Our Junior Cat has been part of our family for over four months now. He is here to stay. There has been an interesting Evolution of Friendship between our Senior Cat and his new counterpart.
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| Junior teaches Senior 'How to Play With an Ear Plug' |
Then came the "I can't believe he is still here" stage where it appeared that our Senior Cat kept waking up to a bad dream when this New Cat didn't go back to where he came from.
Toleration of the inevitable came next. It was a bitter pill but he swallowed it.
Very close to that same time our Senior Cat developed pneumonia. He started fighting dirty with Junior Cat (which we now see was directly related to not feeling well). Senior Cat was swallowing a lot of bitter pills during this phase.
After weeks of antibiotics, Senior Cat started perking up. It was small things at first. Very brief cat-chases. A short little wrestle. As energy levels resumed, so did the cat play.
Our cats started to develop a rhythm among themselves.
Senior Cat gets first dibs on all of the favorite sleeping spots. Junior Cat has learned that if his superior enjoys a spot, it is with good reason. So he happily takes over the spot that is left vacant.
Junior Cat has learned a lot of wrestling moves (legal and 'illegal' ones - he didn't forget what Senior Cat taught him when he started to get bit on the ears and heels). Junior Cat is starting to test some of those cat-induced boundaries and threatens to fight nasty from time to time to rile things up.
Junior Cat is one sly cat. He has been known to spot Senior Cat sleeping in a coveted spot so he moves in with a few coy 'do you want to wrestle?' moves and after a short scuffle, Junior Cat is sleeping where Senior was just a few short moments ago.
Senior has taught Junior everything he knows. Junior Cat has youth on his side and a cunning, witty little mind that doesn't turn off when his eyes are shut. He is thinking. He is always thinking ...
All of this has progressed and evolved into friendship. There is a quiet enjoyment that Senior Cat gets that reminds me of a crusty old uncle that has been won over by the wiles of a determined young nephew. It is something that is not well advertised but it lies under the surface of a bond that is getting stronger by the day.
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| Junior Cat is telling Senior Cat about all of the interesting smells in here! |
After over seven weeks of antibiotics, our Senior Cat is slowly becoming 'more of who he used to be' before his bout with pneumonia.
His endurance at cat-chasing and wrestling increases by the day. He has been absolutely loving the freedom that comes with our newly fenced, cat-escape-proof back yard, he has become so much more sociable and endures the love that we have to give him ever so much more than he did a few months ago.
A person simply doesn't see those little things slip away as it happens so gradually. But when they return (even if it is a slightly modified version)? It is a gift.
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| Majestic in his posture, Senior Cat revels in the great outdoors |
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| Our favorite Cat Ornament - Senior Cat savors the shade on a hot September day |
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| Snuggled up on His Boy, Senior Cat is back where he wants (and we need for him) to be ... |
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