Tilly's Tantrum
Barney and Tilly immediatly made themselves at home, popping out of their baskets and scouting around the front room, suspiciously sniffing anything and everything in their path.
On completing their inventory of their immediate surroundings they turned thier attention to the bedroom, approaching with caution and sniffing with determination at the half inch gap under the door which remained firmly closed. Now and again it would get too much for Barney, who prefers the quiet life, and he would shrink silently away and dissapear into a slither behind the bathroom door.
Chris the cat's owner swooped down on Barney and Tilly for final hugs then slipped out without a fuss while they continued exploring. The two cats didn't break their stride until suddenly and simultaneously they both realised Chris had indeed left. Just as quickly B & T dissapeared into familiar hiding places to consider their next move. Im not sure if they decided on sleep or they fell asleep while deciding but soon Barney was snoozing in his cat basket in the furthest corner of the room whilst Tilly slept unabashed and upright on the armchair, like a soldier.
I managed to get some work done and I was just revelling in the silence when it was suddenly broken by a low rumbling growl omitted from the cat basket. As I approached a kerfuffle broke out in the basket that was now occupied by both Tilly and Barney. Tilly had followed barney in via about 4 inches of open zip and now Barney was squeezed into the furthest corner defending himself against a very tetchy Tilly and unable to escape. Everytime I leant down to open up the zip the prolonged growling would erupt into a fur flying row and as they were in such a small space neither could get away. When I opened the zip Barney lept out, over Tilly and through the opened zip as quickly as he could.
Later that night an old friend came to dinner and wile Barney and Tily wandered around us staring and sniffing sweetly, Sonia was wowing me with stories of her cat rearing activities as a child. Growing up in leafy Morden, Sonia's family had two female cats but through some oversight had failed to get them neutered and it wasn't long before piles of kittens littered the garden. Sonia and her siblings took care of the cats and kittens as best they could but they were eventually over run with cats. When Sonia's mum would put huge plates of cat food out to feed the ever increasing population, she was instantly surrounded by all the cats from the local neighbourhood eagre to be fed.
'So I grew up taking care of cats and kittens ' Sonia said crossing the room and crouching down confidently in front of the armchair that Tilly was perched on and offering her a hand to sniff. A reply came in the form of a low rumble from deep within Tillys belly, eventually reaching her mouth and blowing out a warning hiss at Sonia.
We both laughed as Sonia backed away under Tilly's no nonsense glare, and Barney continued trotting around sweetly oblivious to Tilly's strop.
