Let Me Tell You About My Cat...

In previous posts I mentioned that we have a cat called Marko living with us.

Cats are delicate creatures. Every cat has its own ways. I can't help you much with advice so I decided to share some events so you might recognize your problems. Maybe you can help me with my problems, too!

My Cat Arrives In New House

The cat Marko is six years old. He is a street cat. I found him at the bus station when I was returning from work one day. He was a month old at the time, all dirty, wet and hungry. Then it all began...

I decided to take him home, to my parent's house, where I lived. I wanted to feed him and to release him afterwards. Then he fell asleep so I decided to let him sleep for a while. It was getting dark and I said: "Well... let him stay for the night only." Days went by and here we are - six years together.

Then I got married.

My Husband Don't Like Cats & the Horror of Moving

I went through some rough times to make my husband accept that I'll be moving in with a cat to his house. I managed to persuade him and he unwillingly agreed... With tears, of course! My husband had a dog, and Irish Setter named Jimi so it's understandable that cats weren't his cup of tea.

The moving part was easier. He came in a bag with me and my stuff to our new home. Jimi stayed with my husband parents.

Marko's reaction was a nightmare. The house was still built at the time and so did a bathroom. First thing Marko did when he arrived to new house is that he hid under a bathtub. I don't know how much money we spent on various cat food to lure him out. Agony lasted for three days! He didn't eat for three days...

Unfortunately, that was only a beginning.

Like He Knew What Not to Do

It seemed to me at the time that Marko tried his best to annoy my husband.

He exclusively sharpened his claws on my husband's shoes. He didn't touch others. Every night he rushed into our bed to lie down on my husband's side. He did his best to ruin our married life. Jealousy was hanging in the air... Finally, my husband prevailed and the cat had to leave our bedroom. He figured out who is alpha male in our house.

But Marko's vengeance was quick...

We decided to have a BBQ on January the 1st that year. The only place available was a terrace, where my husband had set up everything and started making lunch. My daughter and I went out to make a snowman and closed my husband on the terrace, to keep the cold out. And then it happened...

Already roasted meat was inside, in the kitchen. Husband was closed on the terrace and Marko was all alone... My husband helplessly scratched the glass door and yelled at the cat who was contemplating what first to eat. When we finished the snowman and came back inside, only then we found out what was happening... We laughed and he never forgot that lost lunch.

War Is Over

A lot of time passed since that incident. Husband and cat managed to get along better each day. These days, I'm cat's only victim. He adores me but sometimes punishes me for the sins only he knows of. Sometimes, when I go out, he bites me as a punishment. Not to mention what happens when we're gone for a week or two.

When I get up in the morning, he knows that I'm the only one who can properly feed him.

When a New Baby Came...

After my second daughter was born, Marko became very possessive. He didn't allow strangers to touch the baby. He withstood every clumsy effort from the baby to pet him. She pulled him by the ears and tail but he didn't complain. Even today, when she cries, Marko is the first one to the rescue.

When someone in the house gets ill Marko is the first one to help. He becomes a "cat physician". He's able to sit for hours on painful spot and sometimes it's not very helpful. We have to drive him of to manage to stand up.

Marko Is a House Cat - Not a Tree Cat

Our cat grew up inside a house. He went out frequently but only along with us. One night, while we were all outside, other cat went by and Marko went after her. They both climbed on a nearby tree. We tried to lure him down but he was too afraid. We had to borrow the ladder to get him down. Since then he gets out only on a leash. Yellow one. It looks silly but it works! No more night adventures.

What Cat Eats

It's hard to please Marko when food is in question. He's not very fond of cat food (except Whiskas) but he has other preferences. He eats chips, instant soup, ketchup, cooking oil, all sorts of flowers and grass...

He doesn't like to drink water from his bowl. He prefers regular glasses. When he can't reach the water in a glass he uses his paws. In the process he sprays water around him.

When it's too hot, he cools down in the bathtub.

What can I say? Maybe he thinks he's a human?

Party Animal

No celebration can go by without him around. He has to be involved. We even get him presents for Christmas - sleeping basket, toys, balls and cans of his favorite food. What he likes the most is to slide into bags and decorative paper and to rip them apart.

Protecting His Territory

It's a known fact that male cats mark their territory. I had no clue what this can be like when a cat lives in a house. I fought with every known cleanser with no avail. I had to choose - castration or no cat in the house. Of course, I picked the castration. I couldn't imagine Marko's encounters with cars, other cats and difficulties. We went to a vet and everything went back to normal. Except that he started getting fat. He was more and more like Garfield. Even our friends started talking about how fat our cat is.

Marko Is Part of Our Family

No matter what, Marko is full-time family member.

I could write about him for days. Since the topic of this blog is household and everything about it, I'll stop now. The point is that we are much happier family with Marko around. We care about him and try to make his life as pleasant as possible.
Even my husband agrees with that