Kids love animals. I get it. Most people love animals. Just look at the number of youtube hits videos of cute kittens get. We are hardwired to love the cuteness. I know it is pure instinct, because even little babies love cute animals. But some of them love the animals a little too much.
When Ruby was a baby, she loved the cats. She would roll around on her play mat and make half-hearted attempts to bat at the cats when they walked by, and she would always squeal in delight when she saw them. But the few times she did manage to get a hold of an actual cat, the cat would make an appropriate hissing noise and swatting motion, and she got the message. Cats are pointy and hissy. We should not pull their fur. Edward does not seem to be full of the same understanding.
Edward not only loves the cats when they are around, but he seeks them out. If there is a cat anywhere in the immediate area, he will find it, and yank on it. Remember when I told you about how he likes bashing his head on everything? Well, that includes cats. He pulls their fur, he pulls their tails, he bashed them with his head, and he tries to eat them. It’s like we are raising A.L.F.
Now, the cats do not like this, so at first they made hissing noises and swatting motions. They are not stupid. They remember the last time there was a baby around. They are not interested in having their bits and pieces mauled by a one year old. Sadly, Edward did not get the message from the hissing and swatting. He continued to torment them, and they moved on to light biting and scratching. No skin breaking, but they definitely stepped up the aggression. Unfortunately for the cats, their parents just don’t understand, and when they try and bite the baby, they get smacked and/or thrown outside.
Now again, the cats are not stupid, so instead of fighting back, they instead took the high ground. Literally. They climbed up on shelves and chairs and towers where babies cannot reach them. This worked well for a while, but then Edward learned to climb. Here is a picture of Mouse’s favorite napping spot, and Edward’s joy at discovering that he can now get there too.
I don’t know who is going to win this battle, but believe me, the fur is flying. I think the deciding factor will be, how quickly will Edward learn that the cats are not for bashing/chewing, and how high can the cats climb. I predict a coming cold war between them, in which the cats keep moving to higher shelves, and Edward keeps getting taller. This will lead to the mutually assured destruction of my living room, so I hope they can resolve their differences soon. I know they all know the word “no,” but eventually, one side or the other will have to listen when I say it. Right?
Right?