Maggots = Gnats

Shortly after the new roommates moved in, I noticed there were gnats around the house.  A couple days later, we had a full on infestation!  Well, probably not what you're picturing, but the problem with gnats is they LOVE my sinus cavity and will take whatever path they can find to enter it.  My kitchen was clean; the garbage was empty; there were no forgotten bags of potatoes or anything.  So I assumed some had just gotten in, and maybe having more people around meant the door was open that much more, which led to more getting let in.  (I do live on a lake.)

Boy was I wrong.

I got the most disturbing string of messages from my boyfriend when he went in to clean the roommates's kitten's litter.  (It is so sad that I have to specify which kittens or litter.)  I was driving when he sent them, but here is what I got minus typos.

I think I found the source of the bugs.  They've been using wet cat food.  And putting the used ones in their under bathroom sink trashcan.  It's overflowing and there are tons of gnats.
Oh god.  Not only that but they've just been putting kitty poop in that trash can too.
There were maggots in that bag.  Yech!
Meh and it looks like they didn't do either kitty litter before they left.


How disgusting is that?!  I gave them kitty litter.  They had brought the super cheap "chunky" litter with them, which doesn't really absorb the piss or smell.  They have FIVE cats: surely they realized that cleaning the litter box regularly was important!

Another night home alone?

Yeah, right. I get home to have to feed 8 cats, then play with the older kittens and clean up after them.  I'm the only human home.  It's kind of nice, but then I go eat dinner with my parents.  And the boyfriend gets home.  No roommates.  Hope he fed the kittens...

Kittens

So they've moved in. The Beatles, as they call the kittens, are extremely stinky. I'm not sure if this is normal, but changing the litter type has helped some. The gf washes them a lot too.

I think the outside kitty's kittens are cuter, but I'm not even sort of attached. I hope I can find homes for all of them...

My Cat History

I grew up with cats, and I've always been an animal lover.  But my dad, being from Montana, has a slightly different view of cats than most.  Our cats were pets but also functioned as mousers.  They were indoor/outdoor cats who were lucky to have names.

My first cat was Petey V, named after my dad's brother who died in his early twenties.  Well, I thought we named him after another cat, Petey IV, who died the same year.  I think I was four or five when Petey and Pepper, my sister's cat, were born.  My parents took in "Mama Cat", then we moved to our new house, and I'm not quite sure what happened to her after that.

I had a few cats with an ex I was with for a long time, but he kept them.  I taught one how to fetch and jump through hoops, but that was really more out of boredom.

A few years ago, a friend dropped off two Maine Coons when she had to commit their owner into a home because I had mentioned in a drunken conversation that I like giant cats.  I planned to find a better home for them.  But then I gave them names (Captain Shakespeare & Sasha) and was attached.

A few weeks ago, I started feeding a cute poly-dactyl black and white cat outside.  Turns out, she was pregnant.  That's probably why she was being so friendly.  Last week, she had 4 kittens, all with extra toes and black & white.

(If you're keeping track, I'm technically up to 7 cats.)

I, foolishly according to most of my friends, agreed to let my unemployed boyfriend's friend and his girlfriend stay with us until they get settled.  I agreed to ONE cat.  They are due to arrive Friday with FIVE cats.  It seems they found 4 kittens somewhere and are moving them from Texas to Florida.  I had good plans to get rid of my 4 kittens when they're old enough, but I don't know if they do.

That's it for now really.  I'm up to 12 cats by the weekend and 4 people living in a space that is made for 2.  Great...