Macavity Fights

Macavity Fights, originally uploaded by Wahj.

Macavity is like a toddler - except the same boundless energy is packed into the body of a miniature tiger and fuelled by cat food, water, and occasional naps. These past few days he's put out almost too much energy for this small house.

I got only 3 hours of sleep Monday night because he would not go to sleep, but insisted on attacking every cat that tried to curl up in bed with us. Each pounce resulted in a flurry of cat and claws, with me on the losing end. I ended up locking him in the cat carrier to keep the peace, whereupon he pulled a Puss-in-Boots straight out of Shrek 2, piteous mewling at all. When released, he promptly went back to his disruptive ways, with the end result that when I did finally fall asleep, it was with a spray bottle in my hand (we use it to discipline the cats - one good jet of water is usually enough to send the signal that "We Do Not Approve Of Such Behaviour")

Of course, it isn't really his fault. He's a warrior trapped in a kitten's body. Each night Macavity can be seen practising his combat moves on the toy rats we got from Ikea. He'll wrestle with it on the floor, attacking it with his claws, going for the throat with a vicious bite that I'm sure would gain the admiration of his feline cousins from the Serengeti. This can go on for an hour or more. He takes it very seriously.

I would like to think that Macavity is descended from an illustrious line of mousers and back alley brawlers, and his nightly sparring springs from a need to ensure the traditions and honour of his family are upheld. Whereas Iffy, Twinkle and Patch are lapcats, he is a quintessential tomcat. He has shown absolutely no fear of anything so far: his one way of greeting the other cats in our house (all of whom are easily twice his size) is to rise up on his tiny hind legs, spread his tiny front legs wide open with claws extended, and pounce forward to attack the nearest body part. Like the Terminator, he can't be bargained with, he can't be reasoned with, he doesn't know pity, or remorse, or fear, and he absolutely will not stop ... well, perhaps I exaggerate.

But he is such a fighter. I only hope he calms down with age ...