Territorial Disputes

It is finally starting to warm up in the Hill Country of central Texas.  With that warming comes problems in the Gallery at Spicewood.  During the winter, Roo spends much of her time in the front of the gallery next to the big windows where lots of sun comes into the gallery.  Squad Car on the other hand, spends a lot time in my studio on a nice soft leather chair with her blanket spread on the chair. There is a small window there but it is on the north side of the building and no sunshine makes an appearance.  

Now that it is getting warmer, the front windows are too hot for Roo so she migrates back to my studio looking for cooler digs.  She finds Squad Car's chair and blanket, sees that it is unoccupied at the time (possession is nine-tenths of the law) and homesteads the place.  Roo is sleeping soundly very quickly not knowing that Jaws (Squad Car) is heading back to her lair.  I love to watch these little dramas.

Squad Car hops up on the chair (Roo pretends to be asleep) and circles her prey.  The first step in repossession is the steely stare.  After staring at Roo for about fifteen minutes with no apparent reaction on Roo's part, Squad Car moves in for the "licking gambit". She gently starts licking Roo's head and back while purring all the time.  I guess she thinks this will irritate Roo, but Roo is strong and steadfastly ignores the licking and purring.   Squad Car stops the licking seeing that is doing no good and pauses for a couple of minutes to figure out what to do next.  

Squad Car remembers her ace in the hole - violence. That always works. She moves in closer to Roo, purring the whole time, and quickly bites Roo on the hind leg two or three time in rapid succession.  Roo of course retaliates and the battle of the chair is on.  Usually, they both fall off the chair, Roo runs to the front of the gallery and Squad Car claims her spoils of victory.  

Here is the neat part.  About ten minutes later, Roo comes to the studio, jumps up on the chair and they both go to sleep back to back happy as bugs in a rug.  They don't hold grudges very long. Cats can teach us so much!