What makes Trotsky so mean?

Trotsky could be one of the meanest Meankitties around. From the day he was allowed into the big bad world he was trouble. On average, once a week he would come home with scratches on his belly and bite marks on his neck. Every time he would have to be taken to the vet to have the abscesses lanced. He quickly developed an intense hatred of the vet and even now has to be sedated to unconsciousness before he can be taken out his carrier.

Trotsky had always been an anxious little guy and never very affectionate; being picked up is out of the question. His idea of fun is to attack any part of your body he can reach, so it's not a good idea to get your face close. After 6 months of suffering constant trips to the vet, it was decided that Prozac might be a way of calming him down. Reluctantly I agreed and magically for 2 months it seemed to work, no fighting. But then it started again.

One day I heard his hissing and growling outside my apartment and thought I'd intervene before he needed another trip to the vet. Stupid mistake. As I pulled him off the other cat, he sunk his teeth into the back of my hands. Within 20 minutes both my hands had blown up like balloons. Within a week I was in hospital having surgery on my left hand to flush out puss from an infection that had taken hold around the knuckle of the index finger. That was the beginning of a very, very long 4 week stint in the hospital and the first of 4 operations on that hand. And Trotsky? He had to have another abbess lanced. To this day I have the constant reminder of the whole fiasco--my index finger is permanently crippled.

Interestingly, when I got home from the hospital at 4pm, by 5pm he was covered in blood, bites and scratches. He hadn't been in a single fight while I was away. It was decided for his own safety and the safety of others he would, from now on, be an indoor cat.

You would think this would have solved everything, wouldn't you?? Not so. Now he sprays everywhere around the apartment to show how much he misses the absesses.  I can't tell you how many times I have been driven to tears of frustration by this but I love him and, well, no one else would!

Says Meankitty:  PROPS TO ONE OF THE MOST COMMITTED SLAVES EVER!  GOOD JOB!  (May your next cat be a not so meankitty!)

Photo submitted by: Adriana
Date last updated: 10/25/05