It is hard to ignore Banjo when he is agitated. One evening about a week ago it was obvious he was. Our seven-year-old neutered tom cat uses very clear sign language to signal his wants, and what was then on his mind was not food, urination, defecation, or defence of territory. He was at the side of the sofa looking upwards. Then he was standing on his hind legs, had anchored his claws in the upholstery of the armrest, and, with a cry, was struggling to pull his body upwards. At first it looked as if he might not succeed, but he persevered and reached the comfort of the sofa by climbing over the armrest.
He has no difficulty getting up or down from the sofa or a bed by the conventional route. Banjo was challenging himself as he had challenged himself a short time before to get down from the sofa via the armrest. Our cat was the victim of a car accident which almost cost him his life. His left hind leg contains a metal plate and an X-ray of his right hind leg showed a dislocated joint. For some time after the accident his gate resembled that of a lizard, but he relearned how to stand upright and gradually to explore more of his territory.
The motivation to do all this came from Banjo, and I have developed respect for the wisdom and courage with which he carries out this stretching of himself. He is pleased when we notice and praise his achievements.
Since we started to share our home with two cats, we have had to abandon many of the assumptions our culture holds about this animal species. I hope to write more about Banjo and Sherpa in the days to come.
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