That Darn Cat!

That Darn Cat is one of my favorite movies. The original with Hayley Mills of course. I also like the new one, but then I am a sucker for a Walt Disney movie! Right now though, I am referring to a cat and not a movie. Surprisingly enough, I am not even referring to my own cat but one that lives quite a few houses up the block.

This damn gray and white cat is new in the neighborhood and is only about a year old and has decided to challenge my cat for territory…on OUR property! This has happened in the past with other cats over the years, but Alley has always been able to take care of herself with no problem. Ever since I got here, she has avoided the family and basically lived outside, patrolling the perimeter of the property, strongly defending her territory, only showing up to yell for food which she would only eat outside. I guess you could say she was ‘semi-feral’ if that’s a real word.

There has been a change in her over the last couple of years as she is getting on in years. She is the same age as our old girl Jasmine, 16 1/2 years old now and she has become pretty much an indoor cat and sleeps alot. And instead of cringing and hiding like I’m gonna smack her or something when I reach for her (which pretty much stifled any bonding between the two of us for years! LOL!) she now would be the happiest kitty in the world if I would strap on one of those baby slings and put her in it so she could be permanently attached to me!

That was a bit annoying to me (ok, ALOT annoying! LOL!), but over the last year she has broken me down and I will cuddle her a little everyday now and yes we have bonded. I now talk to her and pat her every time I see her and pick her up quite often. It still amazes me though when I think about how I have become her biggest defender and get so vicious in her protection nowadays. Especially against this gray and white cat that my neighbors think is ‘so cute’. I don’t think she’s so cute and she really brings out the animal in me because I know what she’s up to and who she’s after and I will NOT have it!

I have caught these two cats in several fights and while Alley does not back down, I know she is not up to fighting this strong young cat so I make sure she’s inside when we go out and always overnight, but she does go out occasionally and this gray cat does not give up. Alley has already gotten a fat lip from this cat that is still healing but she still gets in her own swipes since she always comes away with a good mouthful of gray fur! LOL! But I help if I can get to them quick enough, like the day I had to break up their fight with the garden rake and I had that damn gray cat airborne and smacked it into the neighbor’s fence! That felt GOOD and I don’t care what any animal lovers out there say…hell hath no fury like a mom protecting her own! LOL!

But I try to keep my cat inside as much as possible now. I know there’s no way to avoid these fights…as our 11 year old Alex will tell us, that’s just the way life is Mom! Last night though, Alley sneaked out after dark. We could see her on the back deck and we let her stay out when she didn’t want to come in thinking she’d be ok. That was until I could hear that familiar caterwauling and I knew what was about to happen and I ran out into the dark yard with Dennis close behind me. But he didn’t get there before I was in the middle of it all trying to stay between the two cats ready to attack each other. I was trying to find the rake in the dark and grab my cat or scare the other one away all at once and BAM! I felt the muscle in my calf coil up painfully and that was it. Like I got shot in the leg or something!

Having the two of us out there spooked the other cat enough that she ran off after only a short tussle with Alley and luckily she was not able to inflict even more damage to her healing mouth, although I did note with a smile that our cat once again had a big chunk of gray fur hanging out of her mouth! Good girl Alley Cat! LOL! But she is in for the day today since I am in no shape to go running out to defend her.

Even after having an ice pack on my leg all night, I am still in pain and hobbling around. I just hope it’s a badly cramped muscle and not something that’s gonna give me problems for months and months. I really don’t need that right now. Jeez! That darn cat! Hmmm, that just doesn’t say it all for me. How about "THAT DAMN IT ALL TO HELL CAT!"  Ah yes, that’s much better! LOL!