No Escape

When Alekzander is not breaking out of rooms by standing on his tippy-toes and reaching high above his head to touch (and pull open) our lever door handles, he is closing doors ... making an escape impossible for our cat, Rye-lee.

Life used to be peaceful.  Rye-lee could nap uninterrupted.

Then Alekzander got  brave and wanted to share love during Rye-lee's 20 hours of daily naps.  Rye-lee tolerated the attention.

Now Alekzander's love for Rye-lee has grown.  He follows him around like a hunter on the prowl for the biggest polar bear in the north.  Except rather than quietly stalk his prey, Alekzander yells "Rye-lai, Rye-lai" ... "Hey!  Rye-lai" and chases him through the house.  When he finally does get poor Rye cornered, Alekzander  puts his hands over his head and swings them down for a good solid "love pat."  When they're on the same level, he scoots close to his cat and twists his body to use Rye-lee as an over stuffed 25 pound pillow.  

Crazily, Rye-lee still outweighs Alekzander by 2-3 pounds, though you'd never guess it considering the torment Alekzander puts Rye-lee through each day.  I have to wonder if some good intentioned cat abuse love is better or worse than the humiliation and manipulation Tessa and I put our cats through when we were little.  Surely our cats enjoyed being strapped in strollers and bucket swings while wearing baby bonnets and dresses, right?