Cats are funny critters. Rocksy and Pebbles are no exception. Their personalities are very different. Rocksy is staunchly independent and very territorial. Pebbles? Not so much. I told you that Pebbles liked staying in the garage. She became quickly accustomed to a life of luxury instead of having to catch mice and voles. She has been called a “bum” on occasion by at least one person in this family – and that would be me.
The man of the house thought the cute golden cats should stay in the garage at night during the cold months. Pebbles thought that was a great idea but not Rocksy. After all, Rocksy had spent winter outside and knew how to survive. The first night the door closed with the cats inside, Rocksy went berserk. She clawed and scratched, squealed, and somehow managed to open a window and escape out the top of the screen. She’s an escape artist, I tell you! And Pebbles? She just yawned, crawled up on the steering wheel of the tractor, and took a nap. After some discussion, the man of the house installed a cat door so Rocksy wouldn’t tear up everything in the garage and so the cats could come and go as they wanted. That arrangement continues to work well. Pebbles comes, and Rocksy goes!
Though Rocksy is somewhat tame, her feral nature is still strong. Every few days she has the urge to go on a walkabout. She feels the need to patrol her territory and perch herself atop the rock pile so she can keep an eye on things. She can’t help it! That is part of her inherent wild nature. Pebbles does not feel that need. She is satisfied to mosey along the deck or close to the house and find a good resting spot. She occasionally steals a look up to see what is going on, twitches her ears, then takes another nap.
Rocksy is sensitive to noises and is always on alert. She can tell from the sound of our footsteps or from the style of shoes we are wearing that we are headed out. If she hears the garage door open, she scoots out the cat door. Pebbles couldn’t care less. It doesn’t even seem like a minor inconvenience to her. She just sneaks a peek and raises an eyebrow as if to say, “Ho Hum.” The garage is her territory while the rest of the world is Rocksy’s.
One night both cats disappeared. That isn’t uncommon for Rocksy but for Pebbles it is out of the ordinary. Later the next day, Pebbles slowly came through the cat door into the garage. She walked with a limp, had some clumps of fur missing, and was bleeding. We tended to her wounds, and I pampered her a bit while I scolded her for being out all night apparently fighting. I don’t think she liked it much either. Maybe that was a good lesson for her to learn that outside guard duties are part of her mom’s domain. Pebbles has her own territory. She guards the garage. After all, she is Pebbles the Garage Cat!
