Happily Ever After
Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running
Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.
Along Came A Spider
by admin - 22:02 on 22 May 2010
Matchgirl's plan to turn The Rural Retreat into The Twilight Home for Distressed Cats has got off to an inauspicious start.
A couple of weeks ago the pet-lover (and I) agreed to provide a retirement home for a friend's moggy who was being bullied by a younger cat. Spider (strange but true) is black as a witch's familiar, fourteen years old and has fewer teeth than Bess. All she wants is a quiet life and a lap when she needs one, we were told.
Bess was warned of the impending arrival by Matchgirl, who explained that she'd have to be nice to the old lady who was coming to stay.
The new resident was delivered this morning while Bess snoozed upstairs on our bed. Spider took to her new home immediately, had a good look round the ground floor and after finding Bess's catnip mouse-on-a-string showed unexpected animation for someone described as old and lethargic.
Not Bess and Spider – as promised yesterday, two of the Amur tiger cubs from Highland Wildlife Park who celebrated their first birthday this month
An hour after her arrival, Bess sauntered downstairs in search of food and affection and came face to face with the intruder. She hissed. Spider hissed back. Bess hissed again. Spider returned the hiss and took half a step forward. Bess retreated upstairs.
Our timid puss has been bested by an elderly moggy of uncertain health who by all rights should have been the submissive one. Poor Bess.
To prevent further confrontation Spider was placed in the puppy cage in which Bess convalesced following her near-death experience, although more hissing – from both parties – took place when Bess descended the stairs after spending some time looking down on the imprisoned interloper. Again, Bess blinked first.
The appearance of Romeo while Bess sat at the open door to enjoy the sun and watch the pheasants at the bottom of the garden could have led to more humiliation. However, this time the resident moggy stood her ground and the rascally roamer slunk away without confrontation.
Bess is now back on our bed; Spider is back in her cage after being allowed out for more play and to sit on Matchgirl's knee. The future will be interesting.
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