Big Game Hunter

I don't know exactly when it happened. I don't have the slightest idea why it happened, but sometime in the last couple of weeks, Ryan has become a cat stalker. If there is a cat in the room, Ryan is determined to bestow affection upon it - whether the cat likes it or not.

Grandma H.'s cat is a nice enough cat, but you have to read his body language. He thinks nothing of giving love bites - or much worse. I have dubbed him the long-haired venomous house tiger for reasons I'm not going to go into here, but Ryan will not leave the cat alone. He's been nipped and hissed at. The cat will get up and leave the room, but Ryan will not back down. Pretty soon I'm sure there will be some bandages required as a result of Ryan's determination.

You'd think it would be a little better at our house where we at least have three cats to...share the love. But no, Gus and Sadie manage to stay out of sight when Ryan is awake, leaving Sanders to bear the brunt of Ryan's attention. I have found Ryan picking the cat up around the middle and carrying him from room to room. I have found Ryan pinning the poor cat to the floor so he can pet Sanders. I have even found Ryan sitting on the poor cat!  He will not leave the cat alone!

Now Sanders is just about the most gentle cat on the planet, but he has even given Ryan one or two warning nips over the past week. There's just no place for Sanders to hide. He's a social cat and wants to be around people, so hiding under the bed is out. Sanders has tried getting on the fireplace mantel, but Ryan goes all the way upstairs and gets his stool so he can reach the cat. Sanders tries hiding on the dryer, but Ryan will pull the laundry hamper over and stand on it to reach the cat. Even sitting on my lap isn't safe since Ryan will take that as an invitation to hug and pat the cat.

Poor sweet Sanders. I hope his old bones can continue to put up with Ryan. I guess it's good that he's so tolerant, but I really wish my kid would cut the cat some slack.