Over the years we have been owned by many cats. We live in suburbia but I am surrounded by farms and it seems more like the country. Living in the country we get animals of all types through our yard - opossums, coons, fox, groundhogs, just to mention a few.

Recently I have found that the opossum and the coon are sharing our outside cats' bowls. We have even had the pleasure of watching from the porch. It's a hoot to watch the cats move the coon and the coon maneuver themselves back to the bowl.

The other night as the cats were eating, one of the coons scooted my cat Tigger over to eat. The Coon took a piece of food and sat up on its hind legs. When he started to take more, Tigger stood up on his back legs and with his paw, whapped the coon on the head. Without a thought, the coon returned the assault. I thought there was going to be a fight, but after a short staring spell, Tigger returned to his meal with the coon right beside him.

Copyright © Barbara Clemens
August 25, 2002