Open Threads

I need help from cat owners regarding a recent unpleasant change in the behavior of my cat, Oliver. Two weeks ago, he started urinating at various places around the house. It started with a blanket on my bed, then a comforter, then a pillow, then some dirty clothes in a hamper, then a couch, and in the last few days he has nailed my sheets twice and tonight he nailed my bed again. I have not changed his diet, I have not moved anything, I have not changed his kitty litter, I have not moved the litter box, I have not moved the water dish. In fact, there is no reason at all for this behavior that I can tell.

Since it started, other than doing laundry every day, I took Oliver to the vet to see if he had a urinary tract infection. As he had nailed a blanked five minutes before leaving for the vet, they were unable to get a urine sample, so he went on antibiotics anyway. No change in behavior. The last few days, I have been keeping my bedroom door shut, but today when I came home from work, in the time it took me to change clothes and walk into the bathroom to brush my teeth, he came in and hammered the bed again (missing my last pillow, thank goodness).

My biggest fear is that Tunch is going to start doing the same thing because Oliver is doing this. So, what I need are any suggestions you might have.

*** Update ***

Oliver is neutered and approaching 1 1/2 years old.

*** Update #2 ***

He nailed my bed, with me in it, at 4:49 am. I am not amused.

Cat HelpPost + Comments (21)

I guess Rush Limbaugh and Greg Easterbrook aren’t the only ones getting fired for their viewpoints:

Patricia Ireland, a prominent women’s rights advocate, has been dismissed after six months as chief executive of the YWCA of the U.S.A.

Dorris Daniel-Parkes has been named interim director by the National Coordinating Board of the YWCA, the organization said.

“We have the deepest admiration for Ms. Ireland’s dedication to women’s issues and social justice, but the YWCA has proved to be the wrong platform for her to advocate for these issues,” board chairwoman Audrey Peeples said in a press release.

True to Ireland form, it is someone else’s fault:

A former head of the Democrat group that calls itself National Organization for Women, she says right-wingers opposed her from the start because of her left-wing activism, because she admitted wanting to inject her politics into YWCA and because she lived with a woman in the 1990s while still married.

Once a victim, always a victim. Right, Patricia?

Adios, PattyPost + Comments (4)

If anyone has any idea what happened to my website, and why the right column is no longer loading, I am all ears.

Site ProblemsPost + Comments (1)

In case you were curious, the Laptop Fund is still mired at $60.25, two books, and an offer to pay me to never blog again. Should you choose ton contribute to this outstanding charity, there are numerous options:

And, should you decide you would rather shower in prison than donate anything to the Balloon Juice Laptop Fund, but still might have a little extra cash that you don’t know what to do with, I suggest you check out my favorite charity in the world, Helping Hands Monkeys. They have a worthy project that could use your money.

Laptop FundPost + Comments (6)

I have specifically avoided the Kobe Bryant case, and will continue to do so, but I do have to say that Jeralynn Merritt has brought some much needed sanity to the debate in her appearances on MSNBC (Dan Abram’s show- where they have already convicted Kobe) the last two nights.

Bryant SanityPost + Comments

While the Balloon Juice Laptop Fund has been an abject failure, I must admit I never expected much to come of it. At any rate, imagine my surprise when UPS showed up with two books from my Amazon wish list purchased by an anonymous donor. The two were:

The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler’s Germany, 1941-1945 by Michael R. Beschloss and Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World by Margaret Olwen Macmillan, Richard Holbrooke.

Perfect timing, too, because the Steelers have a bye this weekend. Books are much cooler than money any day of the week. Also, should anyone ever desire to send books again, by all means send used ones. They are cheaper, and it isn’t like the words wear out or anything.

Thanks a bunch. And remember, it is not too late to help participate in the laptop fund. If you don’t want to do that, you could always donate to my absolute favorite charity in the world, which is Helping Hands Monkeys. Hell, go see what you can do to help Helping Hands Monkeys anyway.

Thanks A BunchPost + Comments (2)