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12:04 p.m. - Sunday, Jan. 03, 2010
Koko and Genie
Koko and Genie are their names. Koko is a four-year old Abyssinian cat. He is tall, lean and athletic. Koko lives in a large house with Genie. Genie is a black and white common tabby. Unlike Koko, Genie was rescued from the pound. She was an after thought purchased to be a companion for the prized purebred Koko.

In many ways Genie was Koko's opposite. She was fat, short and fearful. While Koko explored everything, Genie hid whenever she thought she was in danger and that was almost all the time. Koko knew this.

When the people of the house were around, a middle-aged man and woman, Koko dutifully looked like he took care of his companion, Genie. He gave her a nightly bath with his tongue until she yelped from too hard a stroke. He often looked like the older protective brother by sitting near her and between her and the people. The man and woman commented how good they were for each other and how lucky Genie was to have Koko.

Genie was seen in the mornings and evenings around the people. In the mornings, she sat patiently in the kitchen with Koko waiting to be fed. She always ate last. Koko needed to be fed first to distract him from eating Genie's food. He was only distracted for a little time though for he gobbled his morsels quickly and ate whatever Genie hadn't swallowed yet. The people, seeing this, tossed their treats in two different directions. Koko's special treats were thrown down the hall to the right and received twice as much. He delighted in chasing them. Genie's treats went to the left. Even Genie had a bounce in her as she pounced after them. Genie never got to eat them all. She always left the first two for Koko because Koko was so lightening fast. Koko always devoured his own treats in time to get the tail end of Genie's, even if it meant snatching the last one from her mouth.

Though the people loved Genie, they marvelled and loved their super cat Koko all the more. He could survive anywhere while Genie was a less able specimen. Good thing Genie had Koko.

Genie spent eight to ten hours a day hidden. Sometimes it was under the bed with the dust kitties. At other times it was inside a canvas travel bag in the corner of a closet. Sometimes it was a place no one had ever found yet.

If anyone came into the house, Genie was no where to be found. Even when the people came into a room and called, she stayed hidden. If they reached out for her, most times she would bolt. The people were irritated but not all of the time.

In the evenings, when the people sat on the sofa to watch television, Genie sat beside the man. If the woman got up, she took her place. It was warm. The woman complained that Genie must like the man best and in reverse, perhaps Koko liked her best. The latter wasn't true for Koko came to them equally. It was odd though. The woman tried desperately hard to nurture Genie as she did Koko and even gave preference to her at times. She longed to have Genie become a lapcat and stroke her in the quiet of the day. Genie was to have none of this. The best Genie could do was to sit two arms lengths away from the man and let him touch her once or twice. Koko always looked on.

When the people went out. They were usually gone for a few hours. Koko saw them go but Genie was not to be seen. If they forgot something and came immediately back in to retrieve it, nothing was amiss.

With the sound of the garage door coming back down and the motor of the car getting fainter in the distance, things changed. Koko went looking for Genie. He knew all her hiding spots.

First Koko started licking her and ended with a bite. Genie squealed and ran, Koko right behind her. He struck her on the back with his sharp claws. She cried and tried to run but he was more agile, quicker. He jumped on her back, biting her ear. He growled, spat and blocked her at every turn in her attempts to flee. For Koko, it was fun. He put his paw on her neck until her tongue came out then arched his back and sprang at her. Genie endured the humiliation and pain until his tirade was over. She didn't resist. She long lost hope. When Koko did this before in front of the people, they just laughed and said they were playing.

When it was over, Genie slunk away into the canvas bag in the closet. There was a three-inch gash on her back and her right ear was bleeding. A little while later the door to the garage opened and the people returned. Koko stood in front of them upon their arrival and they petted him. The woman opened a bag of new treats and gave him a double dose. She called for Genie but Genie never came. The woman sighed and the man said to give Genie's portion to Koko, Genie can have some later. And so, it went on, day after day. No one was the wiser. Some lives are like this, even with humans.

 

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