The Odd Couple: Sadie and Pumpkin

The last few days have been warm (relatively) with temperatures almost climbing up to sixty degrees (if your standing directly in the sun and there's no wind).  It is thirty to forty degrees warmer than it was less than a week ago, so we've been bundling Sadie up and taking her outside to soak up a little bit of warm sun and breath in the fresh air.  Yesterday we found out that a mountain lion jumped out in front of a runner on Sky Ranch Road, across the river, and then disappeared into the brush, so Nani and I are sticking together and carrying a big walking stick so that we can wave it in the air to look bigger if we run into trouble.

Sadie and Pumpkin are an odd pair.  Pumpkin is our little orange tail-less tabby cat.  She will be 17 this March.  Pumpkin has a bad reputation around here.  In the past when my cousins have visited and Pumpkin has walked into the room, they have lifted there feet off the ground as if she were about to devour their ankles.  So when we first brought Sadie home from the hospital I watched Pumpkin.  In the beginning she gave us a lot of space, as if she understood that trying to get too close was a no no for all of the animals in the house.  When Sadie fussed or cried Pumpkin would look concerned and sit nearby like a small orange guard cat.  Once Sadie started moving on her own and rolling around on the floor Pumpkin's interest increased dramatically.  Pumpkin would slip over to Sadie whenever I was a few feet away and would lick the baby's nose before darting away to sit by the fire.  

Sadie doesn't understand the idea of "gentle" although we have started talking about being "gentle" with the cats.  When Delilah isn't quick enough she grabs on to either side of her face and holds on for dear life (Delilah has been remarkably good with her, although I think she has started keeping her distance).  Sadie's also caught hold of Sammy's tail and sides several time and come away with fur between her fingers.  With Pumpkin however, she's gentle.  She seems to understand that Pumpkin is pretty frail.

While it's a little bit unnerving to see them together on Sadie's blanket (I stay very close, ready to intervene if either of them gets out of hand) they're very sweet together.  When Sadie sees Pumpkin she starts to squeal loudly.  Instead of running away (like all of the other cats on the property), Pumpkin will hobble over.  This will send Sadie into a frenzy of squealing, waving her arms and laughing.  Because of Pumpkin's reaction to the squealing (coming closer to see what's going on), Sadie has decided that squealing is a way of calling cats.  Of course the squeals send the other cats skidding out of the room in fear, but she hasn't quite figured that out yet.  

That brings us to Sadie's run in tonight with Sadie-Cat, our super shy 15 year old siamese.  Sadie-Cat can't jump up onto Nani and Grumpa's bed anymore so Nani had lifted her up.  While Nani and I were getting Sadie ready for bed tonight Sadie flipped over to get a closer look at Sadie-Cat.  About two months ago Sadie squealed at Sadie-Cat, who up until that point had not been afraid of her.  It took about six weeks for Sadie-Cat to get over that squeal and come near the baby again.  Then tonight Sadie flipped over, squirmed as close as she could to the cat, pushed herself up into a full crawling position and squealed at the top of her lungs.  Sadie-Cat froze and stared at her.  Sadie, who's used to getting a reaction from someone when she does something, pushed herself up a second time, rocked forward towards Sadie-Cat and screamed a second time.  Sadie-Cat is probably still cowering behind Grumpa's recliner in the corner of the room.  I imagine that Sadie-Cat is probably going to be in hiding for the next six to eight months.  

Pumpkin is Sadie's cat and Sadie is Pumpkin's Baby.  At least that is how I think they both see it.