Mazda vs. Comet

I leave for Philadelphia tomorrow for six days and am more than a little concerned about the pet situation I'm leaving behind. I've taken in Mazda, my parents' cat, as a temporary measure. With them staying in a hotel room accompanied by three dogs, there is no room for a kitty in there, especially when the dogs aren't particularly feline-friendly (it's really just Speedy who can't help himself...the others just join along out of peer pressure). So Mazda was staying in the fifth wheel, which is sitting in the hotel parking lot. Not an ideal situation, being so isolated, but better than the alternative. However, with the weather getting chilly at night nowadays and there being no heat in the RV, I offered to foster Mazda at least until my parents' new house is finished.

Well, Comet and Mazda have not exactly been getting along. I confined Mazda in my closet (not as cruel as it sounds because it's huge in there and even has a light) for 24 hours and let the cats sniff each other under the door. Then Mazda started getting restless, probably because she wanted attention, not because she was cramped. So I let her out. She was hissing more than Comet, who seemed merely curious. Keep in mind, Mazda is at least 16 years old, while Comet is a comparatively spritely seven-year-old, so her hisses were crotchety "Leave me alone" types. Also, it's worth mentioning that Comet weighs in at about 17 pounds, while Mazda is about six. For the past few days we have had a somewhat tenuously peaceful coexistence. Hissing, yes, but limited and manageable. Comet's reaction to Mazda became almost one of playfulness, but again, she's too old for play and not in any sort of mood.

This morning, however, we had a disruption in the truce. Mazda was on my bed and Comet wanted to jump up there and be with his mommy. Mazda viewed this as an attack and lashed out. Comet responded in kind and we had a full blown cat fight at 7 am. Naturally I leaped out of bed and broke it up. I shooed Comet out of the bedroom and closed the door, but he started scratching on the carpet because he doesn't like being kept from where he wants to go. So I had to open the door. By now Mazda was in the closet (she chooses it now as her safe place) so I closed that door to keep them separated.

I seriously hope these animals get along while I'm away. It could be very bad if they don't. One hopeful thought: When I lived with Jane, my roommate for a year in Playa del Rey, and her two cats, she frequently reported that there was no fighting while I was at work, and it only happened when I was home...some sort of territorial thing, I guess. So maybe when I'm gone they'll get along because there will be no owner to fight over. My dad will be checking on them daily, and if he detects any problems, Mazda will have to go back to the fifth wheel. She did okay out there for a couple days, burrowing under blankets. I mean, in the wild, cats give birth in the snow and the kittens manage to survive. So I'm sure I'm overreacting to the temperature. That, or I'm rationalizing that 40 isn't too cold for Mazda in order to be overprotective of Comet. Nah, I never rationalize.