pets, also spelled PEST

as much as i'm an animal lover, i have to admit that i can easily find ways to be annoyed with them.

having 3 different types of pets has always proven a balancing act.  the dogs basically have the run of the main floor, while the cats own the rest of the house. 

the cats i've had for years.  they've always had the run of whatever place i've owned in the past.  as soon as the dogs moved into my life, the cats took a back seat.  part of that reason was that the dogs demanded so much god damned attention, while cats can easily exist so long as there is food and litter available.  once those needs are met and a sunbeam is found, cats are happy.

the dogs lately have just been getting on my nerves.  part of it really isnt their fault, as dogs are needy creatures.  they have an internal clock that is remarkable and know exactly when they should be fed and act up if they havent eaten by a set time.  most days of the week they eat when i get home from my 6am class and again around 5 or so at night.  by about 4pm they start pestering me to feed them.  the feeding ritual usually consists of me either walking them or taking them for a ride out to the prairies to burn off excess steam before eating.  according to cesar milan, it's best to exercise the dogs before food, much like their ancestors would have had to hunt and exercise before being fed.

so i've been catering to the dogs for nearly a year in this pattern.  previous to this, i have to sheepishly admit that the exercise they got was a ball being thrown or time spent in the yard, but limited walks.  i've seen the errors of my ways, but i think changing patterns has helped with their behaviours.  it's a win-win.

lately tho, i have been feeling badly for banishing the cats to the basement.  they are never happy if a door in the house is closed.  you can let them up and 10 seconds later, they'll be meowing to go back downstairs.  you let them down, and five minutes later they're scratching at the door to get up.  not only that, their food is on the stairs and it's food the dogs shouldnt consume.  i try to keep that door shut so that they wont eat the food and shit everywhere.  my dogs dont seem to be run of the mill dogs.  if you change something in their diet, they'll shit everywhere, so i try to keep a close watch on what they eat.

because the cats are getting old and crotchetty, i've tried to keep the door to the basement open wide enough for them to go down and narrow enough to keep the dogs out.  i'll put something in the way of the door and they're free to come and go.  lately the damned dogs have been figuring out how to push the door aside and then eat all the cat food on the stairs.  i can always tell they've been down there because the food dishes are wiped clean and cats never leave dishes clean.

so today while i was up here typing away, i heard a dish rattle on the stairs and ran down to catch hudson in the act of sneaking upstairs.  she was scolded and chased outside, the basement door slammed.  while we were out at dinner, i barracaded the dogs in their usual spot behind a baby gate and left the basement door open for the cats to come and go.  when i got home from the restaurant, the dogs were behind their gate and the cats on the couch.  basement door was wide open, but i thought nothing of it.

i just put the cats down for the night and discovered two empty clean as hell dishes.  evidence that the dogs had been eating their food again.  it pisses me off because the cats eat canned food (because of their teeth) and it's expensive.  so i started wondering when the dogs would have had the chance to eat the food...basically, the dogs waited till we left, snuck past the babygate and chair parked in front of it for "security", ate the food, and snuck back into their area. 

i'm getting so tired of the dogs and cats.  really.  i know invited them all into my home but they are OUR pets.  somehow they are MY sole responsibility and i'm very tired of being the only one to scold, discipline, feed, water, exercise, pay for their needs, and take care of their business whether it be vet bills or shit on the carpet.  ch does jack shit but brag that he has dogs.

pets are a good predictor of future behaviours.  i know that ch would take to parenting a kid the way he does the pets...

tonight i'm just sick and tired of the fucking pets and i need a break from all of them...from the yowling cat following me all over the house, to the needy god damned dogs who fucking steal food that isnt theirs.

i have to figure out a way to be able to keep my fucking basement door open without hudson fucking sneaking downstairs and eating cat food.  i am going to have to figure out a place to put the cat food that is out of dog reach...and this dog is capeable of standing on its hind end and eating things off counters, so i'm going to have to be extra sneaky....

gotta do some brainstorming because this shit aint workin.