I am delighted to report that there has been another step in the emerging detante between the elder statesmen in my house. This morning around 5am (for some reason, a usual time for four-legged wakefulness) Smokey began his morning caterwauling, and I responded with my usual calls for him to get on the bed and be acknowledged so that we can all go back to sleep. Usually he comes into the bedroom, sees Uroy on the bed and goes back out again, commencing his raucaus. This morning, however, he got up on the bed and tentatively sat down less than a foot from where Uroy was snoring soundly, and let me pet him. Lo! after a few sleepy strokes he settled down and much to my delight began to purr! Even when Uroy stirred and started demanding equal attention, Smokey lay placidly and continued to purr, so loud in fact that I could hear him even when I lay down with Uroy's snarfling in my ear. It was a short lived success, Smokey got up and went about his early morning routine after about 20 minutes, but I was still extremely pleased.

This may seem like a small thing to everyone else, but for me, living as the DMZ between two curmudgeonly sovereigns has its drawbacks. Besides having to sit/sleep in the middle of every piece of furniture so as to allow room for each on either side, I worried that Smokey would feel marginalized in my affections, since he's much more independent and won't approach me when Uroy's at my heel (which he always is). I worried that all the hard work I had put into making Smokey feel like he's a loved member of the household would go to pot with the disturbance of our usual routines. I also worried that Uroy would be forever alienated from his feline housemate, learning to fear him the way everyone else does. But now, with this minor victory, I feel that the lines are still defining themselves, and there is hope for an effective inter-species peace, if not a fully affectionate companionship. Dare to dream.