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Alaska Tough

© Sandy McCollum

In Alaska we have the toughest cats in the world. In fact, I'll bet that most of the world's feline population resides in Alaska, judging from the number of wild cats there are (exaggerated, of course). A wild cat lives an average life-span of three to five years, while a domestic cat can live twenty plus years (facts from my vet), telling me how hard life must be for the wild ones. We have six of the toughest cats I've ever known living in our house, and they're all adoptees from outside. They aren't afraid of dogs, other cats, the vacuum cleaner or cars. But, last night we stumbled onto something that really shook their cages.

We had a baby come and spend the night with us. From the way the cats acted, you'd think we'd committed a crime. Even the 'baddest' of the cats was totally unnerved by the presence of this small person.

I watched as they all sat around the edge of the living room staring at the baby. You could almost hear the conversation these cats must have been having.

CHARLOTTE: "What is it?"
ASHES: "It looks like our people, but it's too small."
CHARLOTTE: "Go see what it is."
ASHES: "No, you go see what it is."
CHARLOTTE: "Hey, Olive, go check out the new thing and tell us what it is."
OLIVE: "It's a baby, dillrods."
TUBBY: "Why is it here?"
HOBO: "She keeps giving it our milk."
EDDIE: "It's on her lap and she's talking to it! Why is it on her lap?"
OLIVE: "Why would anyone want another person in their house?"
EDDIE: "Hey, why talk to that thing when you can pet me?"
HOBO: "Yeah, leave that thing alone. It smells funny anyway."

The first one to actually check the baby out was Tubby. Tubby is a year old, and the most skiddish cat I've ever had, but she was the first. She carefully snuck up behind the baby and sniffed his foot, but when he moved she tore out of the living room like she was being chased. She returned every few minutes, reaching out with one paw to 'almost' touch it and prove her indoor-cat prowess before she bolted from the room when the baby moved again.

Charlotte is the outside pride Queen, and there isn't much that slips by without her knowledge or approval. I've watched her attack dogs (and win), and she's used to fending for herself, having survived a winter by eating bugs and birds. We adopted her from the wild, and she's not quite tame, but close. Every time she entered the room she acted disgusted with the strange new thing on the floor. She stared at the baby like she hated him, but then Charlotte's a little hard to get to know.

The copyright of the article Alaska Tough in Alaska/Northern Canada is owned by Sandy McCollum. Permission to republish Alaska Tough in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.