What I find interesting is that some of your friends were having a commiserating-type discussion about how they feel overwhelmed and inadequate and depressed and even the simplest things seem impossible sometimes, and you chimed in brightly that you can't believe they are doing something so gross!!!!

Swap "interesting" out for "smug and privileged" and I co-sign.

Seriously, Hec. Sense the tone. I mean, really. Congrats on being the awesomest guy who ever awesomed. Now, can you try to be sympathetic (or at least not shove your disdain in people's faces) to those of us who may not have the flexibilty in our days that you have, a caring partner to shoulder responsibility with, and the lack of depression you seem to have?

Dried hoark can totally wait, it is the lowest priority of all animal waste issues.

Would hairballs be classified as a subset of vomit? I've always wondered that. Because -- yeah, once a hairball is dried, it's not a high priority to clean up. (Although I do have bushels of sympathy for our petsitter -- who has never owned a cat himself -- who was first introduced to hairballs by getting up in the middle of the night and stepping on a fresh one in his bare feet. I guess we forgot to tell him [1] about hairballs, and [2] to wear shoes in the house. That's pretty damn revolting.)

smonster I understand your ordeal with cat pee, and I know it felt worse because all you wanted to do was rest and came home to more work. And the possibility you wouldn't be able to sleep in your bed.

I'm being a tiny bit lazy in cleaning up Dean's vomit. I changed his cat food but when I did I mixed some of the "new" cat food with the old realiable stuff. The "new" stuff pretty much turns to mush (and it makes him throw up which is why I switched, but I didn't want to throw away expensive cat food).

Because of the mushy factor trying to clean it up while it's fresh means it just gets rubbed/smeared into the carpet and then I have to get a scrub brush and spray and really work to get it all out. And then vacuum multiple times.

Waiting for it to dry means picking it all up at once, spraying the floor, blotting with a paper towel.

Both nephews are with me today. I didn't think J would agree to come. He was a baby when they moved and doesn't know me very well. I am making up for years of spoiling all at once and finally getting to see Brave.

Hoark is fully inclusive of hairballs as well as any other vomit-related situations. It's a catch-all (hah, see what i did there??) for anything that spews out of an animal's mouth. Heck yeah, hairballs are way easier to clean up once they are dry (but of course i always attempt to clean them up ASAP since the bile can't be good for any kind of flooring.)

Big pile on the bed, next to my pillow. I hate doing emergency laundry when I want to be sleeping.

Yeah, no kidding. And I don't have a washer/dryer and won't be able to do laundry until Sunday.

askye, exactly. Easier to clean up dry than wet.

Do you get a lot of petsitters that have never owned the pets they sit for? Sounds dicey, since you're pretty much establishing that you're not just going to be alone with them, you're going to be responsible.

Swap "interesting" out for "smug and privileged" and I co-sign.

I think that's taking it a little far, to be honest. Being baffled that people leave it around isn't wrong, if you ask me. I've had depression for years, but it takes me two minutes to clean up cat puke.

I think that's taking it a little far, to be honest. Being baffled that people leave it around isn't wrong, if you ask me. I've had depression for years, but it takes me two minutes to clean up cat puke.

There a difference between baffled in one's own mind (which, obviously, is perfectly valid) and calling out folks for slovenliness in the midst of a discussion about how tough it is for some people (not all people, of course) to get things done. I felt it insensitive and tone deaf and undercutting the shared frustration and despair that was happening at the current moment on the board.

It made me angry.

I guess what struck me was that it was cat puke being discussed, not something like handling bills or phone calls or making plans. Which I don't think anyone here would claim are things that are easy to tackle in that state of mind.