Cat Territoriality Games

[eregyrn]

So I was explaining to jenlev earlier the fresh approach to evil that my secondary cat, Morgan, has now adopted.

I've explained before that although Morgan is easily half Emily's size and nearly twice her age, and is the latecomer to this home, she manages to completely dominate Emily. There's no good reason for this. (But I also have to say that little is more hilarious than watching two cats spat-fighting. Not serious fighting. The kind where they both stand there, *leannnnning* way to the side away from each other, with their ears flat, and just sort of FLAIL at each other with one paw.) But Morgan is determined to keep up a strategy of psychological warfare to ensure that her dominant position remains secure.

Latest campaign: going to all of the spots that Emily has been habitually sleeping in for the past month or longer, and "just happening" to decide to sleep there now.

I've posted pictures before of Emily stretched out along the back of the green recliner chair (which is what I always sit in when I'm watching tv or reading). Now, suddenly, Morgan is frequently up there, sleeping.

Or, my couch (which doesn't get used except by the cats) has, at the opposite end from the chair, under the lamp, a pillow that's fallen down flat on the seat, and for the past month that's been Emily's new cat bed. (Don't be silly; I'm not foolish enough to spend actual money purchasing so-called "cat beds" for these cats.) Emily likes to lie there with her face smooshed up against the arm of the couch, so that when she gets up sometimes and comes over to my lap, half of her head looks flat and she has bed-whiskers. Tonight? Morgan is curled up "innocently" in that precise spot.

I just got up to go into the kitchen, though, and I see that Emily is not entirely cowed by this state of affairs. I found her curled up on the bed, up against the pillows. Which -- you guessed it, has been Morgan's Spot for the last few months (just as the bed overall has been Morgan's since she moved in, pretty much).

Still, I really would like to know just where Morgan developed this idea that she continually find new ways to be mean to Emily.

Comments

[jenlev.livejournal.com]

I'm still giggling. I see that Emily is going to get more and more creative about finding places to sleep. It's like a cat-chess-sleeping-game?

[(Anonymous)]

It really is! Emily wound up sleeping with me on the bed all last night, which she usually doesn't do when Morgan is there. And she slept in spots on the bed that she normally doesn't because of Morgan. When I got up this morning, it looked like Morgan hadn't moved all night from that spot on the couch.

[jenlev.livejournal.com]

Thought it was you. *bg*

And heh....they're very funny those two.

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

That was me, of course.

[emilytheslayer.livejournal.com]

Oh Morgan, you batshit little ADD kitteh. Good thing she's cute. . . :) I miss your kitties! I should go play with them sometime.

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

I'm sure they'd be happy to see you! Apparently SOME kind of switch is going off in Morgan's teeny little kitty brain.

[emilytheslayer.livejournal.com]

You didn't want to come play with shiny things with us Saturday night, did you? Stuff like this: http://wyrdingstudios.com/available.php maybe? Hang out with me and other friends of ours, and chat with the nice lady that makes the jewelry? 5pm, my house, Saturday? One spot left, let me know if you're interested and I'll shoot more details at you.

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

:( Ordinarily, I'd say sure -- but I'm going to be out for a lot of Sat. and I don't think I'll be back home by then. (Same thing with Friday -- will hope to make it to movie night in future, but can't this week.)

[emilytheslayer.livejournal.com]

Sadness! But it's ok, I understand.

[my-tallest.livejournal.com]

I'm beginning to think that Stasha is secretly publishing a how-to book on Evil in her cat hair, and distributing it through the clever mechanism of the humans who keep visiting. It would explain a lot.

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

That sure would explain a lot, wouldn't it?