Laugh, but I’m pretty sure that is what my garage looks like at times. After relocating to El Paso, my kitties have had some pretty radical changes to their lives, and they are not going quietly into the night to suffer in dignified disapproval.

Since my mother already had two dogs and one cat, our two kitties, Willow and Tiberious, were chosen to bunk down with me. You know the saying “You can never go home again”? Well, it was complicated more by the presence of two furry children. My mother would have more easily adjusted to a screaming newborn or destructive toddler than my fur babies. Not that she doesn’t like them; our family cat, Princess, is 14 years old and enjoys a relationship of mutual respect and aloofness with my mother. She is an outdoor cat, which I am pretty sure is the only reason my mother has tolerated her for so long. Now, she knew my cats were litter box dependent. The location of said box was the garage, which my cats are (thankfully) smart enough to pick up quickly.

Unfortunately, other…changes…are not as easily picked up. Tiberious has decided to sharpen his claws, not on the readily available scratch post, no. He decided my mother’s good couches are the best candidate, which has led to some pretty awesome showdowns between him and the water bottle. Willow has turned into a master escape artist, looking for any route that will lead to that magical land…outside.

 Seriously, can you not see the gears just turning, plotting what to do next?

Then the pooping began. Now I know that there are many reasons cats poop outside their litter box. The funny thing is, Princess is so used to doing her business outside that I know it’s not her. Finding the culprit became much easier and yet impossible. I feel awful because they have restrictions imposed on them here that they didn’t at home. Change has come quickly and irrevocably to their feline worlds, but it could not be avoided. After about a month, though, they seemed to settle into their new routine, which also involved antagonizing poor Princess incessantly. Still, I didn’t worry. I’m pretty sure Princess rules the neighborhood cats with an iron fist, a little mafia head that shows no mercy (I may have put a bit of thought into her nocturnal activities). For those of you who would object to her way of life, and say it is cruel to have her outside, please keep those thoughts to yourself. She enjoys her out time, though since I moved back I am much more aware of when she is out and make sure she is safely inside before bedtime.

Despite all of this, the Feline Menace )as my mother fondly refers to them) didn’t really begin until about a month ago. That was when we found a young kitten out on my boyfriend’s land. Try as I might I have not succeeded in finding this sweet girl a home, it is still a work in progress. So she is currently residing in our garage, which she seems fine with. However, this has led to the formation of factions: Princess and Cosette in one corner, Tiberious and Willow in the other.

Stay tuned for the next episode in this series, Attack of the Cats.