OK, both Twister and Ed the Dog have had a rough time of it since moving.  For the first couple of weeks the only time we saw Twisty was when the food bin opened.  Then she was gone again. When we first arrived I put all her accoutrements (oh for heaven’s sake, WordPress, you not only underline accoutrements as some kind of misspelling, but you underline WordPress as well – what gives here?)  ahem….I put all her accoutrements in the downstairs bathroom that is just a toilet and sink, figuring we wouldn’t use it that much.  That was a mistake for two reasons – we use it that much and also poor kitty had to run the gauntlet of Ed the Dog every time she wanted to do her business.

Unfortunately, as you know, I had to return to Lafayette to grieve Terri almost immediately after moving here.  That short week my friend Deanne came over to service Ed the Dog in the afternoon.  Al works long hours and we didn’t want him alone that long.  It didn’t matter.  Apparently he had a doggie nervous breakdown (not that far from normal behavior for  Neuroto-dog) and peed on the rug every day.  I arrived  to rugs in a rental home that needed attention.

Off to the internet I go, searching for the answer.  I settled on vinegar at first, let it dry, then baking soda plus hydrogen peroxide and a little dishwashing liquid.  I also read that using a black light you can see where it all is.

I want to make it very clear right here and now that Ed the Dog was not the first animal to pee on the rug.  It also looked like someone did some ironing (school project involving appliques or something?) on the rug as there were spots that looked like an iron had been placed on the rug.  I don’t know.  So I’m not going to worry about it.  If you want to be totally grossed out about your home, just turn off all the lights and turn on a black light.  Ew.

The problem now is that I did such a great job of cleaning up that now the spots where the pee was looks cleaner than the rest of the time-worn rug.  What to do about that I have no idea except to get a pro in here to clean the whole rug.

Then it appeared Twisty was peeing.  I could tell because it was small, female kitty sized circles and under the black light there were none of the wild patterns that looked like Ed the Dog was trying to write his name in the snow like a typical guy.  This worried me, I mean if I catch the dog doing it I can scream his name and yell loudly that he shouldn’t be doing that .  I can’t do that with the cat, because she is a stealthy little gal and because I can’t throw her out the door.  We have coyotes.  I’m not that bitter.

I consulted with her REAL owner, my son Andy, who suggested (as did my online searches) that maybe she has a bladder infection.  This seemed like as good a time as any to try out a new vet – which was highly successful.  Nice young man who has been practicing for awhile with another group and decided to open his own clinic.  Perfect.  Didn’t want a corporate owned vet.  Regardless, you have to get some pee to do the test.  They don’t give the cat a cup and tell her to put her name on it and go to the bathroom.  This guy is a winner – he and his wife took her back and he said once they got her on her back she just laid there complacently.   She really must be sick.

Of course we haven’t gotten the test results.  I put her stuff in the upstairs bathroom and I have not seen any more spots on the rug.  Figures.  $146 later and all she needed was a room of her own that she could get to without having the pee scared out of her by the dopey dog.

In the meantime, Ed the Dog seems to have calmed down as well.  We have spent a couple of nights cuddling (yes, he’s a Boxer, yes he thinks he’s  a lap dog) watching TV and it appears he is getting the idea that this is home now.  Both of them ADORE the fact that the sun streams through the many windows in this house.  Everywhere you look in this house there are animals lounging around in the sun like  the Real Housewives of Orange County.

The icing on the cake for Ed the Dog was when Robbie, Andy’s college roommate who lives down here and a frequent visitor in Lafayette, came to warm our home.   That was when he knew everything was going to be all right.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed that  Eddie will now revert back to his adult self and get a grip.

So now I’m left with the rugs.  There is decidedly no odor, of that I’m sure, but the cleaner than clean thing – well, I just hope that a year of living here will even it all out over time.