As some of you may know from the “string” incident awhile back, I’ve got a cat.
Although I’m tuned into the “young childless couple with an animal” memes, the fact is I love the little guy, even though I would never have gotten him under normal circumstances.
(my wife’s a different story: sometimes I think she’d like to live in a shelter)
But the truth is, my cat and I have had some issues.
We are “at war” so to speak.
Specifically when it comes to nails.
You see, I am anti-declawing. It’s basically the medical equivalent of cutting the last tip of each of your fingers off (claws are part of a cat’s bone, and you must cut into the bone to remove them)
Cruel, if you ask me.
But I also have zero tolerance for animal abuse of my possessions… or myself.
In fact, I wish this little fucker stayed outside. But alas we live in Manhattan. Not an option.
Now, of course in theory we could train him to not attack people or things.
But we found him as a feral kitten, and he hasn’t fully gotten over that “wild” upbringing… and likely never will.
He’s affectionate, but aggressive.
And resists any sort of “behavior modifications”
(We got a cat trainer for him once. She left bleeding. Reminded me of this episode of South Park)
Anyway, I’m getting sidetracked.
Point is, this cat has long claws and uses them.
Not always maliciously. But that doesn’t matter. Little things he does that he thinks are cute end with blood.
Very tough especially on my wife who plays with him the most.
So, she’s been badgering me to cut his nails. And I’ve been resisting.
Why?Cause it’s like putting yourself in a room with a wild animal.
He bites, slashes, screams, hisses. The last time, I came out bleeding with my nice leather gloves destroyed.
But it got to a critical point and action was required. So today I bought some double layered leather ones at the hardware store.
Took me awhile to find, but these things are for holding onto electric cords in the winter or something.
They are DENSE.
Good thing, too.
Cause when I cut his nails today: pure hell.
We were basically wresting for 15 minutes. And he TORE into them.
But, I got the job done.
The point of this long story?
Banal, really.
Whoever is more determined wins.
But if you want to ensure your determination holds against your opponent, you must be prepared.
The truth is, most of my time I’d “give up” with the cat. It just wasn’t worth it. He’d bite through my gloves, I’d be bleeding, and I’d think “it’s not worth this.”
This time though, I had gloves so thick I couldn’t believe nothing got through his rampage.
And because of that, my determination held.
Pure force of will can get you through a lot, but when you’re not equipped for the situation, the odds are stacked against you.
Arm yourself accordingly.
And if you’re looking for a “weapons” to wield effectively in your dating life? Look no further than Tackling Texting.
You’ll learn not only what to do, but how to think.
Getting dates will shift from frustrating to fun, as you realize all the cards are stacked in your favor.
The pretty ladies out there won’t stand a chance 😉
– Pat
PS I only publish old emails like this on the website. To join the list and get the new, daily ones, go here: www.patstedman.com/optin
