So in spite of a family member's allergies, I began devising strategies to lure Emily into the house. For some reason, it felt really important that she came indoors willingly. One of my strategies to entice her in was the pen game. Since she had a weakness for pens, I would place a pen in the open doorway and wait. She would dart in, steal the pen and run back out. Then I'd have to chase her to get it back. But nothing, not even a pen, would make her step in further than the thresh-hold.
Perhaps because these cats weren't used to humans, they tried to treat me as an intelligent being. They could communicate with each other by eye contact, sort of telepathically. Obviously they overestimated human intelligence because they would also try it on me.
The most noticeable silent communication occurred between Emily and Wolf. From opposite ends of the porch, a look would pass between the pair, and suddenly they would both attack the same toy or sibling or move to the same spot. From a distance, Mama would try the look thing on me. I could feel the intensity of her concentration, but all lot of it went over my head. Emily took pity on the dumb human. When I didn't understand through eye contact, she had other ways way to communicate. Often she would physically demonstrate what she was trying to say. Even more remarkable, somehow the kitten could understand me. An eerie bond was developing between us.
While I was studying the cats, apparently they were studying me. When Mama walked up the porch steps, I would talk to her. And she would stop the usual three feet away and stare at me. And sometimes, she would imitate me by moving her mouth. I've only seen one other cat, Tommy, do this.
Years later, a select group of Mama's great grandchildren communicate with each other by eye contact in.the same way. They have looks they give each other that are readily understood. Less successfully, they try it with me. They'll jump up so that we are eyeball to eyeball and stare intently into my eyes. Unfortunately, most of the time, the only message I pick up is something like, "Hey! Hey, Stupid! Listen to me! Can't you hear me? Hey, Stupid!" Then the poor frustrated cat will have to find another way to get his or her point across.
Our parents and grandparents passed down folk 'sayings'. Nobody knows who started them but everybody knows these 'sayings' and uses them. Many of the 'sayings' come from a time when people were more in touch with nature. Even so, some of these 'sayings' are a little harsh. "The world is going to the dogs" has negative connotations. Worse is, "It's a dog eat dog world." Well, if "Dog is man's best friend," and dog has cannibalistic tendencies, that doesn't say much for humanity. I know that dogs like to roll in nasty things. They also eat disgusting things and sniff butts, but dogs don't eat other dogs. Or do they? Claims that this one and that one "fight like cats and dogs" make more sense. Unless cats and dogs have been raised together, dogs tend to eat cats. Understandably, cats don't like this. If dogs eat cats and cats don't appreciate it, it is understandable that this difference of opinion would spark disagreements.
And then there is the 'saying', "copy cats". Why do people blame copying on cats? Actually, there is sound logic behind this 'saying'. In the gadget-less dark ages, people must have watched their barn cats.
In a group of feral cats, there is usually a braver cat, kind of a trail blazer. The rest seem to watch and follow. If they aren't sure if something is safe, they will watch the leader. And once the leader does something and survives, the rest will follow... within reason. And just like little kids, if one cat has something, the others want it. Occasionally, this greed backfires.
I wish I had filmed this weird incident. One night at feeding time, I stepped out on the porch and set a dish of food down. As usual, Emily rushed past the dish to greet me. I knelt down and began patting her. Tiggie suddenly decided she wanted whatever Emily was getting and rushed over. She crowded Emily, trying to shove her aside. I took advantage and for the first time, I patted Tiggie. Tiggie took this for about a minute. And then she backed up in horror, realizing what she had done. She spent another minute thinking about it. Then she decided maybe humans weren't so bad, and came back for more. And this time I even tugged on her white-tipped tail.
Morning and night, after Mama and her children ate, I would return to rumble with the kids. Often I would drag a pussy willow branch around while they chased and attacked it. Then I introduced a new toy, a stuffed fish attached to a fishing pole by a stretchy string. Wolf took one look at that fish and fell in madly in love with it. He took over the game and decided I was his best bud. But Madam Blue was still not convinced. Whenever I put a hand near her, she would slap me. It was going to take more than a stuffed fish to win her over.
Just as the cats wanted to treat me like an intelligent being, I wanted to pet them like one would pet domestic cats. Since the cats were running the show, the human had a lot to learn.
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