So I don't really have much energy left, but this is so crazy and I need to vent about it a little.

We got roped into feeding a houseful of feral cats down the street. The woman we're taking over for is an ancient Catholic lady and she is CERTIFIABLE, just the stereotypical nutty rambling old lady in every way.

And every fucking day we hear from her with another bit of the full story, 13 years worth of drama with the neighbors over feeding these cats, all of which was conveniently omitted when she first called asking for help.

And every time she calls, she has a more specific instruction for How Her Babies Must Be Fed.

And I have been conditioned over a lifetime to have no resistance at all to sweet but insane old Catholic ladies.

And this is getting to be a lot. A lot, lot, lot. We have the sense to bail the moment it does start to lead to any actual conflict, but... the guy on the corner has apparently been a vindictive bastard about these cats in the past and some paranoid part of me is TERRIFIED he'll take it out on OUR cats if we get too wrapped up in this.

Which would mean swift death for him in the middle of the night, of course.

I really, really, really wish this whole burden had been dropped on somebody else. But dammit, it's a good opportunity to learn some adulting, crisis-management, and boundary-setting skills, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let a bunch of cats starve.

Bast give me strength, and if this really does come to some kind of massive neighborhood cat drama, please also raise me some bail money and a good lawyer.

Theoretically this is only for a month. And nothing bad has really happened so far. But man, this has all been a colossal anxiety trigger I did not need.