Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Miss Kitty
Miss Kitty came to live with me last year. She is a long-haired, orange tabby. Her owner asked me to care for her when he knew that he must serve a prison sentence. Miss Kitty had been his mother's cat. Her owner was in tears when I agreed to take her. (He and I had a history because his dog had helped kill my cat, Abner, the only cat I ever lost to dogs in my 50+ years of having cats.) I knew an older cat had little chance of adoption. Her owner told me she was sixteen, but I think she is not that old.
Miss Kitty moved in and immediately made it clear that she did not like other cats. Her yellowish eyes would narrow as any cat approached, then she would yell in rage if they came closer. This tactic worked well with every cat, but Shackleton. Soon, Miss Kitty had her chair and eating area staked out. She settled into life with my crew.
I learned that Miss Kitty did not like to be handled. She whined the minute I picked her up. The whine became a wail if I did not release her immediately, but she did nothing else. I soon learned that her wail was her general comment on life. However, if I deposited her in my lap, so she was not being held, she relaxed.
Miss Kitty loves to be combed. Actually, she loves for her back, neck and sides to be combed. She thinks anything else is a hideous experience to be commented on with her loudest wails. Since she is long-haired, she must be combed all over. So, despite her protests, I comb her tummy, legs, tail and chest, too. She always stalks off with a swish of her tail when I finish.
I don't know when her owner will return. His sentence has turned out to be longer than he thought. I suspect that Miss Kitty is a permanent member of the family.
Labels: cats, Miss Kitty, orange tabby. long-hair, Shackleton, wails
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Shackleton the Bad
Shackleton is a young male cat I raised from the time he was ten days old. (You can learn about his arrival here.) He is a golden tabby with white feet and white face and eyes that match his lightest amber hue. While he is not large, he has a fierce spirit and insists on periodic forays outside. However, his favorite pastime is enjoyed indoors.
Shackleton loves to make the females cry or scream or hiss or wail. One of his favorite targets is Daisy, an older black and white female. He waits until Daisy is sleeping peacefully, then attacks. He does no real damage, only startling her, which elicits ear-shattering screams from Daisy. You can almost see the smile on Shackleton's face.
His other target is Miss Kitty, an older orange tabby. Her owner is in jail, so she is living with me for the interim. Shackleton makes sure that Miss Kitty knows that he is stalking her. She begins to wail as soon as she sees him. Her wails increase as he edges nearer. The sound reaches a crescendo as he darts toward her only to retreat. This may go on for several minutes until Shackleton grows weary of the game.
Shackleton does have an uncanny ability to choose to play his game when I am on the phone. With cat screams bouncing off the walls, it is difficult to carry on a conversation. Besides, I usually have to explain that no cat is being murdered, that Shackleton is just annoying one of his housemates.
Yes, I do scold him, put him in another room, etc. He can be detered for the moment, but all too soon he will have a victim in sight. He will once more be engaged in his favorite recreational activity.
Shackleton loves to make the females cry or scream or hiss or wail. One of his favorite targets is Daisy, an older black and white female. He waits until Daisy is sleeping peacefully, then attacks. He does no real damage, only startling her, which elicits ear-shattering screams from Daisy. You can almost see the smile on Shackleton's face.
His other target is Miss Kitty, an older orange tabby. Her owner is in jail, so she is living with me for the interim. Shackleton makes sure that Miss Kitty knows that he is stalking her. She begins to wail as soon as she sees him. Her wails increase as he edges nearer. The sound reaches a crescendo as he darts toward her only to retreat. This may go on for several minutes until Shackleton grows weary of the game.
Shackleton does have an uncanny ability to choose to play his game when I am on the phone. With cat screams bouncing off the walls, it is difficult to carry on a conversation. Besides, I usually have to explain that no cat is being murdered, that Shackleton is just annoying one of his housemates.
Yes, I do scold him, put him in another room, etc. He can be detered for the moment, but all too soon he will have a victim in sight. He will once more be engaged in his favorite recreational activity.
Labels: Cat games, Daisy, Miss Kitty, Shackelton
