Furry family member, Part II
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I'm faced with a really tough decision.
Benny is a kitten and therefore he is hyper and overbearing. However, he is a lot of each of these even for a kitten. He is way over the top and can be quite irritating. He's still adorable and I love him though. He's funny and playful and SUPER lovey and everyone enjoys playing with him. He's just a hyper little kid who doesn't know when enough is enough. He's that kid that you pick up throw around and when it's all over he stops, catches his breath, looks up and says, "Again Daddy!" Ugh. Not again. I'm tired. But that's my dopey little boy.
Here's the situation. Last night, dopey locked himself in the bathroom while I was watching TV. He stands on his back legs and leans on the door until it swings shut and he's stuck inside (EVERY door in my home needs a doorstop because he does this a lot lately). He's also like a kid in the sense that he's never quiet and you wish he would be, but the moment he is, you get worried. Uh oh. Benny isn't in my face or knocking stuff over, something is wrong here.
While he was enduring his self imposed incarceration (and as it turns out, turning toilet paper into confetti), the other two were VERY different. Shadow jumps up on my lap while I'm reclining on the couch and does a spin and collapse to cuddle. The only time she cuddles with me is when I'm asleep, she sleeps at my feet. NEVER does she curl up on the lap, although she used to. Herbie was not far behind. Herbie is cool, let me tell you. He just chills. Nothing really riles him up (except a laser pointer). He give casual headbutts and rubs against my legs when he's hungry but he was named Herbie after Herbie the Lovebug because he just could not get enough of being cuddly. Now, as anyone who has been here can attest to, he can barely be found. Last night he cuddled up just like Shadow did.
All of a sudden, it occurs to me that the one who is normally in my face is totally missing so I freed Benny boy from the bathroom. Immediately he comes into the living room and jumps on my lap. Where are Shadow and Herbie? MIA. They are not aggressive like him and won't fight for attention. A little while later I picked up Herbie and he was cool until Benny showed up. They are not themselves around him.
They get along and play with him, but clearly their affection toward me is muted in his presence. He may grow out of this aggressive mentality, but by that point it will be so well ingrained in Herbie to not be affectionate that he may not change.
Three cats is exponentially more to deal with than two. More food (and expensive kitten food), more litter, more cleaning, more treats, more of everything. It's harder to find places to rent that will allow three cats. They are always under my feet. I have every reason in the world to find a home for Benny, but as anyone with a pet knows, you don't do it for logic.
I love crazy Benny and I'm super attached to him, but if he is affecting the moods of TWO other cats, both of which were here and happy before him, what can I do? I hate to even consider getting rid of him, but I think I have to - consider it, that is.
Benny is a kitten and therefore he is hyper and overbearing. However, he is a lot of each of these even for a kitten. He is way over the top and can be quite irritating. He's still adorable and I love him though. He's funny and playful and SUPER lovey and everyone enjoys playing with him. He's just a hyper little kid who doesn't know when enough is enough. He's that kid that you pick up throw around and when it's all over he stops, catches his breath, looks up and says, "Again Daddy!" Ugh. Not again. I'm tired. But that's my dopey little boy.
Here's the situation. Last night, dopey locked himself in the bathroom while I was watching TV. He stands on his back legs and leans on the door until it swings shut and he's stuck inside (EVERY door in my home needs a doorstop because he does this a lot lately). He's also like a kid in the sense that he's never quiet and you wish he would be, but the moment he is, you get worried. Uh oh. Benny isn't in my face or knocking stuff over, something is wrong here.
While he was enduring his self imposed incarceration (and as it turns out, turning toilet paper into confetti), the other two were VERY different. Shadow jumps up on my lap while I'm reclining on the couch and does a spin and collapse to cuddle. The only time she cuddles with me is when I'm asleep, she sleeps at my feet. NEVER does she curl up on the lap, although she used to. Herbie was not far behind. Herbie is cool, let me tell you. He just chills. Nothing really riles him up (except a laser pointer). He give casual headbutts and rubs against my legs when he's hungry but he was named Herbie after Herbie the Lovebug because he just could not get enough of being cuddly. Now, as anyone who has been here can attest to, he can barely be found. Last night he cuddled up just like Shadow did.
All of a sudden, it occurs to me that the one who is normally in my face is totally missing so I freed Benny boy from the bathroom. Immediately he comes into the living room and jumps on my lap. Where are Shadow and Herbie? MIA. They are not aggressive like him and won't fight for attention. A little while later I picked up Herbie and he was cool until Benny showed up. They are not themselves around him.
They get along and play with him, but clearly their affection toward me is muted in his presence. He may grow out of this aggressive mentality, but by that point it will be so well ingrained in Herbie to not be affectionate that he may not change.
Three cats is exponentially more to deal with than two. More food (and expensive kitten food), more litter, more cleaning, more treats, more of everything. It's harder to find places to rent that will allow three cats. They are always under my feet. I have every reason in the world to find a home for Benny, but as anyone with a pet knows, you don't do it for logic.
I love crazy Benny and I'm super attached to him, but if he is affecting the moods of TWO other cats, both of which were here and happy before him, what can I do? I hate to even consider getting rid of him, but I think I have to - consider it, that is.