A few years ago, I adopted two kittens. That was not what I intended. They were littermates. I had planned to adopt one kitten I’d seen on a rescue site. But when I arrived at Petco to meet her, she was asleep in the same cage with her sister. They were entwined as they slept. It was difficult to see where one kitten started and the other one ended. When I saw them asleep like that, there was no way I could break them up. I adopted both of them. That was brilliant marketing on their part. And they haven’t slept together like that since.
I Hear it Before I See it
In fact, they spend a lot of their time in an endless game of tag. I’m not quite sure which one initially started this epic game, but it’s been going on for five years and there’s no sign of it stopping. I usually hear the stomping, stamping sounds of their little paws on the linoleum. One cat chases the other down the hallway. I can only guess what happens at the other end as the original chaser becomes the chased on the way back down. This goes on and on. At some point, Harper will take a sharp left turn and head down the small space between the wall and the couch. She knows her sister Hermione’s fluff is too big to allow her to follow her. But Hermione’s on to this little trick, she’s usually waiting for Harper at the other end of the couch. And the game continues.
The game doesn’t usually stop until one of them gets tired or it’s meal time.
The games don’t end there. One time, as Harper walked past Hermione, Hermione stuck out her paw and goosed her. Harper turned around and tackled her sister to the floor. Hermione maneuvered herself away from her sister’s grasp. They circled each other, darting, weaving and ready to pounce at the right moment. The result was a wrestling match that lasted about fifteen minutes before one of them retreated. I’m sure the initial attack was payback for another offense, but that wrestling match sure was fun to watch.
When they were wee kittens, they would play with the same catnip toys. Sometimes, that playtime would lead into more wrestling matches. But as they’ve gotten older, they’ve mellowed some and the wrestling matches haven’t been quite as often.
Sometimes, their younger sister Scout will initiate a wrestling match and the other girls will occasionally indulge her. Scout’s level of enthusiasm for these games is high, and her sisters will occasionally include her in the games of tag. Since Scout is blind, they’ve even learned to modify the game some and slow down a little so she can catch up.
That seems to be a trend with the cats as they’ve grown up. I’ve noticed lately that the girls watch out for each other. Hermione always meows when her sister Harper gets stuck behind the dryer. I’m sure Hermione was chasing Harper when she jumped up on the dryer and overshot her landing on the other side. At least, Hermione helped her out, right?
They even look out for little Scout. A year ago, I wouldn’t have been able to say that. Harper and Hermione didn’t accept Scout in the beginning. I don’t think they understood that because she’s blind, she has special needs. They’ve grown to understand her better over the last year. Sometimes, Scout gets confused by her surroundings–like she’s not quite sure where she is. The other cats have started to rush to help her.
I’m happy to see them finally get along.
