The Cat Who Wouldn't Shut Up

Well, Trouble has been a pain these last few days. By that, I mean Trouble the cat, Oatmeal's brother, the thin stripped one with a bad temper when he doesn't get what he wants. His behavior has been somewhat odd, as we wonder where he got it from. His parents Fuzz and Boo are very even-tempered, and Fuzz never yowls when he wants to go outside. His older brother Oatmeal often tries to sneak outside (though usually we can tell if he's trying and thus can prevent it from happening), but he likewise never yowls. Trouble, on the other hand, comes in, eats, and then promptly demands to be let back outside. If his demand is not met swiftly, then he will just sit there and yowl at you. If you approach either the back or front door, he'll run to it. If you pass the piano bench and he happens to be there, he will yowl then swipe at you. Last night was interesting, to say the least. We let Trouble in, and he quickly wanted to go back outside. We refused because he often tends to wander and not come back for a few days, similar to what Oatmeal used to do before he became "jailbird Oat" and we now keep him in the house against his will. Anyway, so we kept Trouble inside but he wouldn't be quiet. He yowled for a long time and didn't stop, even after we went to bed. Now keep in mind this is not a quiet yowl. This is one that can be heard from the other side of the house. Needless to say, I think Dad let him out when he got back from the Braves' game last night because I don't remember hearing him after that. Darn animal. I wish he'd just go to sleep somewhere like his father and brother do instead of trying to keep the rest of us from sleep.

On a more positive note, it's amazing what little bribes do. Mandy's been wanting sunglasses but doesn't have any money, as we've not cashed our babysitting check yet. Mom and Dad made a deal with her: if she kept her part of the room clean for a week, then they would pay for her glasses. Even though it's only been two days, our room has actually been cleaner than usual, which has pleased me because there have been no piles of clothes on the floor for me to trip over. We'll see if Mandy will keep it up. The bigger test will be what the room looks like while I'm in Houston.