, it was because Charlie (the older one who died) had began eliminating on my bed and in the house. As far as we know, Poncho never had that problem, but I didn't want to separate them, since they were so close.

I'm wondering now if Charlie had a kidney disease even way back then that made him do that. When I noticed he was very ill yesterday, I also noticed a LOT of urine near the litter boxes and a few small spots around the room in the garage. Cats will do that when they have a kidney disease sometimes. And those diseases can strike really fast. I think that's what killed him.

Anyway, I digress. Poncho is now living in our basement, as long as I don't see any signs of improper elimination. He was always more loving than Charlie to other people. I swear I've never heard that little cat even growl or hiss. So, I don't think he'll be a problem around the kids at all. I brought him in, trimmed his claws, gave him a bath, applied Frontline just in case, and brought in his litter box and food bowls. Zoe and I even went to the store this morning and bought him new fresh food, litter, and treats.

Right now, he's settling back in down there, sniffing and prowling around like everything's all new again, but EXTREMELY happy! He's rubbing the hide off my legs every time I go down there. I'm making sure I pet him and give him more attention today. He's really going to miss Charlie. They were like two peas in a pod.

Now, am I acting out over guilt? Maybe a little, but I'm telling myself that I never really wanted to put Poncho in exile anyway, so he's just back where he belongs. I hope it works out. I really missed having a cat in the house...apart from the hair and all.