Hickory & Mitzi

Mitzi & Hickory  (KN)

For several years the DoubleWide Deck was known as tuxedo central, but in the last while the tabbies have been staging a takeover!  Luke, Bodhi and Denzel are still present, but they are also wandering more freely, and looking up at the furry pile on the mattress, there’s often more brown fur than black.  

Did you say chicken?  (BC)

Floor level is dominated by tortie Gwen, who doesn’t like other cats any more than she did at the beginning. They have learned to avoid her, and to stay outside her personal “bubble”. While the weather has remained fine, there is a steady flow of Deck cats out to the cat-tree by the New Aids entrance, and some of them venture further.

Hickory  (LBF)

Hickory and Mitzi are two of the most regular venturers.  They may well be litter-mates; they arrived four years ago from CATS rescue, in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. They are not particularly bonded, but may often be found together, since they both use the DW Deck as their base.   Hickory is a handsome dark tabby with the classic-tabby whorls on his coat. He is initially wary with humans, but ready to accept attention; he can often be found visiting cat-pals in Pen 1.  When the cat-door was first installed on the Deck he was one of the first to explore – and then got a bit panicked when he couldn’t find his way to return; he’s much more sure of himself now.

Luke with Hickory  (KN)

Hickory extends his social presence outside the Deck cats; if there is a courtyard gathering for chicken tidbits, he is often part of it. However, he’s not really interactive with the dominant boys of the Boys’ Club – Pumpkin, Walker, Quinn and their buddies. Hickory sits back and observes. Most of his socializing is with his tuxedo pals on the Deck.

Mitzi   (KN)

Mitzi is a big-eyed, stripy-variety tabby with a large white bib. She is very food-motivated, but not enough to make her act nice with humans;  she has a lightning front paw that is quick to smack. But the potential for tasty tidbits, brings her closer and closer, and though she’s not happy about being touched, she will tolerate it for the sake of an adequate pay-off.

Seeking a little sun-worshipping  (KN)

Like Hickory, she enjoys little excursions into the gardens, but tends to remain close to home-base; the platform with the cat-tree is her favourite place on a nice day; and she can dodge human attention easily.  Though the two of them mostly do their own thing independently, just occasionally we will see moments of affection (or possibly annoying-the-sibling moments) that signal a loving family connection.

Hickory & Mitzi  (KN)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson