Three cats become a crowd in one-bedroom apartment

DEAR ABBY: My girlfriend and I live together. We adopted a cat off the street. A few months later, the cat became pregnant and had four kittens. We ended up keeping two, and now we have three cats in a one-bedroom apartment.

I’ve tried being OK with it, but it’s making me stressed and unhappy. The litter box must be constantly cleaned; they get into our food and pee on our furniture.

I’ve tried talking to my girlfriend about putting one or two of them up for adoption, but every time I raise the issue, she gets mad and dares me to get rid of them. I don’t want her to resent me, but I also don’t like living in the circumstances I’m living in. Please help. – SURROUNDED BY CATS

DEAR SURROUNDED: You and your girlfriend appear to be irresponsible pet owners. I hope you realize that if the stray cat you adopted had been spayed, this could have been avoided.

The litter box should be cleaned regularly and, because the cats belong to both of you, the responsibility should be shared. If the cats urinate on the furniture, it should be discussed with a veterinarian rather than disposing of them.

That said, you are not married to this woman. If you’re not happy under the current conditions, perhaps it’s time to consider moving.

DEAR ABBY: I really need your help. I’m 13 and I know I’m a little young, but there’s a boy I have known for a while. We used to text all the time, and then we got into a fight. We both said rude things, and then after a while he started talking to me again and acting like he didn’t care. In fact, he told me that. Then we stopped talking again and he blocked me on Instagram.

Well, this school year he came to my school, and he’s very popular. He stares at me every day when we pass each other and once he said hi to me.

What I’m confused about is why does he keep unblocking me and blocking me on social media?

Why is he doing everything he’s done? I hope you can help. – BLOCKED IN MISSOURI

DEAR BLOCKED: The first time he blocked you, he probably did it to punish you for having hurt his feelings during the fight. Now he may be doing it to get a rise out of you, or because for some reason he doesn’t want you to be able to see what he’s saying and doing.

The opposite of love isn’t hate; it’s indifference. Because he stares at you in the hallway, I suspect he still likes you. Don’t chase him – just be patient and let this play out because it could be interesting.

DEAR ABBY: My niece got married and some of the gifts got separated from the gift cards. Individual cards were found apart from the gifts. So how do you thank the individuals who left gifts without knowing the gift they gave? – UNSURE IN THE WEST

DEAR UNSURE: While it is preferable to mention the gift when thanking the giver, no rule states that you HAVE to do so. Your niece should start by writing thank-you notes for the gifts that have cards with them, and for those few (I HOPE few) that don’t, the givers should be told how meaningful it was to have them present on the special day, and thanked for their generosity. Period.

PS. A helpful hint to anyone sending a wedding or shower gift: Note on the gift card what has been sent (waffle iron, baby blanket, etc.).