"After scolding one's cat one looks into its face and is seized by the ugly suspicion that it understood every word. And has filed it for reference."

I thought that having a pit bull would be enough protection for me. Apparently, I need more.

Last night, Hubby and I were in the bathroom and he decided it would be fun to pick on me. Of course, he can't stop when he's supposed to and takes the poking one step too far. I get mad and loudly tell him to "QUIT it!" I try to sound serious and I think I come across as really angry. We both happen to look over and see my once-feral kitten looking at him with ears down and daggers in her yellow eyes. I told him "Be careful, Zoe doesn't like it when you are mean to me." He just blew it off. I *did* warn him.

This morning while rummaging through his clothes to find a clean T-shirt, I hear Hubby scream. Zoe had peed on his pile of clean T-shirts in the middle of the night. See, I know she did it on purpose. She doesn't have litter box "accidents". This was an act of revenge and malice.

Here's a little background on her: Her mother was a bona fide feral cat in our neighborhood. Of course, I fed Mama kitty and she brought her kittens up to our house to eat. After at least one of the kittens was killed by a Tom (we heard it happening), I trapped the mommy and had her fixed and released. We also used the live trap to catch Zoe. If you have never seen one of these things, let me explain. It's a metal cage with doors on each end. When the cat walks inside, lured by the aroma of tuna, it trips the door latch and the metal door comes clanging down behind it. More than a little traumatizing for a small kitty, I think.

I don't think Zoe has ever forgotten or forgiven Hubby of this act. See, he was the one she saw immediately after she was trapped. He brought her in and left her with me. *I* consoled her in the bathroom for hours, *I* slept on the couch with her for her first 2 nights in my sleeping bag, and *I* slept on the bathroom floor with her when she came home from being spayed. She loves me. I'm her most favorite human. I don't know if it is actually possible, but when she looks at me her eyes are lime green. When she glares at anyone else, they're a pale yellow. I call it her yellow hate stare.

Once last year, she and I snuggled together on my sleeping bag in the living room. Incidentally, it's the same bag I used every time I slept with her. I forgot to put the bag up and the next day Hubby laid on it. Big mistake on his part. Maybe she didn't want his scent on "our" snuggle blanket, but she made sure we saw her squat on it that night. Message received.

We've tried a couple of things to try to redeem Hubby in her eyes, but looks like it's not really worked. Firstly, he is responsible for feeding the cats. They learned quickly that he was the one who knows how to open the plastic cat food container and scoop some out. They don't ask me for food anymore. When the dish gets low, they all run crying to him.

Secondly, I try to openly show affection to Hubby when she is watching me (except when he's picking on me). I don't know if she can understand, but maybe if she sees me pet his head while sing-song saying "Good hubby, what a good hubby!" she'll hate him less.

Knowing only this about her makes it seem like she is some kind of evil demon cat. She really is a good cat. She was the last one added to our little pride (we have 4) and she adjusted well. She adores her big brother and copies everything he does, including bossing the pit bull around and meowing at the back door to go outside.

We've had her for over 4 years now, so I suspect we'll have to watch our behavior for the next 15 or so years. :)

Can't you just see the attitude in her eyes?