A couple of weeks ago I met a little black panther cat called Pepper. He was quite shy and ran away when I went over to say hello but he’s been watching me and mummy and following us when we go out on walkies. Bit by bit he’s become a bit more friendly and now when I go for walkies he follows me and mummy round. If he’s inside his home then he shouts at his mummy to let him come out to play. So now, mummy has me on the lead leading the way with mummy following along behind and Pepper bringing up the rear, “come on Pepper keep up”mummy says.
First of all he just followed us around at a distance, curious and timidly stalking, always there in the background. Every time mummy turned round there he was following us, curious about who we were, what we were doing and where we were going. Then he started getting closer and closer and eventually came over to say hello to me. He came up fairly close to me and we had a little nose to nose sniff but then I moved a muscle and he ran away, then came back, then ran away! Silly boy, I’m not going to hurt you, I’m a kitty cat just like you but a little different but it’s ok we can be furriends.
I can tell he’s just a youngster as everywhere he goes he runs at full speed and I can hear his paw steps whizzing around on the grass. Mummy says he was born at about the same time as my brofur Peppar crossed the rainbow bridge so maybe he was always destined to be my friend and playmate.
It turns out Pepper is an only cat and I don’t think he had met another cat before, let alone a blindie like me so I think he needs me to teach him some life lessons to get him ready for being part of our walkies and being able to have a fun playtime together. Because he’s so young he is full of energy and thinks it’s fun to whizz past me or hide in the bushes and jump out on me or come round in front of me and whack me on the head. We might be cats but we still need manners and to be respectful to each other, if he thinks I’ll just let him get away with that then he’s got another think coming! I might be blind but I can still teach you a lesson or two.
1. Behave! You’re a young boy and don’t just think that you can sneak up behind me and swipe my bottom without getting a telling off!
2. Just because I’m blind doesn’t mean I don’t know exactly where you are so don’t even think about trying to engage in a sneak attack from behind the bushes.
3. I’ll show you how to climb trees but hey paws off my favourite ones.
4. I’m the boss, these are my gardens and I’m just letting you use them – ok?
So now I’ve laid out the rules we’re ready to go little Pepper, it’s playtime.
If you think you can outwit me by hiding in the flowers, you can think again, my super blindie senses know exactly where you are. I’m ready and waiting for you, ready to bop you on the nose if you try anything. I can hear you breathing, smell your scent and hear your pawsteps.
Playing with Pepper is really fun, he’s got bundles of energy and loves to play chase and hide and seek. Everything he does is at full speed and I feel him whizzing past me as he runs about trying to get me to chase him. He reminds me of Millie when she goes into mental Millie mode and runs around the flat like a mentalist. He is just full of energy and mischief, we even stalked a bird together but then he climbed my tree! My tree! The cheek!
After all the playing outside in the fresh air by the time I get home I’m all tired out, it’s tiring keeping up with a youngster so full of energy and excitement. So I’m ready for a snack, bath time with meowmy followed by a nap. It’s really fun having a playmate but I also really enjoy having mummy all to myself when we’re outside, I do love that mummy and me time that we have together.
Jenny’s Story 