Inseparable #Felines--#Cats This Week by Karen Rose Smith

Felines develop bonds that are as strong as the human bonds that we cherish in our everyday lives--siblings, spouses, parental, friends. All of these bonds are special, but occasionally we are fortunate enough to develop a bond that almost transcends the ordinary and natural and gives true meaning to Natalie Cole's lyrics:

Inseparable, that's how we'll always be,

Inseparable, just you and me...

Natalie Cole, 1975

In our furry family, we have witnessed two such inseparable bonds--one between siblings and another between a mother and daughter.

Bonnie and Clyde, our outside visitors have been inseparable since the day they first appeared in our backyard. We know nothing of their history, except that they were part of a rescue, neuter and release program, because they have clipped ears. It is obvious that they are siblings and have fended for themselves since they were released after being spayed and neutered. From their hesitance to trust humans, we can only assume their experiences at the clinic were frightening. They are constant companions and wait for each other to arrive before they will eat without being on constant alert. Clyde often sits outside the door while Bonnie is eating in the basement to protect her from other strays.

After a full year of interacting with them, Clyde has finally allowed me to pet him, but Bonnie still shies away. They have come trust us enough to allow us to close the basement door after their evening meal so they can spend the cold winter nights indoors in a heated area. We would never consider closing the door, though, before both of them are in the basement.

The trail camera has taken pictures of the two of them on a casual stroll around the basement in the middle of the night. They often sit guard for each other as one uses the litter box or feeds on dry food. In the morning when they hear my steps on the floor upstairs, they sit together in the middle of the basement until I come down the steps to feed them and open the door for them to begin their outside activities.            

Halo and Miss Paddington's inseparable bonds had a completely different foundation. We rescued Halo as a pregnant stray and Paddy was her first-born kitten. We witnessed the birth and often assisted Paddy in finding her mom's nipple so she could nurse. Halo was a wonderful mother and has always been very protective of her babies. 

When Mason and Tia left for their forever homes, the bond between Paddy and Halo seemed to become even closer. They ate, slept and played together. Paddy nursed much longer than the literature we read said she would. Two and a half years later, their bond is still strong. While Halo has somewhat pushed her away to fend for herself at times, they still sleep together at night and feed together each day. At the slightest disturbance, Halo is on alert, more than ready to defend Paddy against any aggression by the rest of our feline family. 

I have watched in wonder at these inseparable feline bonds that have developed between Bonnie and Clyde...and Halo and Paddington.  They give me pause and incentive to look at my own relationships and truly appreciate the special bonds that have been and still are a part of my life. 

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FOREVER IN HER EYES

Search For Love series, Book 9

FOREVER IN HER EYES on Amazon

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The Search for Love romance series includes:

SEARCH FOR LOVE series website 

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USA TODAY Bestselling Author Karen Rose Smith is an only child who delved into books at an early age. She learned about kindred spirits from Anne of Green Gables, solved mysteries with Nancy Drew and wished she could have been the rider on The Black Stallion. Yet even though she escaped often into story worlds, she had many aunts, uncles and cousins around her on weekends. Her sense of family and relationships began there. Maybe that's why families are a strong theme in her novels, whether mysteries or romances. Her 97th novel will be released in 2017.

Karen and Paddy

Readers often ask her about her pastimes. She has herb, flowers and vegetable gardens that help her relax. In the winter, she cooks rather than gardens.  And year round she spends most of her time with her husband, as well as her four rescued cats who are her constant companions. They chase rainbows from sun catchers, reminding her life isn't all about work, awards and bestseller lists. Everyone needs that rainbow to chase.

Karen looks forward to interacting with readers. They can find her at the links below. 

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