The View from Here

Goofball…

I’ll be honest with you- even just a little over a week ago I thought that Shiva just wasn’t the right fit for our family, that we would have to end up re-homing her, something that just broke our hearts. She would show periods of sweetness, then become an aggressive brat who wouldn’t think twice about chomping down anyone who touched her when she was not in the mood for physical contact…which we wouldn’t know until she attacked . However, something changed; something big. Somehow how, some mysterious way, Shiva has truly accepted us and become part of our family.

My little family all together.

Perhaps we have better learned to let Shiva be Shiva, learned to be attuned to her many moods. We have kept contact brief and totally on her terms, setting her up for success and giving her lots and lots of positive reinforcement. Ever the angel, Sophie has patiently put up with this crazy feline stalking her, taunting her, racing around the house like her tail is on fire. They nap peacefully near each other with apparent comradery.

Dan and I were talking about Shiva last night as we watched her race up and down the stairs, and then come sit quietly in the sunroom with us. We decided that it was worth giving Shiva a chance to settle in with us; she was exactly what our little family needed. She is nothing like any cat or dog we’ve had before with her large personality and many moods. Dan calls her the court jester, as she always does something to make us laugh…and we have so needed something to laugh about about over the past months. My favorite so far (other than when she slid down the bannister) is when I moved the vacuum cleaner cord too suddenly and Shiva sprung three feet straight in the air, then shot like a lightning bolt across the house.

She now seeks out our company, where before she would stay off to herself in another room much of the time. She comes to curl up next to Dan in the afternoon as he grabs a quick rest after lunch. She comes to me several times during the night, now staying longer and longer to have her chin scratched while she softly purrs. She talks to us with her funny chirpy voice, always announcing her arrival as she bops down the stairs.

Hard at work rearranging every rug in the house…

She also lets her huntress side come through…and sometimes not just with her toys. Two days ago Dan was napping on the sunporch couch and I was doing some chores. I heard the storm door that leads to the decks upstairs get hit by something, and I was immediately afraid that Shiva had somehow finally figured out how to push open the heavy-ish door. I need not have worried- about that, at least.

The next thing I knew, a dark flash ran down the stairs, through the living room, and into the dining room…with something in her mouth…something alive. I called out, “Oh, NO!” and quickly got Dan’s attention. I heard the flapping of wings, and then saw a chase as Shiva released the creature and caught it again. Dan swore it had to be a mouse, but I was right- it was a little fledgling. The poor thing must have ventured too close to the space under the storm door and into our cat’s clutches.

That bird is here somewhere!

After a chase worthy of a Three Stooges routine, we finally caught Shiva and got the bird out of her mouth. She was quite upset with us, telling us off with chirps and cries as she searched in vain for her feathered friend (who flew away soon after we took it outside).

One thing is for certain; life will never be dull with Shiva around. Eight pounds of laughter-inducing loving (mostly), exasperating feline. I think we got the cat that was meant for us.