I always dreamed of having a cat that could go on road trips sleeping peacefully on the back seat window rest. So we started training our new kitten to ride in the car with frequent short outings and she adjusted great. I was delighted.

Recently, I needed to pick up my husband from the airport. Because he is absolutely crazy about our cat, I thought it would be fun to bring her along as a welcome home surprise. No matter that she was now grown and hadn’t ridden in the car for a while. I decided here was the purrfect opportunity to catch up on some long-neglected training.

So I climbed in the car, settled the cat on my lap, and off we went on our little adventure. She seemed a bit nervous but stayed put. “Good kitty. Everything will be okay,” I reassured her with lots of petting while keeping the other hand firmly on the steering wheel. When she buried her face in my jacket, my heart swelled with affection. Just like old times, I thought, and so cute. I didn’t worry when she started trembling. After all, she had always gotten over that stage pretty quickly when she was a kitten. I continued to murmur soothing words of comfort. We were well on our way to the airport when her body finally relaxed under my constant stroking. I smiled to myself as we zoomed along the freeway. What a fun surprise awaited my husband!

Suddenly, I felt something very warm and wet against my legs. “What? No! Stop, Kitty!”

Okay, Ruth, breathe. Keep your eyes on the road. Can’t toss her off or it will get all over the car. Accckkk, Help! I’m driving down the freeway while my cat is…

Yes, can you believe it? So there I sat as the cat…went and went and went. All over me, all over the car seat. Oh yeah, cats’ bladders have an amazing capacity. And the smell! Oh my goodness. I rolled down the window a bit and smiled sheepishly at a passing car—”Hello, nice normal person. You’d never guess I’m sitting here completely SOAKED!!!”

Needless to say, all my romantic dreams of traveling with kitty evaporated that day.

And that is why I’m mad at my cat. Now you know…

P.S. The picture is an actual photograph of said animal.