Cat-fu

We have a ginger alpha cat Thomas. He is the biggest strongest toughest cat on site. He looks like Simba of the Disney movie. He is 18 pounds and looks all lion. He is such a beautiful cat. He is the Grand Master of cat-fu. He is a very loving calm and accepting cat most of the time. As he has grown older, he has a few aches and pains, so if you touch him in a sensitive spot he will for sure catch you with a bite warning to say, “Hey, that hurt!”

On the other hand, he is also a great father friend cat. A few years ago, we acquired a kitten. All the cats in the family were 12+ in age and the little guy needed a play partner. Thomas welcomed the new Martius to the family with abundant play. What was odd was it was like Thomas taught him to fight and Martius taught Thomas to be a kitten again. Suddenly, Thomas was doing things quite unexpected for his age. He began running around playing with imaginary things, skittering around like a kitten, and having lively perky eyes. Thomas began to want to play more and looked for opportunities to wrestle. All in all, the match for play was excellent.

With time, the Master taught the young cat his cat-fu strategies. He taught him the straight paw. That is because Thomas was significantly bigger and by just putting out his paw, the little guy could not get a swing in to him. (Not long after, Martius used the technique to block his Pet Mom from kissing him. He placed the paw right center in my neck. He adapted the strategy.) The Master taught him to sit tall in the beginning of a combative encounter. Martius also taught Thomas a new strategy. He rolled in from underneath into an attack position. This was novel and admirable for a small kitten working with a partner who was 12 pounds more than him. Martius, considering his size, jumped on the forefront of Thomas’s body as he was too small to engage his whole body. The two became fast friends. If something was good enough or safe enough for Thomas to do, Martius would do it.

Cat-fu Straight Paw

After about two years and some upheaval in life conditions, it became difficult to play. The two had lost their habit of play. Then, the day came when a second cat in the household took over the major play or rather fight role with the kitten. We never knew how much he loved her and depended on her till we lost her. We lost one of our cats to kidney disease. The house was starkly quiet, sad, empty, and drained of life. There was no play or interactions.

I felt for my young cat. I went and bought him a play partner. Now, Martius is doing the Cat-fu training role with the new addition to our family Lucius. Poor Lucius, brother of Martius in Shakespeare’s Titus and Adronicus could not know the sissy sweet nothings his Pet Mom fawned over him as Lulu Luscious.

Lucius somehow intuitively knew the under-roll technique. His all of 4 pounds is mass launched through the air and he pounces on to Martius. Lucius has something unique in his movement though. He jumps like a wolf spider. It’s rather amazing. Another thing is he vocalizes in his attack. Right at launch time, he jumps and meows in a strange variety of battle calls which leave Pet Mom wondering if he is being killed, but he is in the midst of the glory of the fight. It is his version of kiya. Martius is a competitive partner for Lucius, but compassionate and aware of his kittenhood. In the midst of fighting, he cleans the little tike. He makes a great cat dad.

I have always thought Martius was the best cat I had ever met. I can’t believe I found his equal and that they would be so well matched. I hope for the sake of all of us they live till I am a ripe old 85 and that I have to find a senior’s home who will take both me and my cats! Oh, and long live cat-fu!