Things have been a might crazy around the Mason Territory lately, with the introduction of Bella and Tippy to the fold. The exponential increase in our cat population has led to several controversial, violent, disorderly events.

Or, more to the point, it's been "Hell on Wheels".

It is apparent that we have not just one alpha cat, but two. Velvet, sweet, kind and loving, has turned into a growling, hissing, swatting little b**ch. (did I say "little"?)

The time honored traditions at Chez Mason still apply, albeit with obvious deviations. Velvet always comes out in the hallway to follow me down to the trash chute, then plays a game of running in front of me, and "stopping" me by flopping over on her back.

Last night was different.

To be sure, she slowly followed me down the hall, but when I returned I saw quite a different sight. Velvet coming towards me, head down, wide-eyed, tail puffed out. Being such a short hair, I had never dreamed that she even COULD puff out her tail. I was clearly being "stalked". Yet, from twenty feet away she ran up to me as always, and flopped on her back. I bent down to give her a scratch...

*YEOW!!!* She gave me such a scratching! Paws with massive claws extended to the full, moving with incredible speed gouged my arms. I could hear the skin tearing. Cat scratch wounds are the type that don't start to bleed right away; the human body just can't believe something so sharp and so fast just went through it.

But, bleed they do, and I did, copiously. I've got the bandages to prove it. Velvet gave me a violent *Hissss!*, fangs gleaming, and stalked off. She told me she knew that *I* was responsible for the interlopers in her territory, and that *I* was to blame.

Abstract thinking in a cat. Fancy that.

They are smarter than non-cat people think. Afterwards, back in the territory, she had a different attitude completely. Loving, and purring, she curled up on the couch beside me after I had tended to my wounds, and cleaned up all the blood on the floor.

She doesn't hold a grudge, anyway.

She slept in my arms that night. The "Day of Atonement" was over.

Copyright © Bill Mason
February 23, 2002