[Blindtlk] cats

[Gary Wunder]

Hello Dewey. I am not a cat lover, so my comments may not be as sympathetic 
as some that you get from this list. I do live with cats, and I don't think 
you have to tolerate what you are now experiencing.

My wife says the first thing you should do is put a bell on your cat. In 
this way you will pretty much know where he is most of the time. Then, try 
keeping doors closed to places where you don't want him. If your office is 
no place for a cat, then the only time the door should be open is when you 
go in when you leave. We do this with our bedroom because my wife has an 
allergy to cats and while she loves them, she really can't sleep on 
furniture where they have been and, of course, they seem to love the bed.

I think you and your wife ought to have a heart to heart talk about Rules. I 
have had the situation in my house before where I don't want the cat lying 
on a piece of furniture where it will eventually mash down the foam rubber 
covering, and it seems like the only time the cat gets knocked off the back 
of the couch is when I observe it. That isn't really fair. The furniture in 
my house belongs to me as well as the rest of the family, and all of them 
agree that the cat lying on it is injurious to it. So, they ought to get on 
board and help. It's like the people who won't join you in correcting a dog 
when it barks, but will loudly complain about the neighbors who have unruly 
dogs. It just isn't fair. The animals and the people in your house deserve 
more respect and consistency.