This is Dolly’s way of saying she wants to go with me.

Poor Patches has to be put down today. I have the option of being present during the process, but I really doubt that I could handle something like that. He hasn’t stopped peeing and pooing on my carpet for the last few weeks, and doesn’t seem to be very happy with Dolly attacking him every time she sees him. He’s too old to be adopted by anyone; all attempts to find a suitable owner have turned up fruitless. Since he’s so old and doesn’t adapt well to moving anyway, Trolley, Aaron, and I think it’s best that he’s put down now. He’s lived a very good fourteen years, spoiled by Aaron in his childhood. Nick and I have really enjoyed him being around these last few weeks (aside from the constant carpet elimination). He was very docile, vocal, and affectionate, always trying to sleep on me whether I was awake or not. Sometimes he would follow me around the apartment when I was doing chores for the chance that I would sit down and turn into a pillow. When Nick and I would chill on the couch, he would be the third stooge, always hanging out with us. I gave Aaron some time alone with Patches and a bag of Temptations. Everyone will definitely miss him.

Patches has been hiding under my bed less and less. He’s more comfortable with his surroundings now, but not quite accustomed to Dolly’s aggressive play-fighting. He thinks that she’s attacking him, so he’ll just growl and run away. I’ve gotten him to be more relaxed by giving him catnip. He’ll start rubbing against me every time he smells it, and when he eats some he does a few kitty break dancing moves. Sometimes it looks like he’s trying to windmill into a stall, but I think those are his only moves.

Dolly has lately been sleeping under the rugs. Nick and I will think that she’s missing until we see a large lump in the living room rug. It’s pretty frustrating because every time I straighten it out, she’ll just dig underneath it and mess it all up again.

One thing that she’s been doing for a while is sleeping on things to mark them. Every time someone brings a bag or jacket into my room, the first thing she’ll do is sniff it out then sleep on it, which I personally see as a viable alternative to urination.

Aaron brought Patches over Monday night, and he’s been staying under my bed for most of the time. The tent that he has is sort of his security blanket; he’ll hide in there whenever he wants to be alone. Dolores is a little wary of his presence, and she’ll follow him just to keep track of where he is most of the time. So far, it’s just a few hisses and growls, since Dolly seems to want to test Patches with challenges, while Patches just groans. Sometimes it sounds like stock cars making a turn at Daytona when they growl out of sync.