Fightin Cats

Four years ago I was wandering through the Oak Park main street shopping area and entered a high flautin pet boutique. My cats are neither high flautin nor boutique types, but I figured I'd check it out. As I perused the over priced specialty items for pets I saw an adorable white woven basket with a light pink and green corduroy pillow on clearance. Jem sleeps by me every night. Scout never really had her own place to sleep, so I bought the basket for my baby girl-after all it was pink corduroy! I brought it home, all excited to show it to Scout. She couldn't care less. She didn't give it a second look. Jem, avoided it for a while too but eventually he started sleeping in it. So, my big, black and white, male tabby cat was sleeping in a pink woven basket lined with corduroy-oh well, at least it wasn't a waste. Over the last few years, I would happily see Jem curled up in his basket snoozing away at least a few times a week, Scout never set a paw in the basket. Until last week.

Then all hell broke loose. I came home from a day of job hunting or family fun and looked at the basket surprise to see Scout curled up in it. Jem was laying on the couch staring at his pink corduroy bed with daggers in his eyes towards his sister. He got up, layed down in front of the basket and started rolling around on his back and reaching out to touch his former place of rest. He was trying to seduce his sister out of the warm courderoy. Scout smirked at him, curled up, and promptly went to sleep. Jem was not to be deterred. He sat up and smacked his sister. Just all out wacked her in the head. She woke up and it was on. The war of the basket began.

My cats are siblings, they have never been apart and they play together frequently wrestling, chasing each other, etc. This was not a simple play fight. They were serious! Jem was holding Scout down and biting her ear but Scout would not give up the basket. She had her plump body filling up the pink corduroy and her paws were flying against her brother.

In the end, Scout kept possession of the basket. Now, I find Scout in the basket every day and find Jem laying on the cold, hard, floor next to the basket looking longingly at his former place of solice. For now, Scout has posession of the basket. I guess Jem had it for four years, and now its Scouts turn.