A Post About the Simple Cat

Poison Ivy, the simple cat, is having a rough time dealing with a new person in the house (Bipolar Auntie). The fact that Mumsy and Lil Sis spent the week home sick does not help matters, as this is Not Normal and Ivy has trouble with pretty much everything, especially change.

Most of the time, Ivy is Concerned:

Mumsy was talking loudly on the phone and Ivy was exceptionally concerned by this. 

 Poison Ivy is *different*. She lacks a number of motor skills. She has no concept of spacial relationships. She has no concept of actions = possible negative consequences.

like stealing food from the counter = the shame cape

 Most cats master the About-Face-Flee as kittens.

Ivy has not mastered the About-Face-Flee.

Harleyquinn can leap up on to a surface that is over 6 feet off the ground, and land in a sitting position. All in one movement. Daisy, even in her old age, still moves about with grace and agility.

Ivy? Not so much.

 

and then she cries for me to come get her down

Most cats are picky eaters. And most cats will inspect something that falls on the floor before eating it.

Ivy eats first and asks questions later. She presumes that if you are in the kitchen, and you drop something, then that something is definitely food and she should eat it.

Harleyquinn loves a good snuggle, but Ivy hates being picked up. Which is unfortunate, because she's so stinking cute, all you want to do is torture her with cuddles.

In order to counteract an imminent pick-up, she will attach herself firmly to whatever surface upon which she happens to be standing.

Ivy is Daisy's sworn nemesis. Daisy doesn't exactly like Harleyquinn either, but she puts up with her and occasionally allows Harley to eat her food.

If Ivy comes near her, she hisses and growls and will not stop until Ivy is gone.

Ivy does not understand social cues. And Ivy likes to play. She and Harley spend a considerable amount of time tearing through the house chasing each other and play fighting. Their other favourite game is the litter box ambush, wherein one cat will wait in the shadows while the other uses the litter box, only to attack her when she leaves the bathroom.

Ivy cannot grasp that Daisy absolutely does not ever want to play these games. 

Daisy just wants to be left the heck alone. This has led to a number of problems--Daisy peeing all over the house because she was afraid to use the litter box; Daisy needing to be carried from one room to another in order to get her fed and using the litter box; and eventually a somewhat complicated schedule of separation depending on whether or not anyone is in the house to make sure Ivy leaves Daisy the feck alone.

Because of this, Mumsy HATED Ivy the first few weeks I had to move back home. After Mumsy took care of the kitties during my week in Kentucky, now her and Ivy are like bff's.

MY BABY

In other news, everyone in the house is recovered. Now Bosslady and M. are both violently sick. I have not yet caught the plague. [knockonwoodknockonwoodknockonwoodknockonwood]