Nine Lives to Live

Beans has an enemy.

Ever since Beans was a tiny kitten, there has been a black and yellow spotted tomcat who has roamed our yard, peering into the windows looking for the cat inside our house. The older Beans got, the more intense the interactions with the nemesis cat became.

Newman, as we named him (a la Seinfeld...hello, Newman), started lounging around on our back porch, dozing in the sun right outside our porch windows and doors...right where Beans could watch him and get mad.

Shortly after the first time we noticed Beans noticing Newman, Beans was surgically...er...de-beaned. We didn't want any angry male cat territory marking wars going on. Territory marking aside, Beans still hates that other cat.

More than once things have come to a head, erupting with one or both cats swatting angrily at the window pane. Tonight Newman was sitting in the next yard over, yowling and driving Beans crazy. Beans paced the living room floors nervously, making weird little chirpy noises while trying to figure out how to give Newman a royal smackdown. After 15 minutes he gave up and decided that maybe a snuggle was in order. Purring and head-butting ensued.

After all, if you can't be a streetwise warrior, the next best thing is to be a mama's boy.