Old cats can learn new tricks even if you don’t want them to

We’ve always had cats. When a new cat comes into the house, it’s a matter of time before every cat has a resume of new tricks. Mostly bad.

Katy (a typical calico) was adopted 20+ years ago with two smaller cats, so she’s used to being the boss cat. Unfortunately, the other two passed across the rainbow bridge, the last about the time Robbie arrived complements (probably) of some low-life who dumped him out the car door in front of our rural house.

Robbie lived on the front porch for a while, then after a trip to the vet to get him checked out, became our indoor/outdoor cat. Now Katy assumes she gets to go outside, too. Not happening. She’s not streetwise. Robbie obviously is. Though it’s also apparent that he knows how to live in a house (found the kitty potty, sleeps on the bed during the night, and is used to eating off the table).

Waiting to go outside.

Robbie is a young male cat with plenty of energy. He can leap furniture in a single bound and is faster than a speeding bullet. Katy can’t compete with that, but once she saw Robbie trying to help himself to the food on our plates and drink out of our water/Coke glasses, she’s become a menace at meal time.

We’re surprised at what they’ll eat. Robbie licked the remains of a hot and spicy Jambalaya soup out of my bowl. I thought, “You’ll regret that.” Next, he tried to steal Lesa’s baked potato, hanging off the edge of her TV tray with one foot while pulling in the remains of the potato with the other front foot. He didn’t get the potato, but things were touch and go there for a few minutes.

Because she was determined to do it, I finally allowed Katy to lick the remains of the salad dressing out of my bowl. It was ranch dressing, something I thought she’d shy away from. She didn’t. I could understand that if it was been a bowl of tuna salad, but greens with ranch dressing is just plain wrong.

If you have cats or have had cats, you probably know the drill on who’s doing to pick up the most new habits. It’s a learning experience for all of us.

Btw, Robbie has a habit of licking people. Now Katy has it. We don’t care for it, but what can we do?

–Malcolm

And now you know why a cat is the narrator of the books in my Florida Folk Magic Series. They muscled themselves into the storyline.