Last Story Home Local Next

Getting Even

by Pam Shirk, North Carolina, USA

--------------

With three cats in the house, one finds that two of them tend to gang up on the third cat. Usually, around here, Berfert and QC tend to gang up on Tanada. I won't say that this is why she is cranky in her old age, but it doesn't help her attitude one bit.

Last night I was eating a sub sandwich while sitting in bed rather than watch the kids' tv show. Yes, I know, Mom shouldn't eat in bed. Tanada joined me in hopes of getting some of that good roast beef. I'm a sucker for wide eyes and the trembling paw of a starving cat. QC jumped on the foot of the bed, observed Tanada for a minute and decided that she wouldn't have a chance at the good stuff with the grouch firmly parking her fat tail in place. She then leaped from the bed to the tv to the cable receiver and into Tanada's cat bed on top of the high boy (a 5+ ft tall dresser). After turning around the mandatory 3 or 4 times, she declared Tanada's cat bed as a good and wholesome place to be and settled down to watch the action below.

Meanwhile, Tanada has watched every little morsel of beef sub slide down my throat and successfully talked me out of a substantial portion. I've seen QC take her position and have continued to share with Tanda in order to put off the fireworks, hoping that QC would leave Tanda's nest without encouragement. I shoulda known better. I warn the kids that there will be fireworks soon and they have prudently left the battlefield. I wait for the first explosion.

Tanda finally decides to peacefully sleep off a delicious snack in her nest. Surprise! The fat girl is in her spot. She must leave immediately. Tanada jumps on the cable box and hisses at QC. QC looks back at Tanda as though she's never seen that strange cranky cat before. Tanda hisses. QC stares. Hiss. Stare. Hiss. Stare. This goes on for about 5 minutes. Tanda raises her paw to punish that rotten bed stealer. All contentment with her snack is gone. I am grateful that no one has invited Berfert to the party. QC can't see what the fuss is about.

Tanda realizes that swatting the fat cat will have one of two possible outcomes. Either she will hurt her own paw on a fur lined wall, or the fat thing that is twice her size and weight will come down and chase her through the house. This has happened before and even a cranky cat cannot keep her dignity under such circumstances. Tanda retreats. QC looks very smug.

Tanada curls up in a ball on the heated side of my bed to sleep of her snack. It no longer is possible to fully enjoy conning mommy out of the good stuff. She is very unhappy with the world, but determined not to let either of the other cats know this. QC watches her sleep for a long time, then leaves the nest of contention. It is no longer fun to pick on Tanada. Tanada, however has not been in her nest since, unless she slipped up there while I was at work. It was once such a nice private place for a cat with permanent pms to relax.

--------------

Editor's note:

--------------
Last Story Home Top Local Next
Last
article
Story
menu
Main
index
Top of
article
Local
menu
Next
article