©April 2006
Carol Jane Remsburg
The Way Of The Cat
I live in a house where five FEMALE felines reside. It wasn't always the case, over the last twenty-five years the numbers were definitely smaller and the mix between males and females more equal. However there is now a pack of them and the hierarchy is unmistakable—Pye (Pyewacket) rules; matriarchs always do.
Living with cats is always an adventure. This isn't about catbox issues (which I am the queen of…), or feedings or bathings or medicine/vet trips, this is about cat watching in the ultimate degree, and trust me, my felines give a show worth watching, they always have.
In our house we have Pyewacket, saved from certain death due to malnourishment…to reign supreme over two males, one aging, and a younger one who would do back flips for a mere glance of approval from her. Since her salvation and recovery, this particular feline has ruled all she has surveyed—um, that means us humans too.
She endured with good grace, the sort reserved for royalty,
the shots and surgeries required to live inside our home. She never cried, she never howled, yet she
brooked no sass—EVER. Even when
After the fifth "Good night" and the loud calls
came from her bedroom that I tried to ignore, Pye dealt with it. She ran into the room, jumped onto the bed,
onto
Later, old Spike passed, then recently Stinky. During that time we've had a sudden inrush of other foundlings to save, all of them 'sister sets.' First was the "mother" who showed up, pregnant…very friendly. I named her Thomasina. I was late November and very cold, it was a bitter winter that year. Come late December, Thomasina showed up frequently and was now VERY pregnant, hubby set up a place for her in the garage and turned on a ceramic heater, the radio, and even lights.
Not long afterwards…Thomasina disappeared. It wasn't until very early in February when Thomasina showed up again…bringing her offspring…two clones of her…little gray tabbies who wouldn't let us touch them, yet cried out for loves and attention. Then they disappeared, as did Thomasina. But it was SO cold outside, snow and bitterly cold temperatures.
I knew the kittens were close and food was scarce. We put food out…it disappeared, and we had no idea where they were or how they were until sometime in mid-March. They suffered one of the cruelest, bitterest winters for temperatures—alone. Their mother, Thomasina had abandoned them with us.
Likely they spent most of their time, bundled entwined beneath the porch for warmth where we couldn't see them or help them. The oldest, Missy, ventured out finally, was affectionate…but Gabby, so aptly named, refused—she's SUCH a drama queen. For a time we weren't sure if we had one kitten or two beneath the porch, and poor Missy had been injured on her tail, which we were sure she was going to lose…the cold and her innate sense of cleanliness saved her tail—which still has a crook, but is viable nonetheless.
By mid-March, the warmer weather brought them out. They frolicked in the tiger lilies as has all the kittens since. They needed care, and they also needed a home. By June, the eldest, Missy, err, had been sidetracked by a male—we had to make a move. Three attempts to box them and get them to the vet failed—hubby was clawed pretty badly—he just refused to do the 'scruff' and carry, but I will. Don prefers the 'cradle' mode—exposing himself to, "I'M NOT GONNA GO IN THAT BOX"—and all that comes with it. Me, I'm the master of manhandling a cat, when I know it won't hurt them and save ME from injury. It doesn't hurt the cat and saves ME a bunch of skin. (Remember, I'm the one who also has to bathe them…hubby is SUCH a weenie) Thus, we finally, on the fourth try, got them housed in a large dog cage, and off to the vet for fixing and shots and declawing. Once home, and on the back porch, they were in heaven, they've never looked back, enjoy the porch, but home is INSIDE. Even when I took out their stitches, not a blink or a nod—did it while they were snoozing.
Secondly, we've brought in another
legacy of Thomasina's brood, Swirl. Fudgie, sister to
Swirl, also had another 'round of kittens that grew up and took up squatters
rights in the garage. The one male,
Ripple, got run off into the road and was killed, and
hubby mourned as did we all. Fudgie had her own kitties and they wouldn't
come, but her sister, Swirl, was a treasure but she disappeared, leaving her
offspring at the mercy of Fudge AND her kittens. Swirl had three—a gray tabby, a black, and a
cream sickle orange. The cream sickle
orange was the only male—and he was savaged one
night. That was the
Friday night I sat up with him on the back steps until about
The two who were left, Stripes, the
little gray, and
I just couldn't, wouldn't, couldn't…..the
summer passed. Stripes kept far away
from Fudgie and family firmly who were ensconced in
the garage. Stripes hid behind the
garage and took shelter where we could provide for her in an oversized PVC
conduit.
After months, and I mean months, of
harried pleas, hubby had caved big. Stripes was on the porch and inside. What could I say? Apparently not much, for she was such a
sweetie and vying with Stink for
Not two months later, Stink fell ill, and passed, leaving
Stripes as the front runner for
To round out the remaining others, we have Pye, who hubby 'saved' which she never forgot, who was supposed to be MY cat---simply rules all and sundry in the house and sleeps at Don's feet every night. She takes her due as it should be, nobody, and I mean NOBODY crosses that little calico furball.
Then there's Missy, the eldest of the first twins, my personal shadow. She loves me because I'm her mother, always have been. She sleeps with me, cuddles with me, and is second-in-command ONLY to Pye. Then there's Gabby…the malcontent. She's her Daddy's whiner..oh, and she WHINES, cries, babbles, and stirs UP trouble-cuz she's got SUCH a bad temper. Like the irritant in an oyster that creates a pearl, this house wouldn't be the same without her constant whining and nagging…and SHE DOES nag. Hubby and I have long ago decided she was the most APTLY named of any of our pets—Gabby is certainly is.
Stripes is all Erin's, her shadow, as I mentioned, but
Salem, our little black baby, is all her Daddy's, she worships his every
move. She carries around her toys, her
"ninny" ones of the plastic bell encased in a plastic all, or her
squeaky mouse, and only plays with her sister Stripes.
But normally, it's, well—a madhouse around here most times.
Now, after I've given you ALL this background, what happened this morning may make a bit of sense—if you are feline inclined.
Why do you ask?
Well, Gabby got OUT on Friday morning, off the porch and
into the backyard, just as I was about to leave for work and take
My plea yanked him out of the shower and dressed in no time, I left him to deal with it. About 15 minutes later, just before getting to work, I got a call from him telling me that he had Gabby inside. Further, he pronounced, NONE of the cats were going to be allowed on the porch until he deemed otherwise.
Fast-forward to Sunday morning. Friday night passed—no cat on the porch. Gabby cried continually over it. Saturday they DID get to go out, but Gabby was whining, because she was in a foul mood. Gabby continued to whine and grouse and in general be a pain in the butt—until Sunday morning.
On Sunday morning, this morning, I got up at just before
By about
Further, when Gabby left the room, Pye corralled her into the living room and put her into a "time out" for about five hours—and wouldn't let her leave. About three hours into it, they both went to sleep, but before that, it was a face-off. Pye NEVER loses.
So, the next time you wanna face off with a matriarch, give it a bit of consideration. Be it in the feline world or the human world, we old biddies can only stand so much. (As a sidebar, every OTHER feline in the house creeped around and was VERY quiet…none of them wanna make our Pyewacket mad either.).
Now if I could just focus her attention back on