Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

When we lived in Vancouver we kept our cats Spike and Alley strictly indoors to keep them safe from the dangers of the neighborhood (traffic, other animals, sketchy humans). During our first months at Farcical Farm we let them out during the day but we locked them in after dark. Then Alley didn't come home one night and we never saw her again. David and I adopted her from the SPCA together in April of 2000 and we lost her in April of 2007 -- a failure I still find hard to swallow.

Since then we have kept the house cats (Spike was joined by Hazel in August of 2007) strictly indoors again. Neither seems to mind, but both make the occasional bid for freedom through an unsupervised door or window.

Sometime around 0500 this morning I became aware of Hazel making a fuss in the living room. Spike was not on the bed with us, which was unusual. Sometime around 0600 this morning Hazel started yowling as if someone was peeling her alive. When David went out to investigate he found Spike out on the deck and Hazel giving him hell through the kitchen window. And ever since his return to the fold Hazel has been treating Spike like an unwanted stranger, not like her buddy of the past two years -- low growling whenever she sees him, hissy fits if he looks at her askance, and full-blown warfare should he get too close. We have no idea when or how he got out last night, but alien abduction is our working theory.



8 comments:

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

I know I shouldn't be laughing, but you made the situation sound so funny.
I sure hope they can work out their newfound differences...and that the alien moves back to Mars...or is it Pluto?

:)
~Lisa

Grey Horse Matters said...

Very cute, I wonder why she's so mad at him right now. Guess he wouldn't listen to reason and behave himself and now he's getting the works.

EvenSong said...

When we got PanKake as a kitten, Sandy the dog was quite sure we had gotten the wee fuzz ball for a toy for her. (They actually play together very well--only occasionally does Sandy get too rough, then Pankake retreats to the top of the armoire.)

On occasion, if I have a late meeting, or we're out of town, Sandy gets to stay overnight with our 93-year-old dog-sitter/friend Lucille. Upon return, PanKake generally either snubs her, or gives her the Hazel routine of yowling, and carrying on, and maybe even chasing her around the house a time or two!

Black Jack's Carol said...

Sometimes, it would be great to be able to get inside their heads. Mostly, I think I have a pretty good idea what's on Black Jack's mind, but like your situation, there are times when it's just a mystery. Hope they become good buddies again.

Carole said...

Yesterday Nigel ended up in two places we could have SWORN he wasn't - the tack shed, and the garage. So, here's another theory. On April Fool's Day, cats can teleport.

Anonymous said...

LOL! Our cats are strictly indoor. I discovered how easy that was after living in Alaska, where eagles and diseases in the ground are rampant. However, once in a while our Salem will escape outside (usually after one particular female cat has come around- Salem's been neutered since he was 3 months old). Then Salem will run up and down in front of the house and cry when he's ready to come in. He stays very close. After he comes back in (anywhere from 2-30 minutes later), Smudge will give him the what-for and start a tussle. That lasts about half an hour then everything is fine again.

Brandy said...

Hmmm, bath time? Wash her first, then Spike, and then rub him with the towel you used on her. Then he'll smell like her and won't have any dust or pollen or anything that might be freaking her out....

LOL, my cats were ALWAYS inside cats, but one morning I got up to find that Willem had pulled the screen down, and Roscoe was no where to be found! Crap!

I opened my apartment door and called for Roscoe. I heard a pitiful, woeful meow, and my gaze rose up the 100 foot pine at the stairway. No way..... I called again, fearing a fire department visit, and my attention was drawn to a shaking bush nearby! Poor Roscoe was in there, quivering with fear! ("Holy cow, Mom, I'm OUTSIDE! Help me!)

I snagged him and bathed him up, and fixed that screen! He never went near the door on his own again! LOL!

Jean said...

I'll go for the alien abduction theory. Yesterday my dogs started fussing near the little garden by my back door. There, hiding under the platform for the clothesline, was Allie, my indoor cat. I have no idea how she slipped out, other than alien abduction, unless she smuggled herself out under the belly of one of the big hairy dogs. Thank goodness Charley and Sadie alerted me to her presence.