A tail of two kitties

We have two cats, Tiny Sue and Nessa Rose.They have... issues.

Each is unique in her own "special" way.

Ok, THEY won't be reading my blog, so I don't have to be nice: They're freaks, both of 'em!

I was just sitting here with Tiny Sue Tinerson (JP came up with her last name... whatever, he's a freak, too) and noticed yet another balding spot on her... she is an overweight tabby cat, and we got her when she was about a year old, from the Humane Society. She had been recently spayed, so I didn't think anything of her bald tummy at that time. And of course, back then, she was Tiny... thus the name. They had given her the name Tiny, I added the Sue, and there ya have it.

So now it's been.... 6 years I suppose. Her tummy is STILL bald. And cottage cheese fat, too. She's been to the vet for other things, and I've said "Hey, what's up with Sue's belly? Why doesn't she grow hair back there?"

MY VET SAID "Wow, that IS weird"

It's never a good sign when a vet is stumped by your bizarre animal.

Over the years, she'd get a bald spot on her arm, her side, whatever. So just cuddling with her tonight, I couldn't help but notice that she cleans herself... often. vigorously. harshly. with gusto.

Maybe that's why she never grew hair back on her tumtum... all that sandpaper cat tongue...

Then there's Nessa. She is a long haired calico. About the same age as Tiny Sue. Got her just this spring from a woman I used to work with at the bank. I wanted a friend for Tiny, maybe get her to work off some of the tummy pudge. (Don't ask how THAT'S going... they're just getting fatter together!)

Nessa has a problem with manners. In our home, animals are not allowed on furniture. Well, there are actually separate rules for dogs and cats. Dogs are not allowed on ANY furniture. Cats are allowed on SOFT furniture. Cuddle up next to me on the bed, curl up in my lap on the couch while I watch Letterman, whatever. But cats are not allowed on hard surfaces: dining room table, kitchen counters, not even the end tables and coffee table in the family room, where generally, anything goes (gggrrrrrr issues with that, too, but that's for another day)

Tiny Sue knows this rule, she used to ALWAYS abide by this rule. Ever since Nessa came along, and pretty much thumbed her nose at the rule, I have, on occasion, found Tiny also disobeying the hard surface rule.

But Nessa is the worst. She climbs up on counters for a purpose. She is a pig. She has a serious jones for people food. It's not like we don't feed them... on the contrary, I am pretty sure everyone in the house walks by and sees the empty cat dishES and fills it... all 5 of us, DAILY. And I'm also fairly certain that it's Nessa who empties those dishes more often than Tiny.

So to recap, Nessa is eating 90% of the cat food, and as much people food as she can cram into her fat face. Then she jumps down off the counter and proceeds to vomit. I don't know if it's the jolt of the jump that causes her to yack, or if perhaps she has a medical condition.

So there ya have it, I have two cats, one suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and the other is bulimic.

Damn, why's it gotta be so bizarre around here?

I know why: so I have something to scratch my head about...