Cuatro Gatos

How many cats do I need to be, officially, a crazy cat lady? My granddaughter suggested I was turning into one; I think the cats are finding me so the word must have been out already!  I had 5 full grown dogs at one time, so four cats is not as bad, right?? RIGHT??? They are certainly far less work, or at least, will be once the integration process finds its balance.

Cat #1 ~ Smokey: the King of the House.  He is giving me the most trouble of the four because he is the largest and up until now, the undisputed King.  The top perch on the Kitty Tower belongs to him, and he will share with Shadow for a little ... then pushes him off.  He and Shadow have been here together for 4 1/2 years now, so they are best buddies notwithstanding the 'pecking order'.  Smokey is also the most finicky of eaters, preferring Goodlife catnip treats to anything else, except maybe filet mignon. But dry kibble is the mainstay of his diet, and at 18+ pounds, he has a hearty appetite.

Cat #2 - Shadow:  When I first saw him as a kitten in the Shelter, he was already adopted and waiting to be picked up by his new owners. Two weeks later when I went back to the shelter, he was in the same crate, still waiting.  That was totally unacceptable to me, and he came home with me that day.   He is long and lean; at nearly 5 years of age, he has now matured to about 13 pounds of hunting stealth.  Shadow can jump 5' into the air and snag a hummingbird in flight. Not that it's encouraged, but he is, after all, the mighty hunter.  He does NOT like beef,  and since the arrival of the two newcomers, he has been eating some of the canned foods that previously he'd snubbed his nose at.  It seems, he wants whatever someone else is having, especially if that someone is me...

Cat # 3 - BK, "Bear Kitty":  On December 27, 2011, a lone panther-like cat was caught on trail cam, eating corn that had been put out for the deer and birds. Every night thereafter, we saw him via camera so of course, I put a bit of kibble out with the corn. Within a week or so, the location of the kibble became the front porch where he began to feel more comfortable, allowing me to sit with him as he ate and shortly thereafter, pet and hold him.  He stole my heart in no time flat and came inside after about 2 weeks.  A full tomcat, his trip to the vet for neutering revealed his age to be about 2, his weight almost 14 pounds.  He seems to be warming up to Shadow, or should I say, Shadow is warming up to him although neither particularly likes to be surprised by the other ~ some hissing and swatting results.  He's been inside for about a month now, and is just a sweetheart of a cat. His demeanor is calm and laid back, although when Smokey hisses, growls and swats at him, Bear not only faces off with him but has been observed chasing Smokey down the stairs once or twice.  When he arrived, he was bitten, bruised and hungry.  Now, he is healthy, happy, loving and loved.  Oh, and he's my protector and the warmer of my covers every night (and most of the day). He has a preference for down comforters and anything with gravy.

Cat #4 - Tiki:  Back when Bear was being fed on the front porch, another cat appeared almost nightly. Were they friends? Lovers?? All I could tell at first, was that this cat was smaller, wore a flea collar, and was multi-colored, at first I thought Tortoise but it turns out, Tabby... To differentiate between the two strays, we called the black one BK (Black kitty), and the other TK (Tabby Kitty).  Those initials have morphed into Bear and Tiki.  Tiki had been coming to the Hard Rock Diner for months. 

The fact that she had a flea collar made me presume she was a neighborhood cat coming to visit Smokey & Shadow.  She ALWAYS ran from me, so I never got a close look... not until Bear came inside, did she warm up to me at all.  As she kept coming around, I still put food out for her and began the neighborhood search for her owner, to no avail. One night as I opened the window for Bear to go out, she stretched up and allowed me to pet her head. I was hooked...again.  But did I want 4 cats?? Did I even want 3?? I resisted the temptation to invite her in, but her purrs and sweet face (and forecast for nasty weather), made me bring her in one night.  She's ours, without question.  The night I removed that old flea collar and realized her fur was far shorter there than the rest of her neck, I could have cried. But her purrs were so loud and her head-bumps so gentle, I laughed instead,and buried my face into her neck. I got a love-bite in return. She's a feisty feline!   At less than 8 pounds, she's demure but her size belies her personality. She will not back down from any of the other three

Tiki & Shadow

 and as a matter of fact, they all back away from her when she arches her back and hisses at them. She and Bear have been rather quarantined together and have been observed sniffing one another from time to time. She has also touched noses with Shadow and stared Smokey down a time or two. Her favorite canned foods are of the fish variety ~ I think 9 lives tuna & egg is the favorite thus far. Not having had her to the vet yet, I don't know her age or if she's spayed, but I suspect she's at least a year old. We'll find out more in the next couple weeks.

Tiki backs Smokey down... 8 pounds vs. 18; she IS feisty!!

Today, for the very first time, all four cats are roaming the entire house.  Nothing if off-limits; the next phase of their assimilation has begun. There have been no angry exchanges and at the moment, each is sleeping in different areas of the house. Tiki seems incredulous... is she really allowed to come and go as she pleases? Is that never-ending bowl of kibble for her? And the water bowls...several; different styles and sizes, she can access any one she wants? At first, she didn't seem like she wanted to 'jump'; the first night it seemed difficult for her to jump 2 feet up onto the window sill. Now, she leaps four feet onto the dresser like it was a foot stool.  I turned around, and she was at eye level on the stove!! I guess she'll have to learn what NOT to do, but not today. Today, all four cats can be themselves: free to explore, eat, drink, sleep, snuggle, come and go at will.  

Today is Sunday, a laid-back day of rest for us all.  We wish the same for you♥

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Nature teaches beasts to know their friends.

William Shakespeare