My cat has to go to the vet tomorrow because her rear-end stinks to high heaven with pink rawness around her butt and that her butt is constantly wet and hurts her to touch her. I never noticed until a few days ago when I noticed she leaves the stinky smell where she sits, and I'd smell my comforter and where she sits and think, "Oh god, I'm sleeping in this stink!" I decided I'd keep her in the garage while I wash my bedding and until I get some help from the vet, but now I feel I've made a horrible decision. She's been in the garage several times, but I'm keeping her company and she is SO UPSET. Before dinner I gave her an anxiety med that should fully kick in sometime within the next hour or so. But she's so unhappy even with me in the room because it's almost like she knows she's being forced out here for a reason but can't understand why or for how long and it's really upsetting her.

She's already gone through a lot, she lost her home in the fires and had to be left behind because she ran, and she spent a month out there by herself while I was trying to find her, then she lived in a house with three dogs and five cats that all bullied her and got in her face, then she had to go on a twelve-hour car ride to get to our house.

I'm so emotional right now because I hate to see her unhappy. The worst part is my mom thinks I'm being paranoid. She's always, always, always complains about how my room smells, especially in the old house, and now she thinks I'm imagining the smell I'm smelling and I'm overreacting! Really!? After 10 years of avoiding my room because my room smelled and suddenly it's all in my head!? No, when my cat sits down, the smell definitely lingers, and everywhere she sits I can smell her afterwards, don't be telling me I'm overreacting! My mom made me feel horrible by putting her out in the garage, even though she agreed the cat box and cat food needed to be put out there.

Well, my cat is eating and pooping in the cat box out here which is great, but she's very upset and it makes me upset to see her so upset.

I guess I can never win, huh?