Carolyn's Critters

Dear Winston,
I’ve been thinking about an interesting wrinkle in the relationships between you cats.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
A wrinkle??????? There’s a wrinkle???????
Winston

Dear Winston,
That’s just an expression, sweetie. I’ve been thinking about the interesting fact that cats are both predator and prey. Cats are predators that go after birds and rodents. And at the same time cats are the prey of larger predators. Like coyotes. 
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
This is what you think about?
Winston

Dear Winston,
Well, sometimes. Because here’s what’s interesting. Remember how much Puffin loved his evening game – the prey on a wand?
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
He LOVED that game!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
He insisted we had to play it every evening. And he loved it because he was way over on the Predator end of the cat Predator/Prey spectrum.
Love, Carolyn 

Mom,
And this is interesting?
Winston

Dear Winston,
Hang on. It gets better. Because you, on the other hand, have always been way over on the Prey end.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
I am?
Winston

Dear Winston,
Definitely. Which is ironic, because you have such a Puma vibe. But it’s partly because your vision is so poor. You never showed any interest in the wand toy. Or any toys for that matter. I don’t think you could see them well enough. But it’s more than that. You are spooky. Always looking over your shoulder. You jump at the slightest noise. If I sneeze you fly out of the room. That’s prey behavior. Even in the litter box you and Puffin were at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
That should be private.
Winston

Dear Winston,
Not when I’m the one who cleans it. So here’s what I noticed. You completely cover your stuff. That’s smart Prey behavior. Hide any trace of yourself. But sometimes Puffin would leave a giant turd there, without bothering to cover it. Arrogant Predator behavior that marks the territory as his.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
Sometimes I covered his stuff for him. But wait a minute. This is creepy. How do you know who does what? Do you spy on us?
Winston

Dear Winston,
Because Puffin always used the box facing out, and you always use it facing in. So that’s how you leave your stuff.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
You are really weird. 
Winston

Dear Winston,
Stay with me. It gets better. What I’m finding really interesting here is that when the kittens became part of our household, something very important and very transformational happened. You became a Predator! For the first time in your life! The day that little Elsa ducked away when she saw you coming, a switch in your brain flipped. From Prey to Predator. And you’ve been acting the Predator with her ever since.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
It’s not like I’m going to EAT her!
Winston

Dear Winston,
Thank heavens for that. And seriously, nobody is accusing you of that. It’s predator cosplay! And it’s clear you are having a blast with your new-found self. So, no wonder it’s so hard to change the dynamic between the two of you. It’s such a heady new feeling. And you are having so much fun. 
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
It IS fun!!!!! And it’s not just me. Charlie thinks so too! He plays that same game with Elsa! He chases her and they mix it up. And she screams and growls at him.
Winston

Dear Winston,
She is quite a screamer, isn’t she! But when they aren’t playing like that, they can quietly hang out next to each other. But because of your constant stalking, she ducks away from you when you come into the room. Every time. Instead of being part of the household, she barely leaves the bedroom, and she still spends a lot of time under the bed. I wish we could make your game just an occasional thing. 
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
But it’s so much fun.
Winston

Dear Winston,
And anything as fun as that is not going to stop any time soon. Fortunately though we’re seeing some progress. I notice now that when you chase her under the bed, she stops there and growls at you, and since the chase is over, you walk away. Not an ideal situation, but progress.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
She’s a sassy girl.
Winston

Dear Winston,
Thank heavens she is. So hopefully she’ll learn to stand her ground and growl at you in the first place, instead of flinching and running.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
But the chase is SO MUCH FUN!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
And there’s always the possibility that she’s beginning to think it’s fun too.
Love, Carolyn 

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