Sunday, March 18, 2018

Cats: Bullying, Intimidating, Traumatizing


In the Ready household, I feed the cats, scoop their litter, hold them while I read, run my hand over their furry backs, scratch beneath their chins, make sure their water bowls are refreshed daily, and talk to them about our lives together. They rule; I serve.

Ellie

Ellie, Maggie, and Matthew live not only with me but with each other. From the beginning of our sojourn together, when I brought them home from the animal shelter in December 2009, Matthew and Maggie have often ostracized and bullied Ellie. It all began with Matthew, who traumatized Ellie. She displayed this in the nervous habit she developed of pulling out her fur and hiding in every dark place she could find.

Matthew

That went on for three years. By then Matthew had gotten over the abuse of his own early life and had accepted Ellie. Occasionally, the two played together, but mostly they simply ignored one another. Meanwhile, Maggie watched the two of them, biding her time.

Maggie

During their fourth year together, Maggie began her reign of terror. Like a CIA agent—which I’m sure she was in a former life—she spied on Ellie, stalked her through the house, cornered her, kept track of everything Ellie did. Meanwhile, Ellie tugged at her fur, leaving tufts of it all over the house.

Ultimately, I don’t know why, Maggie ceased her intimidation.

It took five years for Ellie, who’d been left at the shelter when her human went into a nursing home, to trust that I would protect her. Slowly—ever so slowly—she permitted me to scratch her back and brush her fur. She never wanted to lie in my lap, but she wanted to be near. For this, I felt deep gratitude. The cats seemed to have accepted one another. Peace reigned in our kingdom.

However, Ellie continued to avoid Maggie, the CIA agent who cast a wary eye on her. I never knew how Maggie treated Ellie when I was away from home or even at night when I was asleep. How often did CIA threaten her? This week I’ve experienced the result of just how tenuous their relationship is for there’s been a falling out between them, and I may have been the cause.

The story of how Maggie has recently traumatized Ellie is too long for this posting, but I hope next week to share it with you. I’m also hoping that by next Sunday, the issue will have resolved itself: no more misplaced poop; no more pee on furniture and bedding.

Now for a detour: This week I was going to write more about self-publishing, but none of the comments indicated interest in that. So I’ll simply say that my niece has completed the process for getting a paper book and an ebook published through Amazon’s two subsidiaries: CreateSpace and Kindle Direct Publishing. Just three days remain until Prayer Wasn’t Enough is available. The e-book is now ready for pre-ordering.

If this memoir is successful, I’ll be able to publish another book this summer. And what does success mean for me? It means I earn enough to pay my niece for all she does to produce the books during her spare time. If what I write is for my good and the good of the Universe, I trust it will be published. Peace.
PS:
If you’d like to see my tweets and Facebook postings about the cats, the convent, and my writing, here are the “addresses.”

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DeeReadyaspiringnovelist

Twitter: @dee_ready36



14 comments:

  1. Poor Ellie. She just doesn't get a break, does she? I remember someone told me once that dogs have owners, but cats have staff. I think it's true, don't you? :-)

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    1. Dear DJan, your comment made me laugh! I've thought sometimes that I was slave or servant, but maybe "staff" is the correct term. And the tips for the staff is the delight of their purring. Peace.

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  2. Maggie is a beautiful tabby. I once had a female cat, Willie, who bullied a lovely little tabby, Xenia. Indoor/outdoor, too. A lot of room to spread out, and Willie wanted Xenia out of all of it. Xenia outlived Willie. Showed her!

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    1. Dear Joanne, she is beautiful. And I think Xenia outdid herself in living longer! Peace.

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  3. You must be so excited about your book. I know I am.
    And yes, I am familiar with those dominance games.
    One of our cats spent his first weeks under the washing machine where another cat insisted he stay. He grew rapidly, and 'out-sized' her. And they learned to get along.
    I hope that Maggie and Ellie can sign a peace pact. For your sake and for theirs.

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    1. Dear Sue, I, too, am hoping for the "peace pact." I think it's happening, mostly because I've kept Ellie here in my office with the door closed for the past three days. She hasn't peed on her bedding for the past 24-hours so I think she much less traumatized by what happened and more serene. All of which will be in next Sunday's posting! Peace.

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  4. Poor kitty! Home should be one's safe place. I hope the latest deal gets resolved quickly and peace returns to the Ready household.

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    1. Dear Cynthia, peace has, in a sense, returned, but it will be a few more days before I trust that Ellie has gotten over the trauma and will cease her pooping and peeing, both of which have the house smelling! I so hope for a warm day tomorrow when I can open doors and windows! Peace.

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  5. Bad behavior aside, Maggie's coat is beautiful!
    Good on your niece, btw, for her book-publishing efforts. :)

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    1. Dear Bea, yes, she has a beautiful coat and she keeps it well groomed. As a CIA agent, she needs always to look her best!

      My niece has made all the difference in this self-publishing venture. I am so fortunate. Peace.

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  6. Cats are mysterious. Our Ellie a rescue just wants to ne close but will not sit on our laps. She loves to head butt or place a paw on our bodies. She accepts all three of us to feed and care for her and will sometimes sleep at the foot end of Buddy’s bed. She is 12 now and has been with us for 7 years. Hope promoting your book works. Getting followers on social media is hard. I wish you well.

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    1. Dear Heidrun, I'm glad to learn that your Ellie sleeps sometimes on Buddy's bed. Matthew and Maggie sleep with me almost every night. But they won't allow Ellie on the bed.

      Social media is a mystery to me. So I am hoping that friends and family members will help me out with this! Peace.

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  7. Cats are a mystery unto themselves. Our Simba lived to be 18. He and my very large German Shepherd establish a permanent truce early on and lived happily ever after...:)

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    1. Dear Troutbirder, 18 is a long, long life for a cat. Dulcy--the one who gave me two books--lived 17 1/2 years. Eliza Doolittle, a long-haired gray cat lived to be 20 1/2 years. That felt like a great gift. I'm glad Simba and your German Shepherd had that truce! Peace.

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