Cats are elusive creatures. They can be loving and cuddly one moment, distant and aloof the next. If you've ever stood outside and called a cat only to turn around to see them sitting on the porch railing, staring at you with a look that says, "Oh, were you talking to me?", then you know what I mean.
Anyone who has had a cat, or any other animal as a pet, knows that critters have their own personality. Let the experts say what they will, that animals are just flesh and blood with no conscious, no knowing of right or wrong, but, we pet owners know different. Our pets can be as important to us as a family member. They can be our friend and our confidant in troubled times and we learn how to 'read' them just like we do with people.
Most cat owners will agree that we don't pick a cat, the cat picks us. I have a new cat. I did not choose to have another cat, he just showed up. Thinking he would go on his merry way, I showed him no attention, but he stayed anyway. He's still a kitten but I would guess him to be about 3 months old and he has decided this is where he wants to be. I'm not sure why though, because the Queen is not happy.
The Queen has been sole ruler of the yard for over a year now and she likes it that way. She's old too, somewhere around 15 to 17 years, which is a pretty good accomplishment for an outdoor cat. She doesn't like this new cat, in fact, she hates this cat.
She has screamed at him from day one. I thought that would be enough to make him run for the hills, but still he stayed. She has savagely attacked him, even drawing blood, only to have him give her a wide berth to find a spot to lick his wounds.
This morning she was screaming at him again. My youngest daughter was here and what we witnessed is a testament to animals knowing right and wrong.
The deck on the back of my house is about six feet off the ground. It's not a very big deck and a couple of years ago I decided that the grill took up too much space. Not wanting to be running up and down the steps to cook something, I constructed a platform on the outside of the deck, suspended it with chains and set the grill on it. It has worked out quite nicely and has also provided a great spot for the Queen to sun herself.
The new cat was in the Queen's spot this morning. Not only was she screaming at him, she was throwing punches. The cover on the grill did provide him some traction, otherwise she could have knocked him off with the first blow. He desperately tried to hang on, but she wasn't finished. She continued to claw and slap him until he was completely off the grill and hanging on the side of the cover. What happened next was nothing less than pure meanness.
The Queen positioned herself on the edge of the grill, leaned over as far as she could and continued her assault until the little cat had run out of cover to hang on to and tumbled to the ground.
Now I know, some of you are rolling your eyes, thinking that's just the way animals are and maybe a bit of that is true. But, here's the thing, if I had been out there, she wouldn't have done it. She doesn't hide the fact that she doesn't like this cat, but as long as I'm close, she has quit knocking the snot out of him. This time she had waited, she didn't know she was being watched.
Bullying has become an epidemic in our society. I wish I could pass along the fortitude of this little cat to anyone who has been the victim of such meanness. To tell them that if they can ignore it long enough, maybe it will go away, or lose interest, but as humans, we sometimes lack that inner strength.
If you witness this lowest form of character, don't turn a blind eye, speak up. It could be the difference between life or death. It will not only give the victim a sense of worth, but may take the perpetrator down off their high horse.
You might even make a new friend, or in my case, a new cat.
The next time you want to be mean to someone, it might be a good idea to see who is watching.
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