Zorro got another bath this weekend... last weekend it was the Fish Feast Fiasco, and this weekend it was the Gritty Sh*tty Kitty.

I was lying on the living room floor minding my own business, when Zorro came trotting out wanting some love. I noticed a rather unpleasant and distictive odor as he approached me, and realized he has just come out of the bathroom with really bad poopy paws. When I grabbed him to take him back in and wipe his paws with wet wipes, I realized belatedly that he had poopy flecks of litter all over him, which I had just smeared into his fur! (Not to mention all over my hands.)

In the bathroom, it looked like the litter box had exploded, and the place reeked to high heaven. I had to immediately give him a full bath, which he didn't appreciate at all, and then I had to swab the walls, floor, toilet and shower curtain with bleach. Blechhh. What a mess. :-( And to top it off, the entire litter box is contaminated with teeny flecks of poop that can't be conveniently scooped out. Thank goodness it was in the bathroom and not in a carpeted area, although I don't know how much stuff he managed to track all over the carpet. I don't know whether he was projectile pooping, or whether he just got way too enthusiastic trying to cover things up. At any rate, the extra rim that goes around the top of the litter box is definitely being installed today!"

Ah, the joys of kittenhood! Fortunately, they've largely gotten past this type of problem now that they're 5+ months old. Epilogue: their first bath went very well. Zephyr in particular is a very stoic cat and puts up with just about everything without much of a fuss -- the major exception being prevented from running outside when the front door is opened.

Copyright © Tess
February 12, 2001