Meet Reggie
That's short for Reginald Nigel Spartacus Ott
The third in a multi-part series that chronicles the lives of the Ott cats.
Kittyboo here again. I left off my last installment telling you that our home was about to have not two, but three cats living in it. Yeah, you’d think that having two cats was quite enough for one house, but I suppose when you hear what the reason was for adding another cat, you might think it’s okay. As it was explained in my hearing (I was trying to take a nap nearby when they were discussing it), Dad Ott’s brother decided they wanted to get another kitten, and they brought home a gray tabby mix that they named Spartacus, or “Sparty” for short.
Unfortunately, Sparty’s introduction into their home didn’t go well at all. You see, they already had two female black cats who were very formidable creatures. One in particular would have none of it. From Sparty’s first day, on sight of him, she would growl and chase him upstairs. It got so, that Sparty had to spend all his time hiding in the master bedroom. It didn’t help matters that Sparty was a bit skittish in nature.
Well, Mom and Dad Ott agreed to take Sparty, and they took some elaborate steps to ensure Sparty’s introduction in the house was a smooth one. Frankly, they were mainly worried about how Daryl might take it. (They knew I might hiss or something, but that I was generally a sweetheart.) They started by setting him up in the guestroom and strictly keeping the door closed at all times. This was supposed to allow the other cats to investigate and get to know Sparty’s scent before seeing him. This went on for a couple of days, and Daryl often checked on him. Fortunately, his reaction was more curious than hostile or defensive. Next, they stapled some window screen to the guest room’s entrance and opened the door. This was supposed to allow them to see each other without touching. This stage was supposed to last for several days, but it got cut short. Daryl quite enjoyed climbing the screen and would (unintentionally, I’m sure) pull it down partially. Well, as it turned out, they got along famously! They quickly became “brothers from other mothers,” as Dad Ott put it.
They re-named him Reggie, as this seemed to fit his personality better. Reginald Nigel Spartacus Ott became his full name. I’m not quite sure what that black cat had against Reggie, as I found him to be just a loveable goof-ball.
He quickly became every cat’s little brother. He’s just a simple guy who likes to present himself to you for a grooming. He likes to show people his fang as he rubs his cheek against you.
The only annoying thing about him is that he can start snoring when he takes naps. Oh yeah, and when he wants to be let out of my room…
But, it was not long before us three cats (and rabbits) would have yet another pet in the house. Another one was soon to join us. But I’ll get into that in my next installment.
Here’s a little preview of who joined us… (Mom Ott finally got a cat of her own.)
