Those Darn Cats!

These are my two constant companions, roommates and best friends. He (Teaser) is a camera ham; she (Scherzo) always closes her eyes for photo sessions. She does have eyes. She really does. You won't see her eyes unless you happen to visit me because she always closes them when I go to take pictures. Always. Both cats will be thirteen years old this coming June. I've had them since they were each about six weeks old. My old veterinarian in CT gave me them about a month after my older cat died at about 20 years old. He just knew I had to have a cat or two in my life.

That "older" cat was one I obtained as a kitten in my first apartment out on my own. He was Kerm, the original Firecat (see Cat Stevens - Teaser and the Firecat). So, when the little grey tabby was such a tease, he became Teaser. Now, Scherzo (pronounced Skair-tsoh) is a classical music term for the lively bouncy part of symphonies and operas. It also means joke or jest in Italian. So, I have a Teaser and a Jester, so to speak. She has an almost perfect music note in her facial markings. Music (though I can't sing worth anything, nor do I play any instrument well at all) has always been a part of my life... just like cats.

But... those darn cats!

I can't get any privacy here, none at all. If I'm at the computer, he's taking up the chair with the pillow on it set up for elevating my bad knee and she's behind my chair. If I go to go to the bathroom, she has to race ahead of me to get there first. If I go to the kitchen, both race to beat me there... yeah, watching me wash the dishes must be fascinating, huh. When I go to bed it's a competition between them who will get the favorite Cat Spot -- it's a big bed and that spot would be where the pillow for the other person would be if there were another person. But, no... there are two cats vying for that one spot instead. If she gets it, she stares at me purring loudly and he sits on the bed making whimpering noises. If he gets there first, he curls up purring while she stands about waist level trying to purr even louder.

They have a love/hate relationship with each other. She's a groomer sort and he'll go to her when he feels like it. They will cuddle together on occasion. However, they also torment each other. If he's in the computer chair, she's found that she can spin the chair around. If she's coming out of the bathroom, he hides around the corner in the hallway to ambush her and run away. They have face-offs and swat-offs. Nothing's like watching two cats trying to stare each other down. Heh.

Contrary to popular opinion (of those who don't know cats), they both retrieve and fetch. With her, I end up hiding whatever she's fetching or it will be brought into my bed with her headbutting me to play in the middle of the night. When bored, they'll bring their toys into the bathtub (dry) where it's more fun or something. My downstairs neighbors must love that.

While she's grown a bit more sedate (and FAT) over the years, he's still the Crazy Cat running amok through the apartment. He puffs his fur all up, jumps sideways and thinks he can hide behind a sneaker when we play "I'm gonna get that cat!" He starts the game by tagging me with his paw and running. If I don't play, he just hops all around me all puffed up like a Halloween cat until I break down and play.

My cats. I think I'll keep them. :-)