jonza
02-25-2003, 10:37 AM
Fisters' Journey - More news from the front line
Fister’s campaign for virtual domination of our flat has entered a new phase now, and he’s upping the ante. In fact he’s becoming a real little tyrant! This is happening on several different fronts. At the moment it’s beginning to look like a multi-pronged attack with four main areas of contention:
1. Vocal harassment.
2. Increasingly aggressive bed manners.
3. The desire to play or be entertained.
4. Instant entertainment in the bathroom.
Most of these advances have happened since his horrific experience with the final operation that has (hopefully) solved his bladder problem completely. He was forced to accept close contact and the ministrations and help from other human beings than Randi and I. Before that, though loving and peaceful with us, nobody else ever got near him. As soon as the front door opened he would be under the bed in an instant. Now, when we get visits from guests, he will yawn lazily and disdainfully let them touch and stroke him. He can even get annoyed by their presence and provocatively hop onto his windowsill and try and stare them down! What a cheek coming into HIS flat and making all that noise and commotion!
Here are some areas where he has definitely made what I’m sure he would call “Real Progress”:
1. Vocal Harassment
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid52/p459384a15f2021beebb824c3d15d75d1/fc960910.jpg
Howling at the moon?
For the first few years with us he was very timid, and rarely miawed at or for us, unless, as we found out later, he had serious problems with his bladder. Apparently wild cats originally didn’t miaw much, possibly due to the risk of being heard by potential foes. But they have a whole vocabulary of chirps and purrs and grunts as we all know. Miawing is supposedly reserved for talking to humans, and a thing they learn in their contact with us. This fits very well with Fisters development, since it is only after several years and many long conversations with him that he has learned that he can also ANSWER BACK! This has been a bit of a revelation for him, and during the last few months he has been refining his vocabulary considerably. I just wish that I could understand catspeak, he seems to have lots and lots to say, and nowadays he definitely asks what he thinks are pertinent questions and answers back when we talk to him.
2. The bed
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid52/p5320b8f9a2c5e8803fc5838066666313/fc96090e.jpg
This is MY bed!
The bed is, of course, already absolutely and completely his property territory-wise, but there are still some small subtle(!) developments. His loving head bump, always a favourite way of waking me or getting my attention, has begun to develop into what normally would be seen as an aggressive attack. Now it’s not so much a head bump, more like a galloping head-but. He’s just never understood our human frailties, and is capable of fairly serious damage without intent. Nowadays, if I’m not up when he thinks I should be, he will start way over on the other side of the bed and makes a run at me, lowering his head just before he reaches me, and giving me a real whack in the face. It’s just like a bull going for the Toreador in a Spanish bull fighting arena. His head is as hard as a lump of concrete, and one day I’m sure he’ll give me a black eye. If I wake in time and realise his intent, I have to duck my head real quick. But what can you say, he means well after all. He’s only trying to show his affection for me!
If I have to go out during the night, he will surreptitiously move over and sit or lie precisely on my bit of the bed. He still doesn’t quite understand our lack of night vision, and when I get back in the dark and sit on him he gets quite miffed, complains loudly, wakes Randi and tries to push me out again!
3. Playtime
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid52/p3f950cbacf1e35c141565c6c21ea318e/fc9608e9.jpg
Let's go for it!
Fister used to play a bit with his mum and sister in the yard when he was little, but at first he never dared do it with us here in the flat. Life had always been a very serious business for him, and although he liked his bit of string and his ball of wool, it was seldom that he played with them. Nowadays he is constantly calling after us if he’s bored and wants to play. The problem is though, he thinks it more fun to watch us perform than actually participate himself. After a while, groping under the bed once again for the ball he can’t be bothered to fetch, or pulling bits of string around the flat and making a fool of myself, I can loose patience. But he wants more! We humans have performing animals in the circus, Fister has found out that he has his own private ones here at home!
4. The bathroom
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid52/pfb819b2ed92a2976f97d2de5fee2ddc8/fc96090c.jpg
I'm sure there's something down there!
It was ages before Fister dared enter the bathroom, but it has since become an all-time favourite. The drain fascinates him, and he spends hours in there keeping guard. A great favourite with him is to chase water thrown from a cup across the floor. Also drinking from a running tap over the floor is a great time-passer. Now he will miaw every time he feels like a bit of entertainment or is a bit thirsty, but if we rush out to satisfy his needs, he will often just get up and go, wandering off after other entertainment and leaving us crouched on the bathroom floor looking rather silly.
Isn’t it FUN having a cat to serve!
john
Fister’s campaign for virtual domination of our flat has entered a new phase now, and he’s upping the ante. In fact he’s becoming a real little tyrant! This is happening on several different fronts. At the moment it’s beginning to look like a multi-pronged attack with four main areas of contention:
1. Vocal harassment.
2. Increasingly aggressive bed manners.
3. The desire to play or be entertained.
4. Instant entertainment in the bathroom.
Most of these advances have happened since his horrific experience with the final operation that has (hopefully) solved his bladder problem completely. He was forced to accept close contact and the ministrations and help from other human beings than Randi and I. Before that, though loving and peaceful with us, nobody else ever got near him. As soon as the front door opened he would be under the bed in an instant. Now, when we get visits from guests, he will yawn lazily and disdainfully let them touch and stroke him. He can even get annoyed by their presence and provocatively hop onto his windowsill and try and stare them down! What a cheek coming into HIS flat and making all that noise and commotion!
Here are some areas where he has definitely made what I’m sure he would call “Real Progress”:
1. Vocal Harassment
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid52/p459384a15f2021beebb824c3d15d75d1/fc960910.jpg
Howling at the moon?
For the first few years with us he was very timid, and rarely miawed at or for us, unless, as we found out later, he had serious problems with his bladder. Apparently wild cats originally didn’t miaw much, possibly due to the risk of being heard by potential foes. But they have a whole vocabulary of chirps and purrs and grunts as we all know. Miawing is supposedly reserved for talking to humans, and a thing they learn in their contact with us. This fits very well with Fisters development, since it is only after several years and many long conversations with him that he has learned that he can also ANSWER BACK! This has been a bit of a revelation for him, and during the last few months he has been refining his vocabulary considerably. I just wish that I could understand catspeak, he seems to have lots and lots to say, and nowadays he definitely asks what he thinks are pertinent questions and answers back when we talk to him.
2. The bed
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid52/p5320b8f9a2c5e8803fc5838066666313/fc96090e.jpg
This is MY bed!
The bed is, of course, already absolutely and completely his property territory-wise, but there are still some small subtle(!) developments. His loving head bump, always a favourite way of waking me or getting my attention, has begun to develop into what normally would be seen as an aggressive attack. Now it’s not so much a head bump, more like a galloping head-but. He’s just never understood our human frailties, and is capable of fairly serious damage without intent. Nowadays, if I’m not up when he thinks I should be, he will start way over on the other side of the bed and makes a run at me, lowering his head just before he reaches me, and giving me a real whack in the face. It’s just like a bull going for the Toreador in a Spanish bull fighting arena. His head is as hard as a lump of concrete, and one day I’m sure he’ll give me a black eye. If I wake in time and realise his intent, I have to duck my head real quick. But what can you say, he means well after all. He’s only trying to show his affection for me!
If I have to go out during the night, he will surreptitiously move over and sit or lie precisely on my bit of the bed. He still doesn’t quite understand our lack of night vision, and when I get back in the dark and sit on him he gets quite miffed, complains loudly, wakes Randi and tries to push me out again!
3. Playtime
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid52/p3f950cbacf1e35c141565c6c21ea318e/fc9608e9.jpg
Let's go for it!
Fister used to play a bit with his mum and sister in the yard when he was little, but at first he never dared do it with us here in the flat. Life had always been a very serious business for him, and although he liked his bit of string and his ball of wool, it was seldom that he played with them. Nowadays he is constantly calling after us if he’s bored and wants to play. The problem is though, he thinks it more fun to watch us perform than actually participate himself. After a while, groping under the bed once again for the ball he can’t be bothered to fetch, or pulling bits of string around the flat and making a fool of myself, I can loose patience. But he wants more! We humans have performing animals in the circus, Fister has found out that he has his own private ones here at home!
4. The bathroom
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid52/pfb819b2ed92a2976f97d2de5fee2ddc8/fc96090c.jpg
I'm sure there's something down there!
It was ages before Fister dared enter the bathroom, but it has since become an all-time favourite. The drain fascinates him, and he spends hours in there keeping guard. A great favourite with him is to chase water thrown from a cup across the floor. Also drinking from a running tap over the floor is a great time-passer. Now he will miaw every time he feels like a bit of entertainment or is a bit thirsty, but if we rush out to satisfy his needs, he will often just get up and go, wandering off after other entertainment and leaving us crouched on the bathroom floor looking rather silly.
Isn’t it FUN having a cat to serve!
john