Don’t worry!  I’m not going to tell you the story of my life one day at a time!  But I will let you know about my first few weeks in my new home because it’ll tell you a lot about living with cats.

 

We cats don’t really like big changes, but if big changes have to happen – which they sometimes do, we like to be able to ease into them.  Number one big changes for us are moves.  We are very territorial which means, we like to map out our space and claim it as our own and not have to change it too much.  We get to know it thoroughly.  We know all the little nooks and crannies, all the smells, where all the resources are (food, water, elimination areas, where we get the best seats in the house, the best views and vantages of our world.  This is all vital information for survival in case we have to run, hide or fight in an instant.  (We are still after all, basically tigers in smaller form!)  So, if we have to move, be patient with us – it’s a very stressful time; and don’t let us outside in a new place because we will immediately try to figure out how to get back to our old place!  We need time to adjust to our new home and reclaim our territory.

 

Another big change for us that takes getting used to is when new members (be they human or animal) come to live in OUR space.  So, Charlie and Sybil were understandably very curious about the new noises and smells coming from the small room in the basement following my arrival.  They sniffed under the door and I sniffed from my side and we were all able to get a lot of information about each other that way.  Charlie is an older male cat which meant I’d likely have to watch my step around him. Sybil was closer to my age, a young female cat which meant we’d likely be more on even ground socially speaking that is!  I also had a steady stream of humans that came in to admire me because my markings are quite distinctive (and beautiful if I might say so myself!).  There were boy and girl humans coming in all the time to cuddle with me (though I’m not much for that – too much to do). 

 

Then, the big day arrived and the door to my room was left open for me to explore the rest of the basement and to meet, face to face and paw to paw, my new feline family.

  Hi!  My name is Jezebel.  I’ve been thinking for awhile about sharing some of my feline thoughts with you.  I hope you enjoy my blog.  Mostly I’ll be talking about life as an indoor cat but occasionally, I’ll share my feelings on other feline social issues.  I may, if really hard-pressed, discuss cat-dog relationships too though I don’t currently live with a dog.

 

First, let me tell you a little bit about myself (I’m rather “me-focused” as you may find out!).

 

This is a picture of me when I first arrived at my forever home.  I was about 8 weeks old and already had a bit of a sketchy past.  My first mom took good care of me but I came with some extra company in the way of ear mites.  No wonder my head always felt itchy!  If someone scratched or rubbed me behind my ears my back foot would start bobbing up and down to help scratch some more!       As I mentioned, I don’t live with a dog but I do share a bungalow with two other cats named Charlie and Sybil.  I’ll tell you more about them later.  My new mom (Kim) decided it would be best if I spent the first little bit of my new life downstairs on my own til I “settled in” as she put it.  Also, she didn’t want me sharing my ear mites, or anything else with Charlie and Sybil til she was sure I was healthy both inside and out.  We cats can be a little put out when new cats come to share our space.  Though I was ready to play, Charlie and Sybil needed a bit more time to get used to my great personality and playful ways! 

 

I must admit, my first night in my new home was scary!  I was in a room by myself and hid behind a dresser all night because I really didn’t know what was happening.  Cats are predators (hunters) but we are also sometimes prey (get eaten by other animals) and this goes back thousands maybe even millions of years.  It’s hard to get that out of your head especially when you’re little!  Though I had frequent human visitors that night, I thought it best to lay low.  There was food and water, a comfy bed (actually several) and a place to do my business, if you know what I mean.  I slept as best I could, contemplating my new situation……