I love my kitties. I dream of a house full of happy, purring cats that play, eat, sleep -- and reliably use either a cat box or the great outdoors. But for the third time, we have a cat that is breaking the rules, and I will not keep a cat that uses the house as a litterbox.
Tomorrow, I must say goodbye to my deskmate, Archie: our big, soft, lazy, always-indoors, purring, attention-demanding, striped boy. For reasons known only to himself, he's decided that deep-pile carpet is the place to go. He's happy, and the litterboxes are plentiful; but he's developed a preference for carpet, and research and experience indicate that he isn't likely to change.
I'd give up our two dogs in a heartbeat (I only tolerate them, and will never voluntarily have another). I love cats so much, and yet I must let another one go. It's hugely unfair, and I am heartbroken.