Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Naughty Ulysse!

I am compelled to tell you about naughty Ulysse. Not only has he caught TWO birds recently - their poor little corpses are lying in my garden and I hadn't seen them until today as it has been a bit wet and I haven't needed to water the flowers - but he chased the cat over the road INTO HIS OWN HOUSE and had fisticuffs all over the sofa and up the stairs!

There! I knew you'd be shocked. The worst of it was that we were standing watching helplessly. I just missed grabbing him as he shot over the fence - he's more slippery than a conga eel that one - and he careered up the garden after the little kitty who's new and hasn't been there more than a couple of days.

Actually, in my opinion they should be keeping him in for a week, no outings at all, because he could escape and not be able to find his way back. I'm sure Ulysse would be no help either. I doubt he'd volunteer for Mountain Rescue Cat duty. Or even Suburban Rescue Cat duty (or Chat de Sauvetage de Lotissement for those interested in the Official French version). No, he'd be rubbing his paws together with glee and hissing that if the poor little thing came near that he would shoo him off again. Thus leaving Ulysse to be sole pretender to Suburban Chiefdom.

A few years ago I had an elderly Burmese female cat who was very territorial. I had taken in a poor little kitty whose owner was going back to Australia and couldn't take him too. He and my cat took one look at each other and knew it wasn't going to work. She was absolutely horrid to him. One evening, he was allowed out and there was just one window open, from the loo upstairs. I swear she sat by the open window the whole night and swore at him if he appeared there, but not so loudly as to wake the household. She prevented him from coming back, and he had to go and find another, more welcoming household. I looked for him, to no avail.

When his owner came on a visit a year later, he asked after his cat and I had to tell him the truth, just in case he asked to visit. It would have been most embarrassing! He was a little crestfallen, but I cheered him with the news that I hadn't seen any little furry bodies by the side of the road, and was sure a nice person had been charmed by his feline good looks and fluffy coat. My own cat was quite nauseatingly smug for some time afterwards.

I am sure Ulysse would behave in exactly the same disgraceful way. Luckily our neighbour was not in the least put out by my kittypoo behaving like a voyou interloper in her house chasing her own cat. In fact, it got us chatting out in the garden. She even said what a nice cat Ulysse is!

There's neighbourly for you!

1 comment:

  1. Goodness, are you sure your neighbour isn't a "Moonie" or a "Buddhiste"....I would have gone very pale about it if it happen to Monseigneur Jules.....but of course Ulysse the Empeureur of Felines, dashes up trees so quick, he'll be safe from getting similar treated from another quadriped!

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