December 3oth, exactly one month from yesterday, around 6 am I was at my desk when I heard a noise, and looked up to see a raccoon entering the cat flap into my livingroom.
Apparently some some creatures do not forget anniversaries.
Last night, January 30th, I was again at my computer armoir, writing away, absorbed. I caught motion out of the corner of my eye, assumed it was one of my two cats but I turned my head and surprise, surprise - BIGARSE Raccoon was stared up at me. He was standing in front of the fire place, headed towards the cat flap six feet away.
In other words, whatever Rocky had come in to do - climb the carpeted cat tower to eat cat-food - his business was done and he was on his way back out the cat flap.
As far as I can tell, the happy eating noises I had listened to over the previous half hour or so was not from one of the cats, but was from flippin' Rocky Raccoon!
Aww... our aniversary - he remembered.
We looked each other up and down for what seemed like a minute or two. Then I remembered my camera was next to me on the end table so I reached for it. As I did so, Rocky high-tailed it out the cat flap. Only then did Kola-kitty waltz out from behind the armoir to gave me a look that indicated - 'Don't look at me, I didn't invite him in.'
Right.
So, I have reason to believe all my earlier assumptions made after Rocky's first appearance in December are correct, i.e., I am the sole support and bread winner for myself, my two obnoixious cats, one or two stray cats and a raccoon, all of them in my house, all of them taking from the dole on the carpeted kitty tower next to my kitchen.
My initial response is to leave well enough alone and just feed the furry bastards, but someone brought up an excellent point. Just because Rocky is tidy and considerate occasional dining guest, doesn't mean that his invited buddies will be.
'Hey! Come on over Claire's on Waldron. She's got good eats!'
I do not fancy coming home to a ravished kitchen and the ensuing clean-up.
So, reluctantly I've made a compromise. The cat flap will only be open when I am home, and when I go away for weekends. If Rocky and the others are down with that, we'll get on all right.
Someone told me 'now don't pet Rocky'.
As if! *shudders at thoughts of Grizzly Man documentary. Do not wish my personal legacy to be the crazy cat lady found dead in her home and half devoured by wild raccoons, possoms and stray cats.
You know it's amazing the critters my poor old doggie Chiquilla kept out of my yard. I never knew what a good job she was doing. She probably didn't either. Chiquilla - Sit. Stay. Good dog!
She's much better at that obedience stuff these days. I mean, being dead and all.
