All My* (Furry Little) Children

Bartleby is working through her psychological trauma today.

The little half-Siamese in the sophisticated gray formal attire (I'm going to have to think of a name soon. He's here to stay.) has this thing about food. Specifically, he acts as if he hasn't had any in ages despite being fed two or three times per day. When kibble is brought out to him, he charges his plate and will butt aside the hand carrying the food in his attempt to get at it frequently scattering it across the floor. At least he's not above eating what he scatters, something Bartleby refuses to do although she will deign to consume dropped bits if they're replaced on her dish.

He also has an obsession with getting into the house although every time he dashes in he immediately turns around again and runs out just as fast (mostly because his plate is still out in the lanai and almost the only time we open the door is to bring him food).

Now, since the arrival of the gray until a couple of days ago, Bartleby has been the front door cat and the gray has been the back door cat. Over the weekend the gray (dammit, he needs a name!) started showing up at the front, each time to be reminded to go around back. This morning I was standing on my side of the lanai door with the little gray on the other when Bartleby wandered in from the backyard.

They were less than three feet apart when they noticed each other. They've sort-of noticed each other before, but always with the glass door between them so I don't think they ever really appreciated the reality of the other's existence. They did now. The gray knew exactly what Bartleby wanted and planted himself by the door. Bartleby sat down.

After a couple minutes standoff, the gray wandered back to his table perch where he snoozes the afternoons away. Bartleby began taking tentative steps toward the door and I started to crack it open. Immediately, the gray pounced and raced to the door. He's a speedy little bugger. Bartleby sat.

Again, the gray wandered back to his perch. This time, however, I went and got a handful of food. I slid open the door. Bartleby and the gray raced for the opening. Bartleby arrived first but the gray was so close behind I couldn't slide it shut without squishing him. He was in and literally right on her tail. She started to freak out despite being half-again larger than he but I slid the door open, stepped out into the lanai and began pouring kibble onto the gray's dish. In a flash, he was out knocking my hand away, inhaling the food and I was back in with the door shut.

I filled Bartleby's dish, then, but she ate only a few bites before retiring to the kitchen where she just sat. After a while she came out and sat near her dish very carefully facing away from the lanai, a useless gesture since the gray was already sound asleep on his table. She went to the end of the hall by the laundry room and sat on a box down there for a while. I offered to let her out the front door and she finally took me up on it after I placed a small snack in the foyer and topped up her outside water dish.

It may take a bit but, given time, I think she'll get over not being an only child. I did.

*"My" meaning my brother's since he's the one decided to adopt them both.