Hey Kitty Kitty!

In our household there are 5 cats. Well, at the moment that is. You see, there is a small sign in my front yard saying"Cats welcome.Free food, lots of love." I have as yet not found this small sign, but stray cats just know about it. It is either that, or they all have a cell phone and text message each other all the time.My last addition was found by the pond, and is the one on my avatar. No doubt he'd been looking hungrily at the fat goldfish for a while.

My other cats are always the first to notice the interloper. First there's growling and hissing, then nose-sniffing. I must say, it requires a lot of courage to walk into enemy-territory and see how the natives react. It could mean to the natives that there's less food to go around if they accept the new kid on the block. And so first they spend a couple of days trying to scare the new one away.

I watch this from behind the windows. Because my other cats see our home as their castle and us as the servants, there's not a lot I can do at that stage. If the stray has a home, he usually gets the message very quickly and runs off home. But in case of Picasso (yes, I am named after him) he stayed by the pond. When he finally stood up to stretch himself I realized how big he was. My Alpha-cat decided that the newcomer might be big, but if he wanted to move in, there was a hierarchy to be observed here. And Picasso was and still is, on the bottom of the ladder. But he moved in, planting his knapsack on a cushion and that was that.

But he has great ambitions. After I looked in his mouth to determine how old he might be, I was sure he isn't even 1 year old. The other 4 cannot understand why this toddler tries so hard to become the boss, least of all the real leader. This one takes his responsibilities seriously and when there's fur flying he jumps in and gives everybody a whack and that usually settles it. That, he feels, entitles him to the first bite of food in the evening, before the others have a chance.

Picasso doesn't get it. After nibbling on my toes, attacking my husbands slippers and running around with his ping pong ball (and thus causing major earthquakes because he's so huge) his eyes go to the leader.Again, because this happens every evening. Then he sits down on his haunches in front of the leader and seems to ask if they please can be friends.

The leader wants none of that and flattens the ears. He knows he weighs 10kg and is big also. The ladies-cats are watching this daily excitement from the bleachers. Because if there's a shift in power in the feline department of this house, there will be consequences. And they know the politics and rules from the old Alpha, but what if the new one rises to power?

In the end the real Alpha stands up and ends the arguing. "Stop it, both of you." I yell. They both look up at me, green eyes squinting lovingly. Ah yes, she's the one with the can-opener.