My Cats and I

I don't know about your morning by thanks to my 3 cats, Harry soon aged 9, Max now 3 ½ and Oscar, the tabby baby who will be 2 in May, my mornings (and any other time of the day) are very entertaining.

We also have a permanent visitor who actually lives a few houses further up the road but kind of lives with us part time – especially meal times. I am calling him “Ginger” for lack of knowing his real name and as he is red...

Ginger first took a shine to us last summer – not that this made much sense – because he didn’t get a welcome note from the other residents. In fact that made no secret of their clear annoyance that he dared to come in, eat their food and played with their toys and to just really annoy them, wanted to be stroked by me. This dislike worked both ways – he did not treasure their company either. During his visits he got hissed at, jumped from behind and in a cat kind of way it was made absolutely crystal clear to him to just bug off.

He still came every day and enjoyed himself despite the opposition by playing with the toys. I personally didn’t mind as I just loved his spirit but as he didn’t dare to fight with the residents it was me who got hissed at and scratched.

A lot of meals and staying overnights later he has developed into a friendly pussy cat – very fond of cuddles and company.

Harry still wishes him hell on earth but a bit does it a bit more subtle these days, Max can’t really be bothered unless he has back-up and Oscar still likes to surprise him with an attack from behind the curtains – but then again, Oscar does this to everybody else as well.

Oscar has developed at times into a bit of a bully although when he looks at you with these big brown eyes – personified innocence itself – you just can’t help yourself thinking that all you want to do is just cuddle him. His little ways certainly work on me.

I am trying a new tactic to curb the bullying – because quite frankly, nothing else has worked so far. When he now has a go at Harry or Max – and I mean this in every sense of the word – hairs are flying and Harry in particular can scream for England – whereas max just runs for his life to try and get away from this little tearaway – instead of screaming myself, I am now try to stay calm and fetch him and basically whisper to him in an effort to calm him down.
Mind you – it hasn’t stopped him in the long run – but it seems as it does has a calming effect for that moment and he does let it go.

Oscar always was very brave. I never forget the day he arrived – 6 weeks old – just taken from his mother and siblings and put into a new house all by himself with a strange person and 3 other big cats. It must have been absolutely terrifying. I never before had any thoughts about this till that day – now I do and I wish there would be a better way.

Oscar was hiding in a corner watched by all 3 of them from a safe distance. Suddenly Oscar took heart, leaped out from behind his corner and jumped side wards, his back and hair stretched to the maximum, in front of them like – and I’m sure he was – saying: “Don’t you dare come near me!!”.

And guess what, no one did dare. They were absolutely fascinated just watching him.

After that we never looked back, He stood his ground and become the most loving companion for Mays, my wonderful Burmese, who at the time was very ill and died a few months later. Oscar, as little as he was, seemed to understand that love was the most precious gift he could give to Maya and the two of them became inseparable till her death a few months later.