frenemies

As you might suspect, Evil Kitty does not like other cats. (Hell, she only likes *us* because we do useful things like open the back door, purchase and serve Fancy Feast, and brush her on command.) There used to be a black and white cat in the neighborhood who we called "her enemy." They would occasionally fight, but more often stare each other down across another neighbor's driveway--the neutral zone in their territory war, I would imagine. The Enemy hasn't been around at all this year, so s/he has either moved or gone on to the Elysian Catnip Fields.

Meanwhile, however, there is a new kitteh in the hood. This one is gray and white and approximately 50% bigger than Evil Kitty. Evil Kitty is--in case it's not evident in her pics--like her owner, small but scrappy. She tops out at about 9 pounds. Recently we've seen EK and Gray-n-White Kitty doing the stare across the neighbor's yard thing to each other, so D and I figured s/he*** was the new enemy. Well, the other night 'round about 9pm, D went to the back door to see if EK was ready to come in for the night. And then started yelling.

"Mom! Mom! C'mere! The gray and white cat's on our porch!"

By the time I got there, Gray-n-White Kitty was sticking his head through the open back door and scent-marking our hallway. I reached down to pat him and he let me, purring, and then started taking another step forward into my house. D and I were amazed and laughing. Then we noticed that Evil Kitty was sitting on the far porch railing. I stepped out to get her and her enemy followed, whereupon they both started hissing and spitting at each other. So I scooped her up and brought her into the house before any bloodshed could occur.

So now we are confused. Are they in fact friends and hanging out on our back porch together, and EK just got pissed off when the other cat overstepped the bounds and tried to actually come in? Are they enemies who would have been fighting anyway if D hadn't gone out at that exact moment? D and I have decided to split the difference, so now we're referring to Gray-n-White Kitty (to EK) as Your Frenemy. Because you know we all have at least one, right?

xoxo

***The fact that both the old enemy and the new enemy didn't live in any of the immediately adjoining houses to ours makes it more than probable that they're both males. Male cats will have a much wider amount of territory they'll roam than a female. Because, y'know, they need to travel to get pussy. Stop groaning. I wrote you a whole footnote just so I could make that lame joke.