Apparently there is a shortage of available male cats in the neighborhood. Every time I am outside after dark (as well as some daytimes), a certain dark gray female cat is hanging around. A few nights ago while our family was sitting in the living room visiting, Eric's cat Toki (Chinese for rabbit) was sitting contentedly in his lap. Suddenly we noticed the infatuated female cat on a table on our front porch, pressing her face against the window and meowing desperately. It took Toki awhile to catch on, but soon he was on the windowsill pressing his face from the other side meowing back. We tried to get the stalker cat to go away, but it kept skulking around.
I would have closed the shade, but there's no shade on the window. After ten years, it needed to be replaced. Will took it down, and I've been sporadically looking for a replacement for about six months. (At least two visits to Home Depot.) I can't find one I like as well as the last one. I loved that shade, a pleated fabric with a subtle floral print. Anyway, the cat would have probably clawed it to shreds at that moment.
Toki is a house cat only. Eric and Molly firmly believe outside cats teach each other bad habits, as well as spread disease. Toki has never even tried to go outside.
Tonight I arrived home at 9:30 p.m., finally finished with work, a meeting, basketball game and grocery shopping, 15 hours after leaving this morning. The children were still not home from church. I had several bags of groceries. When I went out for the second load, I nearly tripped on the stalker cat in my doorway. I shooed it away and finished bringing in groceries. For one startled moment, I thought I saw a dark cat behind the couch in the family room, but on closer inspection nothing was there.
Eric, Molly and Nick came in the front door and immediately said, "Toki did not do this! He hasn't been here all day!" I went out there and saw that the flimsy round table inside the front door was tipped over, with the pictures, plant and candles scattered on the floor. (Toki has previously been guilty of this situation.) Surely it was not that way when I came in! How could I have missed it! Then we heard the tinkle of a cat collar. The stalker cat was cowering in the back corner behind the family room couch! Fortunately, Toki was still at Molly's house!
Nick and Molly chased the intruder around a bit, managed to catch it and deposit it outside. I told it to go away and never come back. A bit later Nick said, "It sounds like something is at the front door." Molly cautiously opened it a bit. The cat was there but it ran away. It has not appeared at the front window.
What is the deal? Aren't there any outside male cats available in this neighborhood? Are pets really worth the trouble?
2 comments:
LeAnn, what do you expect? A cat, is a cat, is a cat, is a cat! Personally I have never had one good experience with a cat. But, thankfully, I have matured in enough areas of life that I will keep all of my well thought out and balanced opinions regarding what the future of all cats should be. But for now all I will say is, "Try and be happy cleaning up after the neighborhood window peekers", from your older, wiser, brother, John
My cat only showed his bad habits when he was indoors....now he is much happier. :) Tell the stalker kitty that Mr. Toki is fixed...maybe that will take care of it! ;)
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