The Inevitable Has Happened...

[felicula]

Wouldn't you know, but sometime this afternoon a ladder hit the side of the house near the window that the landlord's been intending to fix since last summer. No big surprises there. That alone should have set my alarm bells ringing, hiding the cats in the bedroom... Nah, I thought. It's just the window. I'll close the shades. They can fix that from outside. mechanchaos headed into the shower. Aidan was playing in his room. I was playing on the computer. All seemed to be OK.

The banging lasted a long time. Quite scary that. Aidan came to sit on my lap. I told him that it was OK. It was just the window being fixed. All seemed to be OK.



A knock on the apartment door.

Panic.

I looked around. No cats to be seen. I whispered a prayer, shut the bedrooms' doors, and opened the door to let the landlord and landlady in. He set to work on the window. She and I chatted amicably as we usually do when confronted with one another. I kept on praying that the cats would stay asleep.

So the landlord was absorbed in working on the window. The landlady was facing me as I stood in front of the gliding rocker. It was then that it happened...

Drawn by either the noise, or the scent of the landlord's myriad pets, Zephyr poked his head out from under the couch. I tried to keep a straight face as I kept chatting and silently praying that the kitten would go away before anyone noticed. Zephyr came further out, and sniffed the landlord's shoe. Inwardly, I cringed as he stayed in full visibility, as curious and innocent in that kittenish way.

Finished undoing the storm windows, the landlord turned to set them next to the couch and came face to face with what I was dreading. "Oh, hi kitty."

Landlady, "She's cute. Is she permanent?"

Me, eeping totally that all was going decently for one cat, but I knew there were five others who could potentially make appearances, I lost my nerve and lied... Not about the number of cats, but about the fact that they've been here since January and Minerva since November. ***is kicking herself for lying***

I told her that we were cat and kitten sitting for a friend this weekend. I didn't hide my love of them.

The kicker? She said that if we were to start with a young one who was totally litter trained, we could possibly have one here. If I hadn't lost my nerve, I could have explained the evidence of them being here for months without peeing on her carpets.

I'm hoping to swallow my pride and confess the truth the next time I see her. I realize that I did probably the worst thing in my situation, especially considering I know her to be a fellow cat lover.


Anyhow, the kittens who weren't going to be staying here, ought to go ASAP. They are well and heartily old enough for it. I'm not yet certain of the full implications of this. Those I won't know until next I see the landlady. I apologize for the abruptness. I realize that this was an inevitability I ought to have better planned for. I also apologize if my mistakes will cause any inconvenience.

Comments

[grey-wolf.livejournal.com]

You could possibly mention to the landlady that you would like to follow up on her generous offer of allowing you to keep a cat and that in keeping with what she had said you would get a young one (allows you to legally keep one of the pride at least)
I would love to have cats where I am, but we have a no pet rule on the lease AND we live on a very busy road so I think a cats life expectancy would be measured in hours and not years.

[dawnstar.livejournal.com]

... we live on a very busy road so I think a cats life expectancy would be measured in hours and not years.

The simple solution to that part is just to not let a cat outdoors. We have two indoor cats and they are both perfectly healthy, and there is no risk of them getting hit by a car. :)

[grey-wolf.livejournal.com]

It crossed my mind when I was single, but Caroline suffers with alergies, she is less alergic to cats than she is dogs and THE worst is dust mites and grass. So I have to make a big fuss of the cats at my parents and sisters to make up for it

[blackfelicula.livejournal.com]

I realize that that is one option. The problem is that we were planning to move so that we could legally keep 3-4 of them. With that in mind, only 3 of the 7 (mom and six kittens) have people of their own besides us.

The way Minerva came to us last November, I feel a moral obligation to provide for her, or find her a loving home. I've always loved cats, and consider it a special honor, not only to have been chosen by Minerva in the first place, but also have been blessed with the birth of and raising of her kittens. Yes, now they are old enough to leave the nest. dawnstar and kolys have already taken Dweezil. Flora and Crookshanks are going to be picked up by skrshawk and cheshire23 today. I know I risk repercussions if I tell her the truth. Still, the fact that we've had 7 cats here since late January (including birth and litter training) and the place hasn't been bespoiled by cat piss ought to count for something. ***crosses her fingers***

She was nice enough to offer the possibility of a cat on the premises that said cat was absolutely litter trained. I think my three-year-old has made more messes in a single month than these kitties have in the whole time they've been here. If all else fails, we have the option of sticking with the original plan and moving.

[dawnstar.livejournal.com]

I think my three-year-old has made more messes in a single month than these kitties have in the whole time they've been here.

Well, your three year old isn't litter trained. :)

*hugs* See you tonight! (You have e-mail waiting for you, btw.)

[grey-wolf.livejournal.com]

One of the reasons I always had to get my queens neutered is that I wouldnt be able to let kittens go, I love cats and particularly kittens a little too much :) and would very soon have a house full of cats (no bad thing as far as I am concerned)

I think perhaps if you plan to move that biting your tongue and not saying anything to the landlady may be an option.