A few months ago, I got the bright idea that we should get a kitten. This wasn’t a new idea, it had been brewing and been discussed multiple times before among our family. We just always gave in to reason and decided one cat was enough. After all, Shadow is a one-cat-to-a-family kind of cat, so why mess with it?

I usually have common sense, at least some of the time. But near Christmas 2005 I must have lost it somewhere and my dear hubby lost it with me. Then the kids followed our lead, and we all decided to bring Tiger home. Thus we became a two-cat family.

I wouldn’t exactly call our choice a mistake. But I am certain that Shadow would not agree with me. Some of you may have read my posts at that time when we were trying to find a name for Tiger. One of those we considered was “Scratch Fury, Destroyer of Worlds”, but I thought that name much too harsh for such a cute kitten. Like I said, Shadow would not agree and would pick that name in a hearbeat because Tiger truly has destroyed his world.

And that has not been a good thing. I never realized how stressful something like this can be on a fraidy-cat like Shadow. He has had to endure the indignity of losing his favorite bean bag bed because Tiger thought it sounded like cat litter and peed on it. He’s had to share his food, because Tiger eats out of his dish. Tiger has stolen all of his toys, even his favorites, and he lost sole ownership of his house. He started out acting like the boss, and Tiger readily surrendured to Shadow’s “bossiness”, but then Shadow got sick and succumbed to fear. He has gotten sick twice in the past three weeks, needing two trips to the vet and antibiotics. Needless to say, he disdains Tiger.

So we have taken to separating both cats once again. Shadow loves to hide in our basement, so while he’s downstairs, Tiger gets free run of the house. Then we lock Tiger upstairs in a bedroom and let Shadow have his house back. And never the two shall meet – at least not until we can reintroduce them in a safer way. And not until Shadow is completely well.

In Tiger’s defense, he is the most lovable kitten on the planet. I honestly don’t believe any of his actions have any sort of “malicious” intent to them. He’s just a kitten who wants everyone to love him and everyone to play with him. Including and maybe especially Shadow. He’s like the little brother who won’t leave big brother be.

I’ve been given lots of advice on how to get the two cats to get along. I’ve also been told that it might not work, that some cats never accept a rival. My problem is two-fold. 1. I love them both. 2. I’m stubborn.

I guess if anything else, this episode with these furry creatures has taught me that about myself. Perhaps this stubborn trait is why I’ve never given up on writing or on that longing for a book contract. It’s also why when someone tells me I can’t do something, I tend to want to prove them wrong. Used to be I tackled such things in a prideful sort of way. Now, I really just hate to give up without a second or third or fourth try. Must be the German blood and the red hair. :)

In any case, these two cats are teaching me something, and they are also trying my patience. (Try hunting down a cat that wants to hide the minute he guesses you’re going to give him a pill – and no one is home to help.) But that’s another story. :) Or there was the time when one of us forgot to put Shadow’s food dish in his reach, and he knocked it upside down on the floor in the middle of the night.

It’s amazing what we put up with for the love of a cat. The next step will be to see who holds out longest – one stubborn Shadow or one stubborn mom.

I’ll keep you posted. :)