Happily Ever After

Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running

Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.

Fraternising With The Enemy

by Russell Turner - 14:50 on 03 November 2015

Ginger problems continue to beset The Pride. Last night was quiet, but the evening before saw another dramatic face-off.

The action began when I stepped outside to put Nutella on the garden gate for The Invisible Pine Martens and found our ginger friend mooching around. He (for Matchgirl assures me that it's at least a two to one certainty that a ginger mog is male) trotted over to say hello and receive a tickle behind his ear.

That's when Pandora emerged from the cat-flap, with no more on her mind than an evening constitutional, and found me fraternising with the enemy. She was not impressed.

Much hissing ensued from the indignant tabby, causing no more than good-natured squeaks in response. Affronted, Pandora retired indoors from where bad language could be heard through the cat-flap.

Ginger showed his lack of concern for both noisy tabby cats and pine marten providers by looking at me once then climbing the gate to eat the Nutella. How much he's had in the past must remain a mystery.

I went back indoors to find the rest of The Pride, plus Matchgirl, milling around, brought downstairs by Pandora's alarm calls. Matchgirl, who's much harder-hearted where the welfare of her beloved moggies is concerned, then went outside to squirt the intruder, who retreated with dignity intact.

I've now been instructed that free Nutella must cease forthwith; martens will have to find supper for themselves.

If Ginger is a tom, I have a theory to explain why The Pride finds him such a worry. As the only male inside The Rural Retreat, The Pride is used to seeing me under the thumb and under the paw of four females. The sight of some masculine, chest-out strutting and unconcern for the feminine point of view must be deeply unsettling for cats who've never encountered such behaviour.

My hero.

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