Tuesdays Tale of Two Kitties

We are celebrating our fourth week of having George and Gracie as part of our family.  They have been adjusting nicely to our household.  Oh hell, let's just say it like it is.  They have taken over our household.

It all started with Gracie teaching George the art of manipulation, practicing with a ball.

All of their initial good house guest behavior has disappeared as they seem to realize that they are staying with us as their new wait staff.....I mean family.

George continues to be the mellow yellow big cat that he is until Gracie decides it's time to play and gets him running maniacally around the RV with her.

He says he's watching the perimeter for us, but I think he's actually asleep on the job.

He had a session with the yellow mouse on a stick (Oh Lord, that sounds like something you'd find at the Minnesota State Fair) and acted like a cat possessed.  I'd never seen him act that wild. Gracie tried to join in the fun but found it much like entering a hockey game with hard body checks and soon decided to become a cheerleader instead.

Finally!  It's mine...all mine!

Although cheerleader doesn't really describe her well.  Ring leader is more appropriate.  She is definitely the instigator in trouble here in river city.  Her abilities continue to astound me.

Psssst....George!  Wake up, I've not an idea!

When we visited Auntie Pond Lois and they were banished to staying in the car she locked the door.  Actually, I locked it the first time to make sure no children would accidentally release them into the wild.  But when I clicked the door open and continued talking with Lois, there was a loud click as the door locked again.

I thought it was an accident, and perhaps it was...the first time. We laughed about it and I unlocked the door again, turned to briefly give Lois a hug goodbye, and we both heard the door lock shut.  Gracie seemed to actually be smirking, but then she has a perpetual smirk on her face.  I'm beginning to understand why.

When it happened the third time I knew it was no longer an accident.  She had found the button to push to make that cool ka-chunk sound.  I unlocked it once more, opened the door quickly to get in and forgot about it.  Until today.

She looks so innocent when she's sleeping....but don't believe it.

Early in the day when I first wake from the morning light, I like to remove my CPAP mask and just linger beneath the sheets for a while.  This is when the cats both begin to move in with visions of cat food being served for breakfast.  It's a regular little love fest with lots of head butting, marking, nudging, happy feet and purring.

But apparently I had dozed off a bit instead of getting up to care for my livestock like a good little farm girl.  Picture it:  I'm dozing comfortably when I hear this loud rushing of air.  Not a fan, not a storm, just a steady blowing of air.  Looking to see what the noise is I spot Gracie sitting on top of my CPAP machine and the light is on.

"Silly kitty"  I proclaim and reach underneath her to turn it back off.  Then I rolled over to try to return to that vanishing dream about George Clooney and...what the heck!  The air is gushing out again.  I roll over and spot Gracie with her foot on the CPAP button that turns it on.  She looks rather smug.

Still convinced it was an "accident" but curious, I stayed on my left side to watch.  I am in such denial when it comes to these things.  Like the textbook child of alcoholics I've learned to ignore the elephant in the room and come up with some realization for anything that seems amiss.

But no.  I watched as she demurely looked down at the button from her perch and with great satisfaction places one white paw on the button and pushes.  Well I'll be damned!  Now I'm certain the car lock incident was not an accident either.  The air is gushing out of the mask laying next to me on the pillow and she's looking at me with an expression of "well, whatcha gonna do now?"

So I did the only possible thing.  I got up and fed the cats.  I can see that I'm going to have to keep a close eye on Gracie.  She definitely knows how to push all my buttons.

I can't believe I ate the whole thing!

Now I understand why George disappears into the far recesses when he wants to nap.  He's hiding from Gracie as best he can...but it's clear none of us will ever be safe.

She's always watching ...and she knows where we sleep.

Long Live the Slave to Cats