Roberta did not pressure me to work faster this morning and I didn't have to do Juliet's cage so it was a pleasant morning. A new cat named Narla is very affectionate. She was rubbing and licking me like crazy. Vincent has gone to a foster home where he's the only cat and he'll get lots of one-on-one contact with humans. That is the best thing for him. I really think Vincent can be socialized. Once he started coming out of his cage I noticed his main fear was of the other cats, not the people.
I cleaned the sick room today too. Only 5 cats in there. Two tiny kittens who are just barely able to eat solid food, Stumpy, Dandelion and I forget who else. Stumpy is in a double cage now, so he's more comfortable. It seems like he always has an upper respiratory infection. I read something in Cat Fancy about chronic uri and it sounded miserable. I hope Stumpy doesn't have a chronic case.
Masa, the thin hungry cat, made the mistake of trying to attack Juliet in her cage from above. She lost her balance and fell to the floor knocking over her food and water. She jumped back up into Juliet's cage. Juliet hissed and snarled and swatted at her with claws out. Masa fell again, knocking Juliet's food and water all over herself. Poor Masa was soaking wet. Cat food was everywhere. The bedding was wet. The floor was wet. Roberta cleaned up the floor while I cleaned up the cages and gave both cats new supplies of food and water. Eileen dried off Masa with a towel. The poor thing was shaking!
After all the excitement, we had a birthday cake for Tibet. Topper kept trying to eat the cake. It was chocolate with mocha frosting - not healthy for cats! I fended off Topper and ate my cake fast.
I left as soon as I finished my cake. I stopped for coffee at Starbucks but the only Unitarian I found was Sue, who was getting her coffee to go. She commented on my reading The Courage to Write. I told her it's a strategy to keep from writing. She said friends give her books like that to get her writing again but they only serve as more things to do instead of writing. At least from reading this book I have a clearer idea of what I'm afraid of. Putting my soul out there on paper to be taken seriously.... arrrgghhh! The same anxiety doesn't seem to affect this journal. I do censor the journal some to protect my family's privacy but sometimes I do feel like I'm telling too much. The Irish Catholic way is to never discuss family troubles outside the family. How can I possibly write a novel about the family?
I once had an English teacher who said you should never write because you have something to say. You should only write because you like to manipulate words. I don't think I buy that. But does it take a whole novel to say: "Gay people have family values too"? Attention Newt Gingrich, Ralph Reed, Bob Dole, and the rest of the Republican right wing and the Republican moderates who cower in fear of the right: "Judge not lest ye be Judged."