He did it again last night

Reynaldo peed in the dining room. He had plenty of time to get to the box. He didn't even try. He was excited -- we'd been playing with a gray catnip mouse -- and I stopped to take a phone call. He responded first by knocking things over, then calling out to me, and then he urinated.

Of course I scolded him as I cleaned up the damage as quickly as I could. But vets and animal behaviorists will tell you that this was more to make me feel better than to deter his activity. Cats don't understand negative reinforcement as well as dogs do and besides, rubbing a dog's nose in his business doesn't work that well, anyway.

So now what? I have purchased a "kitty condo" so that Rey has a place to call his own. I sprinkle it liberally with catnip and praise him extravagantly whenever he's on it. I got an alarm that sounds loudly whenever he jumps on the dining room table, but he ignores it. He has a new litter box. I even consulted a pet psychic.

I give him a prescription cat food to dissolve the crystals in his bladder. The vet said it takes about a month to work. The month is up. Now I guess we go back to the vet and for another check up and then perhaps tranquilizers.

I am tired and worried and frightened. How am I going to afford his care if this continues and I lose my job? The prescription food is very expensive. So are the trips to the vet.

There is good news, though. He lets me sleep through the night now. Given a choice, though, I'd rather have the nocturnal adventures than the peeing.