The squirt bottle

I laid awake in bed for a while this morning, reflecting on the past couple of months. It's amazing what one might learn from a 'quadre' of cats, if you allow yourself to see, and comprehend.....
Smokey had been the undisputed King of the feline family, Shadow is his underling.  But with Shadow, Smokey is a compassionate and sharing boy. More often than not, he will 'allow' Shadow to eat his portion of canned food.  I suspect, in all honesty, Smokey doesn't really care so much about the canned food as he prefers dry kibble (and won't go near the canned food anyway unless it's accompanied by a few catnip treats, which he devours while Shadow eats from his own bowl!).  But Smokey is large; quiet and regal, and his stature seems to designate his place in the hierarchy.

Enter Bear and Tiki.

Bear is nearly as large as Smokey, and even more quiet. Well, he doesn't make his intentions public, let's say. With me, he's a 'talker' ~ someday I'll capture a little of the adorable sounds he makes when he's communicating with me. As to the other boys, though, he doesn't growl or grumble; he doesn't initiate any pushing or shoving, no confrontations to claim the King's spot, or Shadow's favorite place on the afghan.  But if the King isn't on the thrown, it's just another perch, right??  

If Shadow isn't sleeping on the afghan on the couch, it's open space. Free for the taking... and once there, Bear will not relinquish his position.  No fighting, no nastiness. Just a calm stare that says "hey, I'm here now... wait your turn".  Three boys, all asserting themselves in their own ways.  As they relate to me, if they do something they really shouldn't, all I have to do is pick up the green squirt bottle, and they cease the unwelcome behavior often without so much as a mini-misting.  The King and his Princes, in control. Until the Queen says otherwise.

Tiki has hardly ever endured the wrath of the squirt bottle. I think I allow her to get away with a bit more because, up until she arrived, I was the only female in this family.  She doesn't jump on the counter and head butt her way into the can of food I'm trying to serve up like Shadow does; she calmly watches me from a few feet away purring so loudly that I can hardly take offensive action.  More and more, lately, she is playing with the squeeky and catnip toys; she also loves the fresh growing catnip in the garden window but will patiently wait her turn if someone else is nibbling there.  Just don't enter 'her' realm, or try to move in on her position... that girl is so quick and nimble, she has the boys on their heels running for dear life in an instant, far too quickly for me to invoke the squirter to dissuade her.  In the middle of the day, she has no issues with sharing my bed with Bear, but if I'm in the bed, beware!  I'm hers and hers alone, and any cat who tries to enter our domain is quickly chased ...down the stairs, under the table, out the door ~ wherever they 'chose' to go, as long as it is NOT in "our" room.  Funny thing is, on those few occasions that I have chastised her, all I have to say is "go to your room", and she heads down the hallway into the bedroom. For a few minutes anyway.  In short order, she is at my heels, looking up at me with those adoring eyes and I melt.  We girls have to stick together. :-)  And though the the males with whom we co-exist may think THEY are the alphas, we know better . Our strength and leadership positions are not necessarily boisterous, but we set the tone and cadence for this pack.


So, what's the lesson I've realized today?  When hubby starts barking, whining, growling or behaving badly, I think I'll keep my mouth shut from now on. 


And pick up the squirt bottle.....

**********

Way down deep, we're all motivated by the same urges. Cats have the courage to live by them. - Jim Davis

**********

Weighed, Spayed, and Playing♥

Shadow in the Tupperware

All four cats are doing okay; getting along a bit better (at least, there is no fur flying of late). Last night, they teamed up to open the have-a-heart trap that apparently had captured a mouse we knew was in the house, although we still haven't found any signs of it!! The trap was sprung, but turned on its side and empty by the time we realized what all the commotion was about!! Springtime is gonna be fun around here, when all of them are on the prowl outside as well as inside!  

Smokey and Tiki sharing the tower

Tiki was inside the house for almost three weeks before we finally got her to the vet.  This past Tuesday night, she went for her first vehicle ride (with us, anyway), and whined most of the 35 mile trip.  Bear accompanied her (in his own crate) for his second round of shots ... he was very quiet, and was 'kind' enough to provide a stool sample on the way!! Weighing in at 14 1/2 pounds, Bear is healthy and doing quite well. Even the vet likes him, telling us what a nice, handsome cat he is!! And that is saying something; our vet specialized in farm animals so domesticated pets are not his thing.....

Bear likes the top platform, if Smokey isn't there!!

Tiki weighs 7 1/2 pounds, all spunk.  Dr. Joe figures her to be about 3 years old, and she has already been spayed.  Her feline leukemia and aids tests were negative, thankfully; so she got 2 vaccinations and a rabies shot. She did have roundworms - typical with cats who have been living in the wild feeding on mice, etc., so she also got a topical worm medication. Wednesday, the effects of all that stuff caught up with her, and she spent the day under the bed, uninterested in food or me! By Thursday, however, a 'new' Tiki was emerging♥  

I've said it in relation to Bear, but now it was Tiki's turn to relax.  It's been over a week since she went outside, and she shows no inclination to go now either. The pet door is there and she has used it before, but I think, after spending 8 months or more living outside, she is happy to be indoors for the time being. And she has begun to play in earnest.  She sat at the window sill swatting at the birds outside on the feeder as I watched, camera in hand.  A short time later as I was doing some housework, I heard the chirping of a bird in the hallway. Oh no.... had someone brought one inside??? Dropping the mop, I ran to the sound of the chirps hoping to save the bird from my pack of kitties (although Tiki was the only one inside as far as I knew).  Imagine my surprise, when I saw Tiki had found the chirping toy, and was happily batting it all around the living room. Naturally, by the time I got the camera ready, she had had nearly enough of that 'fun', but I did manage to grab a bit of video.  This was the most play I've seen from her; apparently she, too, is now out of 'survival' mode and understands that she has a forever home here, with lots of toys and new places to explore.....

**********

"You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange cats." - Colonial proverb

**********
My kitties favorite water bowl♥ 

Free MP3 download from Amazon.com