Bad Cat - Good Kitty, Terra the Terrible Tabby Cat (NOT)

As the months went on, I grew from a kitten to a young girl tabby cat. Andrew and Maggie-Mom took me to the vet for my routine immunizations. I also got "fixed" while I was there. I never thought I was broken, but Maggie-Mom arranged for surgery so I would not have kittens. She wanted to be sure I would be happy and healthy and not have to worry about trying to take care of an unplanned family. I guess it was for the best but I think I would have been a great and loving mother. But that's another story ...

Being at the hospital to have that surgery was a little scary, but then my family came to take me home. I was very happy to see them, and to leave the veterinary hospital. After a few days I felt fine and life was good again. Or so I thought.

One day Andrew decided to go home to eastern PA to visit his mom for the holidays. Over the winter break, Andew decided to take a semester off from school. We stayed with his mom and their BIG chocolate lab named Spooky. Spooky liked cats - I mean she liked to chase and tease cats. She never hurt me, but Spooky was HUGE and her idea of fun was to corner me in the dining room or under the bed when Maggie-mom or Andrew weren't at home.

Every day living in the house with Spooky the big dog was tense and stressful for me. I tried to escape from Spooky by climbing the draperies in the dining room. But there was no way out. I tried to dig my way out of the house through the carpet near the kitchen door. Again, no escape. I thought I would end up as a dog treat one day.

This went on for months and I was anxious and upset and acting out by scratching stuff. I wanted to play outside but the neighbors didn't like me visiting their gardens, so I was confined to the house. I wanted attention, but everyone was gone all day and sometimes at night, too. Life was looking bleak, but I was grateful to have a safe, warm home and food.

Then winter turned to spring, and Maggie decided it was time to sell the house. She started painting and fixing up every room. Strangers came to see our home, and I liked the company.

One day Maggie-Mom said the house was sold and she would be moving to a new home. I was worried that there would be more big dogs or cranky neighbors, but as it turned out my future was far worse.

I was not invited to move to the new home. I was going to an adoption place (the Humane Society) and would have to start over with a new family - if I was lucky enough to find one.

The first winter I lived in my forever home with Mom and Dad, Doug was working at home. I spent many cold days napping on his desk, keeping warm between the computer and the copier. It was nice to have company and keep cozy in the office.

Terra always releases the chipmunks she hunts down in our garden. She carries her captive to the grass, releases it, then looks away for a moment. The chipmunk plays dead and as soon as she looks away, off it scampers. I don't know if she catches the same chipmunk or a different one each time, but I've seen this game between the cat and the chipmunk at least a half dozen times. You can see the look away / escape in this photo I snapped last summer.

Terra is very fond of birds - she likes to sit or lie down in plain sight and watch them. She doesn't stalk them or try to cat them, she seems to appreciate them and they aren't fearful of her.

About once every hour she goes on patrol all around our property boundary. Although we have no fences, she mainly stays along the property line, checking that no intruders are around and leaving her scent to warn off other cats. She learned the patrolling routine and the scent marking (yes, female cats can and do spray if they want to) from our older neutered male cat, Sparky. He learned it from his mother, Ebony. Go figure!

This past summer Terra spent hours on this pile of framing lumber outside our bedroom window. She discovered that it was sunny in the morning and shady in the afternoon, and that the chipmunk she stalks likes to hide underneath. A new twist on the cat and mouse (munk) game.