My Cats Know

My cats know. I don't know how they know, but they know, that something's different. Something's changed with me. But I've often felt animals were smarter then people to begin with.

Skitzy seems like she's gotten her fur trimmed up somehow. And Cole doesn't seem to protest so much if he's left in only the one room with me. Neither seem to protest as much now that they don't get to run through as much of the house as much as they did before. Now it's becoming a daily rotation of what cat is left in what room, instead of an hourly rotation. Somehow they seem to know that's the best I can do for them right now. They don't complain. They just know. I don't know how they know, these things but they do.

Skitzy seems to have more different kinds of protests, as if to say to me, if something happens to you, what happens to us? Maybe it's her way of pleading with me, to try to get better, healthier, stronger. To do what I'm supposed to do, even when I don't want to, don't feel like it, when not doing it seems easier, or not worth the fight ahead for me.

Cole seems to accept it. Sometimes only wanting to put his dignified black head upon my knee, and to watch me carefully and often with his ancient and wise green eyes. He watches me close. They both share their cat blinks with me, guardingly and lovingly.

And I cannot control the splash of angry messy tears, that so often now needs to fall upon my face, unbidden, unasked for, but I certainly cannot say these tears are uncalled for or unwarranted. And not from even a point of needing to feel sorry for myself, but just to get the pain out, the tears out. Because they are there too, and they need to come out of my eyes, to be communicated like so many uncontrolling splashes on my face, just like my words need to pour out of my brain and my heart now. So I write, so I cry, so I blog, and sometimes I smile and laugh, and sometimes there's a glimmer of hope, no matter how small or insignificant it might now seem

My two cats, they know all this. I don't know how they know, but they do.

Cats Go Round

I thought if perhaps I slowly reintroduced Skitzy and Cole to each other, maybe we could finally have the peaceful two cats, one human household that I longed to have. I pictured myself contentedly typing away on the computer, while they both were free to go into all areas of the house. Then I would no longer have to keep them separated. Maybe I could finally put an end to my separated cat system, and my cat rotation system.

Maybe they'd get along better now. They were both older. They both knew the other cat lived here. They both lied down in front of the closed door the other occupied. I thought they were telling me, why don't you just let us be the Cats we are, and we'll take care of things in our own way.

Cole was neutered now. Much of that testosterone would be gone, and his aggressiveness surely would have diminished by now.

I had to plan this carefully. I closed my bedroom door, because I knew Skitzy likes to go under my bed. If Cole followed her there I wouldn't easily be able to get to either one of them to stop the cat fight if it happened. Skitzy would be let out first to freely roam the house. Then I warned her that I'd be letting Cole out. I had my trusty water bottle in hand. I was prepared to break things up if I needed to do that. I steeled myself for the spitting, hissing noises that I soon might be hearing.

Cole slowly came out, requiring much petting by me after having been left in the bedroom over night. Skitzy was hiding somewhere.

Cole looked at me, as if to say, I'm trying real hard to be a good guy cat here. I'm trying to behave. I was proud of him. He seemed to have no interest whatsoever in seeking Skitsy out. I'm sure that he could smell her, as Cats' have a much stronger sense of smell then humans do.

Cole went on to explore the room that Skitzy's often kept in. He advanced to where her food was. I knew he'd eat it if he got the chance. So there I was standing there with a Spray Bottle of Water in One hand, and Skitzy's food bowl in the other. How was I going to fend off any potential cat attacks like that?

It finally occurred to me to put Skitzy's food bowl down. And if Cole ended up eating it, I would replenish it for her. I wasn't about to let her go hungry, and putting her food bowl in the fridge didn't seem like a good option. I might forget I left it there.

I've now had to keep the bag of cat chow inside a plastic grocery bag. Knot it loosely and then keep it hidden away in a cabinet. Even at that Cole has managed to get the kitchen cabinet open, tear through both bags to get to the cat chow. While I'm certainly not starving him, in fact he's gained weight, if he wants more cat chow, he seems to find a way to get it. I haven't yet been able to stop him.

Cole continued exploring the room, that Skitzy gets kept in. Skitzy made herself visible to me by crouching near the garbage can in the kitchen. So there all three of us were, in this L shaped formation, with me standing in the corner of that "L" between the two of them, armed with my spray water bottle in hand watching the two of them to see what would happen next. I started wondering how long I would have to remain on cat guard patrol like this.

It was if we had some kind of two cats, one human standoff. I started to think maybe this can work after all. Cole had been out for a few minutes, and he didn't initially go after Skitzy or even try to seek her out. Then Cole came down the hallway where I was at. He even ignored Skitzy for awhile and sniffed at other things.

Then Skitzy moved, Cole went after Skitzy and all hell broke loose. I couldn't keep up with them, armed as I was with my trusty spray water bottle.

Maybe it wouldn't have happened again if Skitzy hadn't dashed off. Yeah right. Like that's a natural thing to expect a cat to do. To not move at all, to just stand still! Like that was ever going to happen!

Cole had Skitzy trapped in one of the closets of the bedroom she's often forced to occupy. My spraying him with water, didn't seem to phaise him in the least. He wasn't about to move from the closet. He laid there a foot away from her, just waiting for her to make her move. Skitzy was curled up hissing and starting her dreadful keening noises again. Skitzy was looking at me desperately as if she was saying to me "Help Me! Save Me! You're supposed to love and protect me from this brute of a cat. You're the one who brought him into this house! Do something!"

Skitzy dashed off with Cole in gleeful pursuit. They got my bedroom door opened, which doesn't close very well to begin with, and after more hissing and spitting they both ended up under my bed. Exactly what I was trying to prevent. Both of them in a corner under my bed where I couldn't see them, and certainly couldn't reach either one of them, to grab them or to squirt them to to try to put an end to the cat fight, spitting, hissing, keening noises I was now hearing once again.

My heart was racing like it was about to come flying right out of my chest. I pounded on the bed in frustration, and fear for how this might turn out for Skitzy, and how she'd feel about me in the future at my having left her to fend for herself against Cole. There wasn't much I could do about any of this. I was just a frustrated, ineffective, helpless, scared human after all. Things had not turned out as I had planned.

My hopes for a peaceful two cats, one human household vanished as quickly as they had come. Then Cole casually strolled out from under my bed. He looked at me as if to say, "What did you really expect would happen?" He sure didn't have that look on his face now, that said I'm trying to be the good cat you want me to be. Instead he looked rather smug and extremely satisifed with himself. This time he was looking at me as if he was saying, "Hey, I'm just doing what comes naturally to me! What in the world is your problem, human person, who doesn't seem to have a clue about normal cat behavior?"

Casually he made his way out of that bedroom and into another one. Skitzy remained under my bed.

About a week ago, Skitzy and Cole somehow ended up in the same closed bedroom together. Everything seemed quiet, and peaceful while I went in search of Skitzy wondering where she had ended up hiding. I was very surprised to see her occupying the same room at the same time as Cole. I can't for the life of me figure out how that happened. As soon as I came into that room and opened the door, then the hissing, spitting, snarling started.

So maybe all this chasing, all these terrible noises I can't bear to listen to are all being done for my benefit. Maybe it's some scheme the two of them concocted to have their dubious version of cat fun with me their human counterpart.

I think they've both got my number. I think they both know exactly how to play me, and how to push my soft spots to their fullest advantage.

As I type this, Cole and I now occupy the room with the computer, while I type away with the bedroom door closed. I'll have to entice Skitzy out of hiding, by bribing her with canned cat food. Then her and her food will get placed in the bedroom she is often forced to occupy and then Cole will get his turn to be let out to freely roam the rest of the house.

After awhile Skitzy will get bored with it. She'll sratch at the bedroom door to be let out. Cole will then be placed in the bedroom with the computer, with the door closed and then it will be Skitzy's turn to freely roam the rest of the house, or to go into hiding, somewhere as she now so often does.

And so we're all three carrying on, just exactly as we were before. My Separated Cat System and my Cat Rotation System continues to be left in place. At least until I can figure out what my next move might be, in simply wanting to live in a peaceful quiet two cats, one human household.

Two Cat Household

I own two Cats, or they own me. I got Skitzy my small sweet female cat, as Misty another cat that we had, started getting older. Misty, a tabby, was with us for a good 16 or 17 years. Bringing Skitzy into the house, I felt was about the continuing circle of life. Misty made some unhappy keening noises at times, but for the most part she didn't seem to have a major problem with Skitzy coming into the household.

Skitzy didn't go after Misty, but pretty much just left her alone. They didn't fuss and fight with each other. In fact at times, they were sleeping near each other in the separate cat beds I had bought them.

Skitzy is a tortoiseshell cat. She's sweet, somewhat shy, very gentle and likes to occupy my lap while I'm trying to knit. She's like a ballerina cat, the way she softly, gently puts her paws down. It never got to a point where Misty and Skitzy cuddled with each other, or licked each other but at least they seemed to tolerate each other.

Sometime after Misty died, I wondered if Skitzy was bored being in the house all by herself. I felt she had gotten used to having another cat around. She came to me from a household that had another cat there.

Along came Cole. I thought Cole would keep Skitzy company, and give her companionship that I thought she might have needed after Misty died. I thought they would play together and happily chase each other around from time to time. They were closer in age to each other then Skitzy had been to Misty.

Soon began the snarling, the hissing, the spitting between the two of them. The mad dashes by the two of them through different areas of the house. The disturbing sounds of two cats fighting, that were hard for me to listen to, and even harder for me to ignore. Those noises probably sounded much worse to me, then they might have been to either one of them.

Skitzy then started going into hiding, looking over her shoulder whenever she went to use the litter box, or go to eat. As if she was checking out if it was safe for her to pursue those activities. Cole's a lot bigger than Skitzy is.

Often he seemed to trap her in a corner, though he didn't appear to actually be hurting her. But just sort of waiting, daring her to move, so he could chase after her again. What was worse were the keening noises that Skitzy started making when Cole got too close.

She sure didn't sound like a very happy cat to me, glad to have the company of this new cat I had brought into her territory. At times I think she gave me looks of hurt, confusion, and that I had somehow betrayed her by bringing Cole in.

And Cole seemed to become a type of Bully Cat, towards Skitzy though he is very sweet and affectionate to me. Before I gave him a home I had heard he didn't get along with the other cat residing there. Maybe Cole just needs to be the Solo Cat of his cat household.

People told me this aggression on Cole's part might ease up once I got him neutered. Skitzy was spade, so I couldn't figure out what kind of sexual scent she might be leaving that would be attractive to him. But Cole was just doing what comes naturally to a Young Male Cat, who wasn't yet neutered. Basically going after anything that moved. Skitzy moved. Cole went after her.

I then started my separated cat system. I'd keep one cat in one bedroom, while the other got to roam the rest of the place. I rotated this to try to make it fair to both of them. It was difficult for me to logically think this through, in the mornings before the coffee had kicked in. I'd put one cat in one bedroom, and then realize he or she needed fresh food or water, or their litter box needed to be cleaned out. Then I'd have to sneak in and out to accomplish this task. I'm sure both cats had a good laugh at my silly human disorganization, before the caffeine had its desired effect on my addled brain.

I initially thought about naming Cole, who is all Black with incredible green eyes, Nat KinK Cole, since he had a KinK in his tail. It's a good thing I didn't. Cole started attacking his tail, going after it in a frenzy. He scared me when he started these attacks upon himself. Soon part of his tail became fur bear, and bleeding.

Sometimes he started hissing at it or hissing at me. I wasn't quite sure which. Since Skitzy was in another room. That only left Cole, Me and his battered tail for him to be hissing at. Obviously something about his tail was bothering him.

Off to the Vet, where Cole finally got the neutering he needed, as well as having to have part of his tail amputated. He came home wearing a collar, so that he couldn't go after the bandage on his tail. At that point I was told by the Vet to continue keeping them both separated until Cole recovered from his surgeries. Cole would have an animal hospital smell attached to him when he first came home and Skitzy might freak out at seeing Cole wearing his Collar. I can't say I'd blame her for that, as he looked like an Alien Cat with it on.

Poor guy had a hard time wearing that collar. He bumped into things, or his collar would get caught on something, that I'd have to free him from. He couldn't groom himself with the collar on. At times it didn't seem like he could eat very easily. He'd get the corner of his collar caught under his water bowl, and spill the water.

This wasn't his fault. He couldn't help it. It was frustrating for both of us. Skitzy at one time, looked at me, looked at him, with his collar and his amputated tail, as if she knew something wasn't quite right. I would take the collar off of Cole for awhile so he could have an easier time at eating his food, and give himself a good grooming session. But as soon as he started going after his tail, the collar went back on him.

When it was Cole's turn to freely roam the house, and Skitzy was safely in another bedroom, Cole stayed close to me as he followed me through the different rooms of the house. As if he knew I would need to act as his guide, since he couldn't use his whiskers for that purpose, while having to wear that collar.

Cole being the smart cat that he is, managed to get the Collar off himself, by chasing madly through the house. Somehow with the chair and table legs he came up against, the collar came off, and Cole again attacked his bandaged tail. Back to the Vet we go. Now the majority of his tail had to be amputated.

Cole came home again. He now looks like a small Bobcat, with just a small stub of black tail left. But at least he is no longer having his frenzied attacks towards his tail anymore. This time for his 2ND episode of tail amputation recovery, he had a collar on that would be much more difficult for him to get off, and even if he attempted it, he wasn't able to accomplish this the second time around.

My separated cat system continued. It was as if I owned two cats, but owned them one at a time. Yet each of them would lie in front of the bedroom door that the other cat was occupying at the time. Skitzy voluntarily would dash into the bedroom, that she has to often occupy. As if to say to me, I don't like this set up very much, but at least I know I'm safe in here, and that Cole can't get to me, as long as you keep the door closed. Of course when she's getting bored with that, she's scratching at the door to be let out, and my cat rotation system starts all over again. Cole gets put into another bedroom, Skitzy then gets let out to roam the rest of the place.

This would all be so much easier, if I had some sort of Cat Revolving Door in place. But it's not a great situation for any of us.

If I'm on the computer, which I am a great deal of the time, I can't really keep an eye on the two of them, so I continued on with my separated cat system. I knew I was keeping them separated more for my sake then for theirs. I didn't want the additional stress of having to break things up, if they should get into another cat fight, while I was on the computer. In addition, I couldn't always remembers where I had last left the spray bottle of water to cool things down between them. I think I could have learned how to deal with the hissing and spitting noises in time. But it was Skitzy's keening noises I had the hardest time listening to.

Maybe I just should have enclosed myself in one room, with a good pair of headphones on and let the two of them figure things out. I felt like I would be setting up Skitzy to be attacked by Cole. I wasn't seeing trails of blood droppings or clumps of fur left behind. But those noises...they were heart wrenching to me. They were too difficult for me to listen to, and impossible to tune out.

If Cole and I are both enclosed in the bedroom where the computer is, and Skity's out in the rest of the place, the room that Cole and I are in gets incredibly warm, while the rest of the place seems to get very cold. Now I have to make increased trips to turn the heat down, turn the heat up, or at times just turn the heat off altogether for awhile, until the bedroom with the computer in it cools down.

This was becoming a crazy way for all three of us to live. I had kept them both separated for so long, I didn't know how to undo it anymore. I knew something had to change.

To be continued: