By Kimberly Zapata of Sunshine Spoils Milk
According to a report released by the Dayton Police Department in Dayton, Ohio, two women — Dawn Stickler (29) and Kathlyn Wolf (32) — were involved in an altercation Friday inside Kroger’s grocery store. Stickler was arrested at the scene and has been charged with aggravated assault while Wolf was taken to an area hospital. She is listed in stable condition. But what was the cause of the disagreement?
According to one witness, Diane Remington, the spat began in aisle 12:
“I was minding my own business. Actually, I was talking to a helpful young man about the difference between whole grain Cheerios and multi-grain Cheerios. I mean, really. Do you know what the difference is? When two women strolled by me. At first it sounded like they were friends. They were laughing and talking and they seemed to be happy, but then things changed.”
In fact, according to Remington, their joyful stroll ended when one woman, identified by police as Wolf, attempted to empathize with Stickler:
“I mean, I wasn’t listening. I’m not nosy! But I did overhear one woman [Wolf] say, ‘Oh, I’m exhausted, too. John and I got a new cat last week and she is so demanding! Honestly, you wouldn’t believe all the attention she needs. Oh, and get this: She’s in heat! I mean, really. She was scheduled to be spayed in two days. Two-freakin-days! But no; now we have to wait a week — a whole week — and all she does is cry and whimper and whine. All. Night. Long.
‘I haven’t slept a wink since. So I totally know how you feel.’”
Apparently that was that. “The next thing I knew, both women were on the floor and Frosted Flakes were flying,” Remington added. And another witness — who asked to remain anonymous — corroborated Remington’s story:
“Man, I don’t know what happened. This bitch just started swinging. Like she was whilin’ out and actin’ crazy. I don’t think that other broad knew what hit her.”
It seems Stickler’s attack was prompted by something known as the “fur baby phenomenon,” i.e. the belief that having a “pet baby” is somehow like having a real baby. Make no mistake, not all pet “parents” claim to have fur babies — many men and women still refer to their dogs and cats as, well, dogs and cats — but some individuals now believe they deserve the moniker of “Mom” or “Dad” because they scoop cat shit or clean up the mess Fido left on Mr. Bigglesworth’s lawn. And while this writer was initially barred from including her opinion in this piece, I say let them fire me because fur babies are NOT real babies, nor are they anything like real babies. (This coming from a mama and proud pet owner — one who has raised three guinea pigs, two cats, one fish, one hamster, and one bunny rabbit.)
When coupled with sleep deprivation and “new mommy-itis” — Stickler is reportedly the mother of a 6-week-old baby girl named Rose — it is no wonder why she snapped.
Stickler is scheduled to appear in court later this month, and police are asking all women to chose their words carefully. They are also issuing a warning for all fur baby parents: “Until this situation is under control, we are recommending all fur ‘mamas’ and ‘papas’ travel in groups.”
The police chief added, “If you must travel alone, you may simply want to refer to Snowy, Oreo, Shadow, or Fluffy as your pet.”
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About the Author
Kimberly Zapata is the creator and voice behind Sunshine Spoils Milk, a blog dedicated to mental health and mommyhood. She is a regular contributor for Sammiches & Psych Meds, and her work has appeared on The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, BLUNTMoms, Mamalode, Bonbon Break and The Good Men Project, and is slated to appear in an upcoming anthology from The Her Stories Project (Spring 2016). You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.