May 5th, 2006
Cat Fight
I’m sad to report a shocking and almost completely unprecedented outbreak of violence in this lesbian-feminist household.
The victim:
The perpetrator (file photo):
I had to use a file photo because apparently Pauline has been body snatched by a demon whose image cannot be captured digitally. Here’s the photo I just took of her sitting on the bed:
Do you see a cat in this picture? Neither do I. Course it could just be that the digital camera performs really poorly in low light conditions, but whatever.
Pointless as it is to speculate on cat motivations, I will nevertheless go there. None of us are completely used to our new digs yet, and the courtyard which is private and walled is nevertheless infested with neighborhood cats. My two darlings were permitted outside when first I arose this morning, and I’m thinking:
1) A neighbor cat happened by and Pauline got all freaky and territorial, which emotion she then took out on Lexi when neighbor cat fled the scene of her wrath;
2) Pauline is losing her mind and doesn’t recognize Lexi as the cat whom she begrudgingly allows to lick her head each evening before bed;
3) Pauline seized this opportunity to finally, unrestrainedly beat the crap out of Lexi, who was forced upon her as a roommate without regard for her preferences, and whom she tolerates most ungraciously on her best days.
Needless to say, I am a little bit freaked out myself. Pauline has been subjected to a stern lecture on the behavioral expectations for members of this family, and, post the second outbreak in which she cornered Lexi in the back hall by the laundry room, she has been shut in the bedroom. Lexi repaired briefly to the bathtub, her refuge in times of extreme stress and anxiety, but she is out wandering around now so it seems no lasting harm has been done. And the resident lesbian has treated her own dismay with medicinal M&Ms, so hopefully we are all on the mend here. Course now I’m thinking I’m going to have to take Pauline to the land with me because I’m not sure I trust her here alone with Lexi for the weekend. While I don’t look forward to a two-hour car ride with a squawking cat, I’ll be comforted by the fact that she’ll hate it much worse than I will.
