Mind if I just talk a bit? There are good days and there are bad

[yy4me]

days. Today is bad. This past year has been Hell for me with the death of my husband, the loss of my job and just a few weeks ago, major damage to my yard due to something that happened on my neighbors property. Sometimes something will trigger a bad day for me and I guess today it was the notification that my unemployment benefits have run out and I have to contact the office to see if I qualify for an extension. See if? I don't even know what the "see if" means. The notification makes reference to a letter sent in February. I never got any letter from them.

As a Senior citizen (I'm 67), my marketable skill are outdated. Everything of interest on the job search sites require skills I do not have. For the last 15 years I have been employed as an Inside Salesman but there are few companies around here that do not list other skills required for be considered even for an interview. You know the ads, "applicant must be proficient with Excel, Power point, MS Office, ad infinitum. I also cannot travel far, the car and the body can't take a long commute. You all know this, I guess I'm feeling sorry for myself today. I miss my husband so much that even with an anti-depressant, there are days that I cannot handle things. It seems as though our 45 years together went by in a flash.

I have a new kitty to keep me company but as cute as she is, she is biting me. I have been advised that perhaps she is just getting comfortable and this will pass. I hope so. She is cute and lovable but the biting must stop. I've only had her for a week so I'm probably not giving her a fair shake. She is a rescue kitty, about a year old.

I think I will just spend today reading what may be one of the last issues of our local paper. Never thought I'd see the day.

Thanks for the shoulder.

[Forkboy]

1. I'm sorry you're going through all this.

Do you know if you're eligible for any kind of SSI or state aid outside of unemployment? Hopefully the unemployment will be extended, but if not some states have emergency aid. It's not much, mine was a measly $303/month, but coupled with food stamps I managed to survive. I know that's hardly an encouraging future to think about, but it's best to line up all the options you can as early as possible. Plus, it can give your mind something else to focus on for a little while, if nothing else.

And there's nothing wrong with taking some time to feel sorry for ourselves every now and then. Sometimes life is just so hard, and seems to deal so many blows in a short time that I don't see how any human couldn't feel that way sometimes. I can't see anything wrong with you feeling the way you are with all that's happened. Don't feel bad for being sad.

As for the crazy kitty, I've had cats my whole life, and the female ones were almost always bitey, though most calmed down as they got older. Having them fixed helps, too, if she's not (it would certainly calm me down). A year old seems a little too old to still be teething, so she's probably just a typical wound up young kitty who likes to gnaw on things. I had one that chewed on me every chance she got.

If she bites hard don't pull away because that just makes them think it's prey trying to get away. Push your hand towards their mouth instead. Not only does it loosen your hand from their teeth, but it freaks the cat out because you're not trying to get away.

Because she's a rescue kitty this may be signs of her just not having enough social interaction with people, and this can cause a nervousness and aggression in them at times. But if the bites are more nips than bites, odds are she's just playing, and for cats that means working on the skills that help them survive in the wild...biting and scratching. One way that worked for me with a couple cats was something a vet told me. When they bite grab the scruff of their neck and gently but firmly push them down towards the ground while saying, "No" in a firm voice, and then hold there for 3 or 4 seconds. This mimics what the mother cat would do to scold a kitten (minus the voice part, of course...that would be something).

I wish I had better advice for things besides the cat problem. :(

I hope things get better for you soon. :hug:

[emilyg]

2. What Forkboy said and

a :hug:

[no name no slogan]

3. I would like to hop this bandwagon, too

Forkboy is full of great insight and advice, and once again he's right on the money here.

And don't worry about the kitty. It will stop biting you once it gets comfortable enough, and you will soon be inseparable. :hug: