To expand:

About a month ago Kitty gets into some kind of fight and comes home with two big, gaping wounds on his ears. I feel terrible.

A few days later I leave for a weekend trip to Tucson and by the time I get back one of his ears has become pretty badly infected. Again, I feel terrible.

He finally gets over the infection, but has little red scabs on his ears for almost a month. I feel bad/a little embarrassed for it is a walking testament to my bad pet ownership abilities.

Well, after a week in Virginia I come home to find both scabs completely fallen off. Unfortunately, however, they leave bald spots on both ears and a not-so-tiny teardrop shaped hole in one of them.

Now, I feel kind of bad about spots (I'm sure they are going to get rather cold in these winter months) and the hole, but am way too distracted by fantasizing about/stopping myself from sticking an earring in there to dwell too long.

(I give myself another 24 hours before I crack)