I am running away...That's it!

I spend all morning cleaning and doing homework, I give the kids a shower (and myself) then I think, DAMN it's 2pm...I have to get dinner started.

You see I have to leave as soon as my husband gets here in order to make it to class on time. So I have to get all of my crap done before 4:30pm.

SO...I am in the middle of making chicken-fried steak, mac & cheese, and some corn. When my son unloads about 10 bls worth of toxic-waste in his pants and my daughter decides to torment the cat.

"Leave the cat alone."

"Leave THE CAT ALONE." and I spank her hand. My poor dumb-ass cat isn't smart enough to scratch or claw my kids. So he just lays there as my daughter proceeds to wrap him in a blanket and tries to put some socks on him.

"DAMN IT CHILD, I said to leave that cat alone!!!"

"Leave the cat alone."

"Leave that damn cat alone!"

Then after a glorious ten minutes on the phone with my friend Tracy I go check on the kids. My son was being good and playing with his puzzles in his room. Then I realize that my daughter's door was closed...So I opened it.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO THAT POOR CAT?!?" I make her come over to me and then I spank her little butt.

"You need to listen to Mamma, do you understand young lady?!" She nods and I retrieve the cat from inside her closet and remove her shirt from him. Stupid cat!

So, I am then in the kitchen, cooking up a storm. The children are "I assumed" being good and watching TV. Yeah, so much for assuming...Never assume anything with a 2 and a 4 year old.

I go check on them in the living room. My daughter is now chasing the damn cat with a blanket. Still the cat doesn't try to even defend his stupid-ass.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING! What did Momma say about the cat?...I said to leave him alone. That means: don't touch him, don't look at him, don't mess with him, don't even think about him! I'll know about it if you do, you understand!?" Yeah, that's going to mess with her for a while.

About 20 minutes later the cat comes running in the kitchen and flops down my my feet. For protection, I'm sure. I turn around and see my daughter look at me and then she turns around and takes off. I pat the cat and tell him, "It's alright, Dez."

THEN, you would think after that last spanking (yeah, I forgot to mention I popped her butt when I saw her chasing the cat with a blanket),...You would think that she learned her lesson. One would think but, NOooOH!

I am off to the side of the kitchen changing the loads of clothes and there for am not in sight when my daughter comes back in the kitchen. She didn't see me so she walked up to the cat and popped him on the head and tried to pick him up.

...

So what do I do? I walk up behind her (all quiet like) and pop her on the head.

"put the cat down, now. go sit up at the table and stay there. i am not going to ask you again." Yes, it was the death tone. I didn't have to raise my voice you see because, all who have heard me go there fear to tread there.

So she's sitting at the table with her lip quivering. And I go into a lecture/hissy-fit bordering on tantrum.

"Would you like it if I followed you around and picked you up constantly and tried to dress you in a bunch of crap? And stick you in your closet? Or pop you on the head every five minutes?"

"No, mamma."

"Well, the cat doesn't either. Do you want me to get rid of him? I can give him to somebody who'll take care of him better. Is that what you want?"

"You can't get rid of him!"

"Oh yes, ma'am, I can! I'm the Mamma. And I'm going to get rid of the cat if you can't treat him like a good pet!" Yeah, I know. I'm a horrible mother but, I had had enough of it. And at this point the cat wanted to go outside (he is an inside and outside cat) so I follow him to the door. And my daughter starts bawling...

"No Mamma, don't get rid of him!" To which I say...

"If he comes back that means he accepts your apologies and we can keep him but, if he doesn't come back that means he was afraid you'd hurt him again. So, really it's up to him. So say you're sorry and ask him to think about coming back and that you'll be a good girl to him from now on. If he believes you then we'll see him later." And I let the cat out.

Is that just horrible or what?
Is there a better way to go about this?
I'm open to suggestions...