Cat stories

[ALLHAILTHEGLOWCLOUD]

I adopted two orange striped kittens this last spring- both girls, which is rare for orange cats, and from the same litter.  Watching them grow has been quite the experience!  They both likely have some kind of larger breed in them, maybe Bengal from the markings, because at 6 months they are already well over the size they should be.  We think they're going to be really big and dwarf our seven year old brown tabby.

They're named Lyra and Pantalaimon after the Golden Compass characters [two halves of the same soul, for those who haven't read the book].  They sleep in the bathroom at night and come and approach us when they're ready for bed.  They like to sit in the sunshine on the windowsill behind my potted plants and are learning to be gentle with growing things.  When I was having flashbacks this afternoon they took a break from crashing around the living room to sit next to me and tried to be on their very best behavior, lol.  They were taking turns sitting on my stomach and purring and being really sweet, but it didn't take long for them to get distracted by something, usually their own tails.

Pan likes to go down into our bathtub and sort of scoot/flop around until she can slide along the curves.  She really enjoys chasing her tail in there until she gets too dizzy to stand.  She also likes being held upside down.

Lyra is a little more uncertain and she was really sick as a kitten, but now she's even bigger than her sister and doing great.  When she wants attention, she prances around and sticks her tail straight up and wiggles it furiously, and makes this high-pitched little meow.  Or she'll flop over on her back and smile at you with her teeth!

Daphne is our oldest kitty.  She is very set in her ways and is happiest when she has all her favorite things gathered together in a pile to lay on.  She likes sticks and feathers, especially from seagulls, and also crinkly balls and her brush.  She has a bright white belly and white gloves and go-go boots to match.  She's super talkative and sometimes mimics people's inflections.  Most of the time she can be found sleeping on the rug with her belly up, or flopped over the turntable where she isn't supposed to go, but which has become her territory. 

The kittens have a box in our living room that they've somehow learned how to get underneath, and they like to scoot around the living room chasing each other like it's a cardboard tank.  Daphne our older kitty loves watching their games and has relaxed a lot more since we got them and become much more playful herself, even though they drive her nuts sometimes. 

[Lingurine]

What a beautiful story allhailtheglowcloud.

I have a wooden plate hanging in a tree in my garden, it says: 'Alley cats rescued here'. I don't know, but sometimes it's like the neighbourcats can read.

In the morning, when I open the door to my garden, to let fresh air in and Bobbie out, two neighbourcats are waiting in front of the door. One red cat is waiting on the doormat and his little sister is standing next to him. When they want in, Bobbie wants out, so my cat jumps over the two neighbourcats when they stoop at the same time, in a hurry, eager to get into the house. Every morning the same ritual. This is so breathtakingly cute...

Lingurine

[woodsgnome]

Just a few years ago, my household consisted of 2 fun-loving cats, 3 husky dogs (big but gentle!), and me. When we were all inside, the living area was 24ft x 18ft, with high lofts and cathedral (beamed) ceiling.

So...pretty cozy.

The cats had several ways of showing the dogs who was in charge, from a variety of hisses to an occasional display of threatening claw, to their favoured mode--the silent stare that said "don't even think about it--it's my toy, you go and chew on your bone". The cats were always adamant about ignoring their own water dish in favour of visiting and lapping up out of the dogs allotment--that is, if they knew the dogs were watching. This was always done with smug, self-satisfied looks, as if the water there was better than their own. No food fights, though; apparently there really is a difference between commercial dog and cat food (or maybe they read the labels?).

The best show of feline solidarity, though, was their frequent staged theatrical performances. Here's the skinny--the cats (7 years apart in age) would wait for an opportune quiet peaceful moment. Lots of moments here are like that, but they were excellent choreographers so they waited for the perfect moment to start the nightly show.

So with the dogs curled up in front of the fireplace, the cats would enter the area looking like wrestlers entering for a prize match. The snoozing dogs would hitch up a bit, then come to full attention once the show started.

The show consisted of some of the greatest, fiercest, snarling cat brawls in history--except they were, to my eyes anyway, fake (or maybe practice?)--each cat would stop short at a critical juncture when they could have sunk their teeth or claws deep into the other. They'd feint around some more, again like wrestlers or boxers cannily circling the other, keeping their dukes up ready for the next 'blow'.

Soon there'd be an upper cut, perhaps a counter swipe, a couple of hisses, and then, usually within about 20 minutes, both cats took their triumphant spots on opposite sides of the dogs water bowl, and drank 'er up in a toast to their own performance. Then they'd wander off to a loft and curl up together, both champs for the night, content to let the world pass as they snuggled into their partner's stack of fur. They were together and happy.

The dogs (and I) were usually just amazed. While watching the cats, the dogs would look at each other, back to the felines, to me, the only human in the appreciative audience; and they weren't about to interfere with a grand performance. Once the cats had skedaddled to their spots, the dogs looked around, grabbed some grub from their bowls, and looked at each other, satisfied it had been a worthwhile show.

So that was our nightly gathering, and all was well.

[Kat]

I miss my cat Shaun so much.  He was a big, goofy guy, cross-eyed.  He had a knowing soul and was so gentle with me. 

I got Shaun from a rescue.  All of the cats were kept in one large enclosure.  The back wall of the enclosure had shelves at various levels for the cats to perch upon.  When I entered the room, there were other people looking at the cats.  As I stood looking around at all of the different cats, Shaun got up from one of the shelves and made his way down to the front to rub on the cage in front of me.  He had chosen me.  I was so, so lucky. 

I miss so much about him, but the main thing I miss was his touch.  I remember so many times lying on my bed next to him.  If I was feeling depressed or scared, he would reach out a single paw and place it gently on my arm.  We would stay like that together in silence, but that one little paw contained so much energy and conveyed such love and such knowing.  He always made me feel so safe.  He was an amazing creature and was here for too short a time.

[Lingurine]

Shaun sounds like a real darling, Kat, I'm so sorry you have to miss him 

What a great household woodsgnome! 
Cats do have their ways telling us and other animals that they rule, don't they? I so love that about them... 

Today I was walking into the woods and remembered a vacation in Greece. When you love cats, it's a great place to be. I was just walking somewhere and sat down on the street, when from every corner, cats appeared. They came and sat with me and wanted to be stroked. I remember being overwhelmed with emotions, because...there where so many and I loved them all instantly, it was a great bonding experience.
Most cats there are very skinny, because it's so hot outside, but also because their owners tend to not feed them especially, so they came begging for food at the restaurants.

Lingurine