So, as the title suggests, I’m 4 days post major surgery. I was semi-unexpectedly hospitalized for a bit over 48 hours post surgery (it was written down as a day surgery, but these types of surgeries are typically followed by at least a 24 hour hospitalization) and I went over basic instructions with my family members verbally for IF I got hospitalized, as to the care of my kitten who is currently on medication. I kept being assured my cat was doing perfectly well the whole time I was gone, and that he was being well taken care of, even though my family kept forgetting to give him his medication or being gone from our shared house when it was time to give it to him. I came home on Friday, and one of the first things I was made aware of is that his litter box hadn’t been cleaned since I last cleaned it, very early the morning of my surgery on Wednesday(about 30 minutes before I left). His waste is BIG and PLENTIFUL. Hence why I usually clean his box once or twice a day. Meaning it was completely filled with pee and feces. Okay. Not ideal. Then, later, I was made aware they kept forgetting to feed him. He is a growing Maine Coon, who is free-fed. I stated this to them many times. He is not limited on his dry food intake. I don’t know how long they made him wait between meals, but I was also told the only parent that was home during this time did not go upstairs basically at all during that whole time, where his food, litterbox and water fountain are. Only my younger siblings filled his food bowl when they remembered. One of the things that took me until today to notice, since I am still on POWERFUL pain meds and he’s been running away from pets, is that his whole undercoat is MATTED. He is a long haired cat. He is a Maine Coon. I thought it was a given he would get at least brushed or combed ONCE during the time I was gone. I brush him at least once a day. My whole family has witnessed this daily. I have told them his routine. Come to find out no one brushed him at all. So today I spent over an hour brushing ONE of his sides (not even half of his body) and he seemed to visibly relax after, but ran away before I could do more (I cannot run after him, and do not want to restrain him and make him scared of grooming). Mats that close to the skin pull on the hair. They are uncomfortable for the cat. They are also a sign of neglect. I was assured my cat would be taken care of while I was gone. I just want to cry about all of this, as I am so disheartened that my family would neglect my sweet, docile baby boy like this. It might not seem like much, but he is MY pet and I take the best care of him that I can. My priority should be resting and healing from this major surgery, and instead I have to catch up on multiple days of care for my cat, since the people I trusted to take care of him while I can’t, treated him like an afterthought. I just feel so helpless. On top of it all, this whole situation makes me so anxious, since I have had to take him to the vet multiple times the past few weeks (hence the meds) and I literally cannot bring him right now. I am still in crutches, and financially recovering. I had basically stopped vaping before my surgery, to give me the best chances at recovery, and I am now basically back to vaping like I did before surgery from all the stress. I am definitely never trusting my family with his care again. I would rather potentially displace him temporarily by bringing him to a friends’ house than leave him with my family to go through this again for a potentially longer period of time. I am so mad at my parent more specifically, since my siblings are either minors or have full-time jobs outside of the house. I now have to direct them harshly from the couch to perform basic care for him, and have even had to give him his medicine myself after my family forgot once again. Anyways. I will definitely keep an eagle eye over his care from now on, at least for the things I can’t do myself. But I will definitely hold a grudge over this. I’m still so mad. Rant over. Here’s a picture of the egg brick, white rice, and boiled root vegetables I had during my last day at the hospital (all without seasoning or even salt) it was absolutely disgusting.