Empty Nest

In June of 2003, Aaron and I got our first apartment together. We were in college three hours away from home, and basically we were just having the time of our life. We searched long and hard for an apartment in our price range that would allow pets because we planned on getting a cat. We didn't have any luck, so we settled with a cute little duplex thats only selling point was the fireplace and the fact that it was literally three minutes from everywhere we needed to go.

Not long after we got our apartment, we went shopping at the mall, and lo and behold: there was a pet store. We decided to go in and just "look". Actually, Aaron was the one who wanted to go in. Have I ever told you that he has almost no self control whatsoever? Especially when it comes to buying things. Also? Most of the time he feels like rules don't apply to him. He is very good at talking himself out of situations, so when he bends or all out shatters the rules, he can usually get himself out of it.

So, he bought a cat. We stayed in that pet store for no less than three hours arguing about whether or not we should get a cat to take home to our apartment that DOESN"T ALLOW PETS. The answer was pretty clear to me: We don't buy the cat. But not to Aaron. He wasn't leaving that mall without that cat because "LOOK! He's the last one left! AND!! he's HALF PRICE."

This is when I learned that once Aaron gets his mind set on something, there is no talking him out of it. Plain and simple. So we went home with our 4 month old persian kitten, a $15 bag of cat food, organic litter, a blue litter box with scooper and about twenty-dollars worth of cat toys. We named him Coal October, and we both fell head over heels in love with him. We never got caught.

Coal has always been very independent, and that's one of the things I love about him. I've never wanted an animal that is up under my feet dying for attention all the time, and Coal is about as far from attention needy as they come. He's never been cuddly or very friendly, and if you're petting him you can bet it's his idea and not yours. And for a boy cat he is extremely prissy. If there was ever a hair or other foreign object in his water dish, he would stand over the dish and howl at the top of his lungs until you gave him some fresh, uncontaminated water. He's allergic to fleas, and has always been strictly an inside only cat because all of the few times we took him outside, he would freak out at the feel of the grass on his feet. That was, until he turned three years old and became a rebellious little jerk.

This year has been one of discovery for Coal. He discovered that outside? Isn't so bad after all. For the past few months, everytime we open the door he just about knocks us down to get outside. My motherly instincts set in (he is my first baby after all), and I worried that he wouldn't know what to do if he found himself in a dangerous situation. Of course Aaron just laughs and says "He'll be fine"! He will stay outside for a few hours and then come home and all was fine and dandy.

Until he started peeing on all my stuff.

Apparently he has become a little jealous of Aeralyn lately and he is taking it out on me by peeing on everything I own. So now, much to my dismay, Coal is a full-time outside cat. It has been so hard this week pushing him back out the door when he trys to sneak in behind us. The worst is hearing his sad little "Meow" at the door when it gets dark and he's ready to come in. But I just can't handle the cat pee everywhere. And Lord help his little feline soul if he were to pee on something of Aeralyn's, so outside is the best place for him.

I feel like I've lost him, and I can see that he doesn't understand why, all of the sudden, he isn't allowed inside. It breaks my heart. I just hope and pray that he will be fine and enjoy his new freedom. As long as he doesn't go too far from home.