Tag Archives: feline psychology

Feline Polyamory

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Emeraldas’ relationship with Yuki and Lefty is complicated.

I know I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. To be honest, we’re not sure if she realizes that they’re two separate cats.

It’s an easy mistake to make, I suppose. They are similarly sized and colored. One is floofy and the other isn’t, but maybe Her Majesty isn’t particularly texture-oriented. Whatever the explanation, she does sometimes seem confused when her boys are hanging out together.

But in the normal course of affairs, she’s happy to accept grooming from Yuki.

(I love that paw across the back of her neck. So sweet!)

And she’s just as pleased to be groomed by Lefty.

Not all is sunshine and rainbows, though. Disagreements do arise.

I can neither confirm nor refute rumors that Lefty tasted Yuki’s saliva on Emeraldas’ forehead. But he definitely got a tongue-full of something he didn’t care for–and this is the guy who’ll eat almost anything except feta cheese.

I Am Not a Number

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I am a free cat!

For local values of “free”, anyway.

Because Yuki’s legs aren’t really up to handling stairs, we keep a baby gate across the door to the master bedroom. It keeps him safe, but still allows the other cats to visit him (and us).

It’s not an insurmountable barrier to the other, free-roaming, cats. Lefty and Emeraldas jump over it in either direction at will. ‘Nuki uses the condos outside the room as a launching point when he comes in, but leaves from ground level. Even Kokoro, whose own legs are getting wobbly, jumps to the top of the gate, then jumps down.

Sachiko, though…She’s quite capable of jumping the gate, either using ‘Nuki’s condo technique or from the floor. But she’d rather not. Far better, from her perspective, to get a biped to do the work. So she’ll sit down right in front of the gate and stare through it until a hoomin comes to her rescue and opens it.

It might take hours, but Princess Pointy Bits isn’t bothered by that. If she really needs to go downstairs for anything, she could manage. But expend energy? Nah.

BFFs?

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Watanuki can be–often is–an asshole of epic proportions. He’s earned the nickname “Thugbutt” many times over. He’ll slap anyone he thinks isn’t paying him enough attention. Or paying him too much attention. Stealing “his” food*. Sitting in his spot.

* Never mind that the food is served in common bowls.

But then again, when the moon is in the seventh house andstars align, he’ll drift into Friendly Fellow territory.

Snuggles with the panther? Sure, why not? Pose for a picture? Might as well.

The mood swings do keep the bipeds guessing.

But BFFs? No. Sooner or later, the thug always reappears.

A Life Lesson

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Kokoro may be a lady of a certain age, but that doesn’t mean she’s lost her sense of fun.

She’s not about to let Kaja hog the toys when there’s a chance to play with her hoomins.

A certain, carefully measured, application of the “I’m still the boss of you” stare, and the toy was hers.

Of course, being the intelligent lady she is, and possessing the wisdom that comes of applying that intellect over the course of her life, Kokoro knows that victory, however tasty…

…never lasts. Sometimes you catch the toy, true. But it’s equally true that the toy sometimes catches you.

(She’s got that look of martyred patience down, doesn’t she?)

And those rumors that Kaja, lacking said wisdom, had a not-so-quiet chuckle?

Regrettably true.

A Rare Moment

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We don’t get a whole lot of Emeraldas/Sachiko mother/daughter bonding moments. To be brutally honest, there’s often hissing when they meet.

Which isn’t really surprising. They’re both dominant types with strong personalities, so a bit of pecking order negotiation is the expected norm.

But every so often…

We get a peaceful encounter.

In this particular case, Sachiko had been sleeping when Em leapt up on the condo. A bit of mutual staring occurred–I suspect it was the feline equivalent of “Make sure you wash behind your ears” / “Mom!”–and then they both got distracted by a passing moth and took off in pursuit.

It’s nice to see them sharing a passion for sports.

Pairings

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Feline pairings are volatile.

Lefty and Rhubarb, for example. They rarely fight–both are generally mellow fellows–but neither do they seek out each other’s company.

And yet, sometimes they find themselves thrown together by circumstances.

Circumstances such as “This stair has the best view in the house.”

It was an amicable meeting, and lasted about five minutes before they were both called away on urgent business elsewhere, Rhubarb to check his food bowl and Lefty to collect some lap time.

Other pairings are longer term.

(Ignore that thuggish photobomber in the background.)

Emeraldas and Lefty are frequently found in proximity.

Unsurprising, really. They started along the path to Indoor Cathood together–though Lefty made the transition indoors well before Em–and neither is entirely convinced they’ve been fixed.

Like many couples, they bicker: who gets to sit on which chair in the dining room, who gets first dibs on the gooshy fud, or who is going to wash who’s ears first.

Nevertheless, they’re more often found together than apart, and intertwined tails are not uncommon.

Catching Up with Kaja

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According to my notes, it’s been more than half a year since Kaja had a post to herself, and a couple of months since she’s appeared at all.

Note the reflective expression. History suggests that she’s not reflecting on ways to attain world peace, reduce climate change, or anything else that might benefit someone other than her.

Indeed, most likely she’s pondering the whereabouts of dinner, whether she can still swing from the chandelier, or whose hide she should render porous to liquids.

See?

A Rare Sight

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This was originally going to be titled “Birds of a Feather” but second thoughts prevailed.

I’ve long held the opinion that every home requires a meezer.

We are currently blessed–if that’s the word–with two. Kokoro is, naturally, the undisputed* empress of the household and queen of all she surveys.

* In her own mind, at least

Emeraldas, on the other forepaw, is the most recent addition to the clowder, and by far the least integrated. She spars vigorously with Lefty, stares at Sachiko with deep suspicion, and retreats precipitously from humans. (Contrarily, of course, she snuggles vigorously with Yuki, and..um…nevermind.)

So the Meezer Ladies don’t spend much time together. Kokoro stays in Maggie’s office, with occasional forays to the bedroom to hang out on my lap, and the kitchen to raid the empty gooshie fud cans. Emeraldas has recently relocated herself from the library upstairs to the living room downstairs–physically a journey of a mere couple of dozen stairs, but far more distant psychologically.

And yet, the twain do meet. And even pose for an occasional photo op.