The Closet

You may know from previous stories that Shira delivered her babies (both the Rainstorm kids and the Wayfarers -- this story is about the Wayfarers) in my walk-in closet. The closet is fairly large, but quite crowded and sorta dark - especially now that its normal chaotic state has been restored since I moved the little family to the kitten room.

I moved them when they were about two weeks old. Shira was fine with this. The kitten room is quiet, close to me, and full of all the comforts a cat could want. But now that the little ones are becoming more mobile and adventurous, if I take the baby gate out of the doorway, they can escape - and do. Off they go, toddling down the hall, exploring and following me. Shira does not like this at all! I'm sure in her mom-cat mind, she thinks they are much too young to be out of their room and so she chases after them, telling them to go back where they belong. When they ignore her, she grabs the leader by the scruff and carries him/her back.

A couple days ago, she carried Azhure into my bedroom and discovered that I'd closed the closet door. I thought she was planning to move them all back in there to better control them. I was wrong.

This morning I took down the gate and visited the babies before getting ready for work. Of course, with the gate down, the little ones were everywhere. Poor Shira! Shortly after I got into the bathtub, here came Shira carrying Cazna. She walked into the closet and wandered around, stopped for a moment by a pile of shoes, then strolled back out - all the while carrying Cazna. Back down the hall she went to the kitten room.

After getting dressed I went to check on them. All six of the babies were in their bed. No escapees. No adventurers. Shira was lying on the floor about a foot away looking very pleased with herself.

So what was she up to? I think she drug Cazna into the closet as if to say, "Look! If you don't behave and stay in your room, you'll be living in here! Take a good look at this mess, missy! No place to play, no light, no windows, no toys... You'd better be good!" Once they got back to the kitten room, Cazna told her siblings what was going to happen to them if they weren't good little kittens who stayed where they belong. Into the bed they piled to make sure Shira-mom didn't move them into the horrible closet.

(a further addition to this story... That night I noticed that Cazna was sticking very close to Shira -- even lying on top of her at times. I think Cazna was saying, "See, mom, I'm staying close. Really close...")

(--> Cat Tails, Pg22)