We’re a three-cat apartment.  Our first cat, Lady, was on purpose- she had lived with me after being passed off by my sister-in-law.  Then my roommate found Gladys meowing beneath the other half of our twin.  Ditto with Louise 6 months later.  3 week old kittens that fit in the palm of your hand are tough to say no to, so 3 years later, we have the same amount of cats and rooms.

Gladys marches to the beat of her own drummer and as a result gets the most attention. Seasonally (usually twice a year) she gets an allergy that I akin to having itchy eyes- only it results in her pulling a patch of fur off the scruff of her neck.  Sometimes it’s easy to heal and other times it lingers for weeks.  The vet has a hard time explaining it and the expensive bill that hits us twice a year has turned us creative.  We’ve found that if we treat it with topical creams and cover the affected area we can all survive the endeavor.  Throughout the years, we’ve tried a number of different coverings, the most successful being the shirt:

When Gladys started this behavior this week, we tried a few options.  The first, I like to call The Jaunty Bow:

But she could move the bow and still scratch/lick the spot.  So we pulled out last year’s shirt:

Besides a depressed cat (that shirt is sooooo last season!), it was fraying and not staying together well.  So, I got crafty and devised a pattern.

And created 70s housewife Gladys.

Cat allergy, begone!  Oh, and don’t worry, we will totally pay for making her wear a shirt.  Cats memories are longer that you think…