FURRY-CANE SEASON

My son was the ideal "landlord" in that he grew up with a family that had numerous cats and welcomed the chance to have one again. He quickly named the resident feline "Mr. Paws" and gave him every amenity while keeping him out of the sight of the building's owner, since pets were not permitted. The cagey feline was permitted, however, in all the rooms on both floors of the dwelling. His favorite spot was on the second floor, on a bed, snoozing on a plushy blanket. What more could a cat want?

But my son's love of cats led him to a CAT SHOW where he saw a cage full of Siamese kittens. He was captivated, and ran, he said, to the bank to get the money to purchase one. The new MESE was named by his room mate's little girl; she called him "Sanchez". His official coloration was "sealpoint", very dark. This color would not "come in" until he grew more. For the time being, he was just a creamy tan with the beginnings of his dark feet and ears. He was also NOT Alpha Male in the household, and Mr. Paws didn't ever let him forget that. Yet as he became familiar with this helpless little kitten, he began to nurture him. The two became inseparable.

All was well until the time came for my son to leave his room mate and her daughter and go south to his new job. It would take a while to arrange new housing and do the training for the new position. Having two cats was, at this point, impractical, and my phone rang and I was asked if I could possibly "take them for now". Gullible person that I am I said "Sure", and Mr. Paws and Sanchez were loaded into special carriers and flown out to me. My son wanted to stay here long enough for them to "adjust" to their new home and its existing resident felines. At that point there were four: Whisper, MouseCat, Jasper, and Bunny. Within a few years, all were gone except Bunny, so named because he was pure white and totally looked as if he came out of an Easter Basket. Bunny is also deaf and somewhat disabled following atrocious mistreatment that left him with a severe head injury and a small chance of survival. But survive he did to the age of fifteen.

So now the three cats live together in varying degrees of compatibility. The Siamese is a very friendly cat who will sleep with anyone. He loves being groomed and sits patiently on a stool while I run the comb through him and pull out enough fur to make another whole cat. His intense blue eyes follow me everywhere. Mr. Paws totally refuses to be groomed. A comb passing over him elicits a sharp response and a prompt exit. He likes the back of the recliner where his "taupe tummy" matches that chair and the carpeting. There is always a big lump of his fur left there. Our new vacuum has a special attachment for removing pet hair and fur from furniture. I haven't tried it yet, but I am eager to see if it lives up to its promise.

That leaves the BunnyCat. Every day for weeks I have picked up clumps of white fur from the rug and the red couch. Where he sits, it stays. At dinner time, he joins the dogs to beg for a treat from my food. The sight of the three little faces together is precious, and I have to have equal treats for them. When the treats are done and my plate is empty, I watch him walk deliberately into the living room to find a couch cushion. The red couch has gradually turned white, and I have noticed that his hind quarters are covered with large tufts of fur. Removing them by hand earns me a bite, so I must find the comb and wait for the right time to use it. I have read that a characteristic of geriatric cats is that they no longer groom themselves too well. Perhaps like humans in a similar life stage, they know the end is coming on fast and no longer care about their appearance? Anyhow BunnyCat likes being part of the family. He can be seen sleeping with the Shih Tzu's on their blanket in the office or on the futon in front of the TV. They get along very well.