Sophia and Cloud have achieved detente. Sophia doesn’t hiss gratuitously any more, and in fact puts up with a certain amount of kitten-play and pounces. Then she will try to simply walk away, and only hisses if Cloud persists in chasing and jumping on her. In other words, she acts like an adult dealing with someone else’s rambunctious toddler. They aren’t friends yet, but I think it will come.
Tornado is another question entirely. She is furious with me. I tried to pick her up and pet her this morning, and she growled at me, then sat there muttering curses and imprecations and other things I’m sure were quite the reverse of polite until I opened the door and let her out. I wouldn’t have been surprised had Cloud been in the room, but she was still up in the attic where we put her for the night. Talk about spiting her own face – my black feline nit-wit sat out in the rain this morning and got completely soaked, all while staring at me reproachfully, rather than come in where That Intruder is. She is sleeping with our son instead of with me. With her the force of condemnation can go no further.
I’m quite certain the middle cat-child has considered running away from home. She certainly stays out far longer than she had been wont to do, deigning to come in only when she’s certain that this unwelcome orphan is upstairs for the night. And even once she’s in, heaven forbid I might try to pay attention to her. She won’t even come when I open a can of the Good Cat Food (i.e. the canned stuff). I can all but hear her saying “I am a cat of honor, and I will not be bribed.” In a word, I’m being snubbed. No one can administer a good snubbing like a cat. As my husband said, watching her pointedly turn her back and then turn to see if I was suitably chastened, “I your cat am a jealous cat.” She is. She remembers that her ancestors were worshiped and expects to be accorded similar deference, and she will suffer no rival deity in this house. Unfortunately for her, the house has room for but one alpha female, and I’m it.
Now I get to figure out how age and treachery will outwit youth and indignation – and feline stubbornness.