ADVENTURES OF A NEIGHBOURHOOD CAT (Part 2)

ISIS’S NEW LIFE

Isis here folks tragically Ghost cannot tell you any more about his adventures as he was knocked down and killed on 24th February 2023. My humans are bereft and are wondering how I am coping. Its early days so who can say.

Anyway, you have heard Ghost’s side of the story now it’s time for mine. I am a feisty girl and suffer no nonsense from my humans. What’s with all this trying to cuddle me. I know Ghost loved a cuddle and curling up on our humans but honestly, I don’t see the attraction.

I have a feeling Ghost blamed me for us landing at the Cats Protection in Dundee but really folks it wasn’t my fault. I may sneeze a bit but that can’t be helped and I don’t really how to toilet properly but my human staff can sort out any accidents. Sometimes Ghost covered up my poo. Very kind of him I must say.

When I first came to my new home I went into season and my humans were glad Ghost had been neutered as with my sneezing me having kittens was a non-starter. I got my operation and everything was fine. Ghost said that I prefer men to women but I have had some fun with the tradesmen that have come to my house. Plumbers nil Isis four, gas men nil Isis two and I have made friends with the window cleaner. One of the plumbers was so impressed with me he had to take my photograph to show to his daughter.

I often try to wake up the humans in the morning to get a bit of attention and I love jumping on them. I try to sit on their pillow but okay I sometimes forget to keep my claws in. I quite enjoy sleeping at the bottom of my human’s bed. When I was younger I got very upset when one of my human’s tried to get into my bed and went for her rear. I now have all the beds to choose from for my daytime kip.

I don’t like going to see the vets and when they would put Ghost in that funny box I’d go and hide. It’s not fair they always find me even when I am hiding behind the settee. On one visit I decided to con the male vet by being extra friendly yes, I stood on his chest and he said this never usually happens but he still jagged me. I can give you some horror stories about going to that place. Sometimes I have been left there and my teeth were cleaned not a happy experience.

I quite enjoy playing with my humans the old in and out of the cat flap is real fun. It means that they have to come and open the door to let me in. Also, during the warmer weather when we are sitting outside I make sure I get the best seat. A few months after we arrived my humans decided to change their doors and windows so that was two more tradesmen to play with. One said that I looked so like his cat that he wanted to take me home with him to Aberdeen. Of course, my humans said no but it was quite flattering for someone to want to do that.

Another thing I enjoy is sitting under various people’s cars and challenging my humans to persuade me to come out. Its great fun watching them trying different ploys to get me to come out. I come out only when I want to. My humans often buy different foods for their lunch and I try to sample them. Cold meat is a favourite of mine and I try to pinch it off their plates or sometimes trays. Ghost sometimes did the same thing. It’s a hard life being a cat.

I annoy people by jumping up with my claws out. They let out a yell and try to get me off. My finest hour was when a young plumber came to check out what he was to do with the kitchen tap. He was bending down looking at the pipe work when I came running in and jumped on him. He let out a yell and his boss who was with him burst out laughing. What a hoot! However, I have to say the young plumber still liked me despite what I did to him. It’s nice being popular in spite of what you do.

I don’t like other cats and when we first went out to explore our new territory the neighbourhood cats came to investigate the newcomers. One of them who was called Timmy entered our house on a few occasions resulting our humans having to evict him. When Timmy and Ghost met outside Ghost made a noise to rally the troops to help him get rid of the intruder. It is usually the humans who would chase Timmy away and after everything is over I would come out to investigate what has been going on with style and grace. After all I have a goddess’s name and I’ve got the manners to prove it.

I don’t like dogs as when I was making up to the window cleaner one time one of the neighbourhood dogs decided he wanted to chase me. I ran quickly into my house and I still have nightmares when I see dogs.

My humans feel that Ghost was more like a human than a cat as he tried to follow them wherever they went. They called him their little shadow and thought he was a bit clingy towards them but they loved him nonetheless. Of course, they love me too even if I don’t do the things he did.

One of the consequences of the loss of Ghost has resulted in my humans locking the cat flap because they don’t want me going out looking for him. Fat chance of that as I wouldn’t know where to start. From my point of view, it stops other cats trying to muscle their way into my house and taking over my humans or more importantly my food supply.

Now my dearest friend Ghost is no longer with us I have had to take over some of his duties. I wake up my humans in the morning though they do complain when the time is five or six o’clock. I sit beside the human who was Ghost’s beloved person and try my best to comfort her but it is not easy. Mind you I don’t know what was so great about the cupboard Ghost hogged as when I went in there it wasn’t that great. He had a lot of sleeping spots and now they are all mine. So far, I haven’t done the jumping up on their knees for a cuddle or a spot to sleep on. That was Ghost’s thing but who knows I may get around to it.

My human’s brother came to visit the weekend after the tragedy and I sat on his knee for about twenty minutes. He did complain that I had my claws out but nobody’s perfect. He still shut me out of the bedroom but hey ho that’s his decision. A week or so after we lost Ghost I had a gas engineer to play with and a few days after that I had the window cleaner to make up to as well. Honestly, it’s a hard life being a cat.

I now share myself out between my two humans and I think they appreciate it. I am enjoying all the attention and all the food is mine so I don’t have to share. However, my humans would rather have two cats instead of just one but they don’t hold it against me for wanting to be the only one. I still want to jump up onto the settee to try to get on top of the living room door but my humans make sure I can’t. They move the door out my reach what a rotten pair. I still jump up beside the television next to the window (the one that Ghost used to come in and the one I sometimes went out) just to annoy my humans. Going around the back of the television is another game I play with them.

I play a lot with my humans and treat them like they are another cat by trying to groom them. I sit beside one of my human and groom her in the morning until she gets up. I have a feeling that they are not too keen on the idea but that’s what us cats do. Sometimes I sit beside my humans and just enjoy their company. I show my love for them by purring a little and then I get fed up and go off to have a lie down upstairs.

I now sit on the window sill of the room of the human that Ghost was so fond of. The humans think I am looking for him but that’s not so. The sun comes in there first thing in the morning and I am simply looking for heat. I cry out for attention and it usually works as I’ve got my humans under my paws and in the afternoon one of the human’s plays with me and I get loads of petting etc. Okay the petting and cuddling is not really my thing but a cat’s got to do what cat has to do to keep the humans under control.

At the moment it is the winter season which I don’t really like so I am looking forward to the summer season when I can go outside to do a little exploring. I don’t go far just into the garden through the gate and down the side of the garages. I am not one for wandering here there and everywhere like Ghost did. I can’t wait to play the sit under the car game as my humans try to entice me out with toys or food. I come out only when I want to or have got fed up with the game.

Summer often means my humans will sit out the back on their specially bought chairs and they always put one out for me. I like to sit on the best one and soak up the sun.

Hopefully the humans will reopen the cat flap and I can come and go at will. I think they are still worried that another cat will try to come in and bully me. It’s really nice that they think like that. Personally, speaking its dogs chasing me that I worry about. Why are most of the dogs in my area terrier type dogs that like to chase things especially me? They often get over excited and start barking at anything that moves.

What else can I tell you now about my life in Dundee? I have a great time pestering my humans by playing with their feet. I climb onto their knees and stomachs but often forget and put my claws in. Ouch! Also, I run around before and after toileting but that is just to let the humans know that they have my poo to clear away. In the summer I toilet outside but in the winter, I use my litter tray.

Sometimes things set my humans off into a flood of tears and I try to comfort them in my own special way. They complain about me not retracting my claws but I just forget they are not cats. Us cats are made of sterner stuff where claws are concerned and hardly feel anything. Someone should tell them that shouting Isis put your claws in is just not going to work as I simply ignore them and carry on regardless.

I spend a lot of time with my humans in their living room as I like to know what they are doing and whether I can scrounge food from them. Human food is pretty strange and not as nice as cat food is. I like cheese and try to get some of my human’s sandwich. I also like ham but I am not too keen on roast beef. Chicken is also another favourite of mine. My humans like it when I sit beside them on their settees and I enjoy having a nice sleep there. What do you mean I spend a lot of time asleep us cats need our sleep? It is part of what makes us tick so to speak.

One of my humans has a habit of lifting me onto her knee and I find this very undignified. She seems to forget my name is Isis and I called after a goddess. My humans will have to learn I give affection on my terms only. She is lucky I have been known to groom her in the morning what more does a person want and need from me.

I enjoy licking people’s hands and then biting them. They don’t understand that this is a cat’s way of showing how much they love and trust their humans.

Another of my endeavours is to try and jump onto the top of the living room doors from the settee but my humans move them a little so that I can’t manage it. Curses! I also like to play at the back of the television and sometimes put my paws onto the top of it much to my humans’ disgust. I like to sit in front of the television and they have difficulty in seeing the full screen. Serves them right for ignoring me.

Unfortunately, I am frightened of thunder even when it is on the television in that I run and hide from it. My humans try to reassure me but it doesn’t really work. I don’t think they like thunder either. I like to go outside with my humans and when they take their seats out in the summer it’s really a lot of fun. I enjoy walking behind the garages and generally having a look around. I am not like Ghost in that I don’t wander as far as he does. I am a cat that likes my home comforts a good selection of food and some treats to nibble on.

Sometimes during the night, I climb all over my favourite human’s bed when she is trying to sleep. I have on occasion scratched her and made her bleed. Oh, dear what a shame!

In the morning I enjoy jumping onto my humans’ beds and walking all over them. They don’t like being eyeball to eyeball with me. Can’t think why maybe it’s because I sneeze and they don’t want me to sneeze all over them.

Sometimes my humans’ washing machine leaks and there is water everywhere. Of course, I sit on top of what they call the waste food caddy making sure my paws and whole body don’t get wet. It is fun watching my humans cleaning up all the water. Recently we had a visit from the city fibre workmen and of course I made up to one of them. He liked me and it was funny watching Bella the dog next door going nuts because she couldn’t catch me.

Some days my sneezing is worse than others but I just can’t help it. I am still taking my medication which my humans put in my food. A bit sneaky that but it doesn’t taste too bad. I have been known to go without my medication but that’s a bit more difficult now that Ghost is no longer with us. They were worried that the wrong cat got the medication but apparently Ghost eating it wouldn’t have affected him in any way.

Just had a thought folks do you think it will be possible for my humans to teach me how to catch mice? I always enjoyed playing with the live ones Ghost would bring in so it would be good if they could teach me. Maybe they could teach me how to catch birds and how to tease dogs.

Another thing my humans could help me with is burying my poo as Ghost never taught me. Or if he did I have forgotten how to do it in the right place. I don’t scratch the floor as much as I used too before I use the litter tray so I am not as anxious about toileting in my house. I also don’t run up to tell them that I have pooed during the night. I leave them to find that out in the morning. As it heads towards summer I am thinking about toileting outside as I have earmarked an area where I can do this. Guess what I don’t bury my poo so my humans have to clear up the area that I have selected.

I still don’t like the sound of thunder and high winds. Heavy rain is also not a favourite of mine. If these noises occur during the night I wake up my humans to register my displeasure that they have not put a stop to it. What do you mean the weather is out with their control? They control other aspects of my life so why can’t they control the weather?

Wakening up my humans at 4.00 am is something I really enjoy doing as it annoys them. They often get up to see what it is I want but are often left mystified as to what it is. I like to keep an air of mystery in the things that I do. It also keeps them on their toes as it were.

My humans’ brother doesn’t like when I try to show him some affection. He keeps complaining that I don’t keep my claws in and that he is being scratched. He doesn’t understand that I am giving him a cat kiss when I bite him which of course means I love him.

One of my humans really freaked out when she saw the cat flap moving the other day. Was it Ghost’s spirit trying to come in or was it another cat trying to come in? Personally, speaking I think it was another cat wanting to get into my house. When she went out to check there was nothing there either at the back door or the front door. I don’t think it was one of the dogs from the neighbourhood as they are for the most part too big to get through the gate. This means of course that they can’t get to the cat flap.

My humans are upset because I don’t miss Ghost as much as they do but they don’t understand us cats often don’t feel things the way they do. However, I do try my best to try to comfort them. Our needs and wants are few that is food, a warm place to sleep, a nice toilet and playing time if we want it. Us cats are good at adapting to our situations something humans find difficult to cope with. One of my humans is still working so I try to greet her when she comes home from work. I think she really appreciates it when I do that kind of thing. I also greet my humans when they come home from the supermarket or when they have gone out to something.

They still use the two food bowls, two water bowls and the two litter trays which I think is great as it gives me a choice of which one to use. Of course, being me, I use both. My humans are worried that I am going to become a fat cat and have to go to the fat cat clinic but I will refuse to go. Woe betide any vet who tries to send me to that clinic. I would fight tooth and nail not to go there and a starvation diet is not for me.

When my humans printed off pictures of Ghost they put three in photo frames and the rest in an album. They also put one of me in a photo frame and my other photos in the album. It was nice of them to do that as it shows they really care about us. It also means that they didn’t have any favourites between us. They did say that Ghost took the better photographs but hey ho I didn’t want mine taken anyway. In any case darker cats are more beautiful than white ones as far as I am concerned. I know that they are still missing Ghost and so do I in my own way. Moving on is easier for me as I don’t miss Ghost biting my neck and attacking my rear but I do miss his help with the litter tray. He also did a good job protecting me from other cats but my humans will have to do that now. Just hope that they are up to the job and can do it up to his high standard. We also used to play at chasing each other and I do miss that a little. The humans used to say that we sounded like a herd of elephants. Exaggeration on their part I must say. However, they did hope that the next-door neighbours couldn’t hear the noise of us running upstairs. I still run up the stairs but doing it on my own is just not the same.

Goodbye Ghost until we’ll meet again. What a reunion that will be and it will be a joyous affair.