This Post is Making me Itchy

I have a decidedly love-hate relationship with our cats. Well, I should say cat (singular) since we are down to one.

We decided around Christmas that enough with enough. We had two kids on asthma puffers...one of whom had been on his puffer continuously for several months. Sassy was ramping up her urinary protest at the misery of her life by peeing every single day in Eric's gym...which as his clients will gladly tell you, is absolutely NO way to run a business.

Sassy now lives happily with another owner, whose carpets are still apparently pee-free.

Our other cat, Wesley, who still resides in our house, is quite a different story. We discovered after we moved into this house that keeping him indoors was an impossibility. He's superfast and wily. The second the door is opened he'd be out like a shot...although sometimes if my reflexes were fast enough I could throw my foot out and wedge his skull against the doorjamb, but, obviously he'd howl protest, and the second you'd let up he'd be halfway down the street. So, eventually we learned to embrace his outdoorsiness and I learned (sort of, but not really) to tolerate the parade of dead birds and mice that turn up on my doorstep.

But when he's indoors he is a wonderful cat. You couldn't ask for a better animal around kids...he has infinite patience with both babies and two-year-olds, and, in fact,not only does he not mind his fur being yanked and eyes being poked, he seems to actively seek it out. On many occasions he will curl up in Kieran's lap and I'll catch them napping together on the couch.

Anyway, the kids haven't been on their asthma puffers since Christmas, so that is a good sign. And we are down to one cat, which is surely helping, but Wesley has one big problem that still drives me crazy.

You know how when you go camping or to the cottage with a group of people and there is always one person who the mosquitoes loves more than anyone else? While everyone else is roasting weenies on the fire there is invariably that poor sod next to you, continually slapping and scratching and slathering on as much DEET as possible, Cancer-be-damned? Well, were Wesley a person...he'd be that guy. Only not with mosquitoes with fleas.

Wesley is a fleabag. When I would take both cats to the vet Wesley usually had fleas and Sassy didn't. Last year, just after Kaya was born and Wesley had reverted to his outdoor ways, I remember looking down at her in my arms and seeing a flea crawl across her head. Since at that point I was still counting her age in DAYS for God sake, I had to beg the vet to sell me the flea stuff without paying for a full check up, which is apparently "illegal" but they took pity on me and my newborn.

Anyway, here we go again... only this year, I know the fleas are back because they are attacking ME. Its brutal. I have a bites all over me and I'm scratching like crazy. I had a Dr appointment yesterday and she asked me what was going on. Do you KNOW how embarrassing it is to tell your Doctor that you have fleas?? So, back to the vet we went yesterday to start him back on medication which we are now going to keep him on year round.

I should mention that I am the only one in the house the fleas go for. Eric and kids are both totally bite free. Although sometimes watching me scratch makes Eric paranoid but there is no evidence of him being bitten. Me...I'm the only loser around the campfire in this house.

So, love/hate. Kieran would be very sad if Wesley were to go. I would be a lot less sad, and a lot less itchy. But, assuming the kids grow out of their asthma, the flea thing is his only flaw. Wesley doesn't even bother with the litterbox inside for most of the year. All he needs is a bag of $5 Friskies and water and he's good to go. Practically maintenance-free!

Anyway, for now he's staying. Fleas and all.

Frig, I'm itchy.