Today's tale of Why I Don't Spend Time with Relatives.
My related sister, E, got a kitty. Lola.
Lola was made neurotic by E because she is the anti nurture. She makes ME look nurturing. Hell, she makes me look like I have a conscience. In any case, Lola started pooping around the house and eventually, E had to get rid of the kitty. After many tears and tales of woe, my mom (against my suggestion, for the record) took Lola in. She and step dad hoped that since they are both home all day, they could rehabilitate Lola.
They have two cats. I refused to take Lola because I already have two cats. A nervous pooping out of the litter box cat should not be with other cats until they're fully rehabbed.
In any case, Lola not only didn't stop pooping, but escalated it under the stress of the other cats and started pooping twice as often around the house. This seems much more neurotic than sickness. But E suggested, perhaps all this time, Lola has just been sick. After all, Abi's cat pooped out of the box once when sick. Perhaps step dad would be happy to pay all the vet bills?
So after a couple months, Lola is still biting, refusing to socialize in any way with the other cats, getting into fights with them, and pooping all over.
Step dad takes kitty to the Dumb Friends League. E pitches a fit.
He's mean. He's hateful. He is a Bad Man. He is no longer allowed to see her son (he is practically Pax's second daddy).
For anyone who reads my blog much, step dad is the reason Pax is a well adjusted kiddo, even living with E. He also helps me out with errand running every Saturday, takes care of my mom, takes in stray kitties, paid for E's car, rent every time she accidentally spent it all on new clothes for herself or emergency flights out of town because she couldn't cope with being a parent and dropped Pax with him and took off to CA or OR, buys most of Pax's clothing and helps them with food bills.
So I restrained myself from emailing her a nastygram entirely for Pax's sake. IF she realizes that she is an idiot and quits punishing the child for her inability to take care of a kitten, I don't want "you tattled to Abi and made her send me hate mail" to stop a reconciliation that gets Pax back with his papa Randy.
Oh. She's also moving back in with my dad. Because she cannot afford to live on her own. Now I do realize jobs are tough to come by, but we're talking about someone who is so fiscally irresponsible ... well, there aren't even words. My dad is, of course, concerned she just wants to mooch and is laying down rules about her paying back her debts and learning to deal with finances. But because she has a five year old, he's going to see how it goes. I think E is in for a shock. Step mom doesn't like kids. It's not going to be all free babysitting. And I imagine they are going to have many screaming matches over how to raise the poor kid.
I was going to email her: If you want to get therapy, I am certain the whole family would pitch in to foot the bill.
I refrained. Barely.
And, as I reassured step dad, at least Pax sees all the OTHER adults in his life going to therapy to get their heads out of their butts, so hopefully he'll see it as an option once he is old enough to get away from his mom LOL!!!
At least my BIL assures nieces the elder and younger that he is sick in the head and that they will definitely need therapy and time to learn to be adults once they move out!!! He loves them a lot and does the best he can, but there are no illusions. It's why I love him even when he drives me bonkers. And his best friend was worried I wanted to move in to help take care of the kids once Dar died. I think he was the ONLY one who came up with that plan of terror.
