Blog 7 My day is scheduled by preventing my cat from being kicked by people

You read that correctly. I arrange my life to protect my cat from being kicked. From when I wake up to when I go to bed, my entire schedule is based on being able to protect her from being kicked.

This has gone on longer than a year. At first, I thought it was terrible of my housemates to purposefully scare her by stampeding up or down the stairs if she was waiting at the end. Then, I found out they threw paper at her as she was trapped and hiding from them behind boxes. Then, it seemed suspicious when they were near her and not making any noise, so I started to go find her whenever I suspected something funny was happening. These attacks on her were used to get to me. Although some, like these, were physical, most were mental, similar to the ones used on me.

My cat was never hit, never yelled at, never EXACTLY physically hurt by them. But she was attacked. Indirectly, subliminally, non-presecutably. While they didn't STEP on her at the end of the stairs, they enjoyed scaring her, and she might've hurt herself rapidly moving up or down the stairs away from them. She became anxious when she thought they were around. She'd bite when I pet her in a manner that was okay just the other day. She had trouble using the litter pan because, more than once, they'd STARE at her while she was using it.

Each housemate had a different form of attack. In a rare gesture of direct communication, they all explicitely stated that they were unhappy with my attention going to her instead of them. Writing it now, it's still so shocking my jaw drops. They would look at us with fury if I even talked to her around them. They stated, in all seriousness, "She is driving a wedge between us." This situation involved 2 people 55+ years of age, and one was 21+. A bizarre pattern had formed, long before my cat arrived, where I was expected to SERVE them in things from cooking, to entertaining their friends, to giving them assistance at the drop of a hat at the sacrifice of so much of my time and sanity.

More things happened that eroded my trust. My cat went from being an indoor/outdoor to an indoor cat. The first time she got out, I was not home. I didn't find out about it until a week later. It has been the biggest lie they ever told me. They have never held her before, so I have no idea what happened on that day. She was underneath an old deck with rusty nails and rat feces. Things have gotten so bad, that I wouldn't trust their answer if I asked.

Eventually, they realized that I wasn't budging. But the weird attacks against her (and me) contionued. One person DID literally kicked her whenever he had the chance. Not hard, but enough to creep her the fuck out. As I understood my cat more and more, I recognized signs of a "run-in" as they've come to be called. The attacks continue to this day. If my cat is sitting in a path they would normally take, they just keep on walking. Seriously. Like bulldozers. They will only stop if their foot is 1 inch deep in her fur. It's like they have some sort of point to prove. Sometimes, they will just run through the house if they're on a mission and not look where they're going.

Eventually, I just gave up, and decided to watch her 24/7. It relieved a lot of anxiety for me, actually. Life is easier for me and my cat this way. She almost never has run-ins anymore, and if she does they are infrequent enough to not traumatize her. Every day though, people try. Every night when they are all home and walking around is the toughest part of the day.

The psychotic part is that this is all happening out in the open. But it is never talked about. I have to physically body block someone from trampling her right in front of other people, but we just don't talk about it!!!! When I first came to live here, I was floored by the lack of communication. Now, I am still resisting becoming this way, but I don't bother fighting about it with them anymore. There are only a few people here worth fighting with. But as long one of them, a woman, lives in this house too, I cannot get through to her. So my cat and I just survive.

My beloved cat has kept me so sane during this final stretch of a long ordeal, and lately has felt like my closest distance from death. I am not suicidal! I don't want to misrepresent that. But I did feel that way, if that makes any sense. Anyway, she and I have learned so much about each other over the past two years. I never thought cats could communicate so much if people just payed attention.  I know what temperature range she likes. I can tell if she got a good sleep or not. I know what kind of detergent she likes when I wash her blankets.

I hope that our story, as odd, unique, and specific as it has been, has been relatable for you. If there's something you would like to comment on or share with me, I would be really happy to hear from you. Please please please don't hesitate to email me at mail@lezzyschemer.com and I will reply to you!