Feline Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

I like the taste of onions more than most people // I’m prone to nail and skin picking until I taste red // I’ve learned to keep my fingernails painted // been trying to swallow the lump in my throat since a little girl // nothing’s worked // I rescued a tuxedo cat and named him Peaches // my own form of tail chasing // or suicide prevention // they say he’s prone to erratic aggression // ingesting foreign objects // and needing to be fully sedated at the vet // I read online that cats can develop the same mental issues as their owners // did it start before or after my partner moved in // they diagnosed Peaches with feline OCD // but I think he’s just misunderstood // when I’m thirty my mother asks if she caused my anxiety disorder // I’ve tried to hide my worries in burrows // clawed my way back to the sun // chewed off more fur than I’m proud to admit // I’ve felt such dismal emptiness // I forgot how to laugh like a tickled rat // but we can’t let them take our mischief // and look I know it doesn’t work this way // but I am my mother’s daughter // and I can’t help but wonder // if I did this to him // too