KATTEN PJUSKE

Katten Pjuske ………    
 Her er lidt billeder af katten Pjuske. Hun er en Norsk Skovkat, der udvandrede fra hendes tidligere familie på den anden side af vejen, for at indtage vores hus som hendes eget.

 Det skete gradvist i 2005, da jeg var på Thulebasen i sommerhalvåret. Hun fik nu aldrig lov at overnatte hos Lisa, ligesom hun aldrig fik noget at spise her, da hun jo "tilhørte" hos en anden familie på vejen. Den første gang hun fik lov at overnatte, var under en snestorm i vinteren 2005-6, da hun ikke var blevet lukket ind hos hendes familie for natten. Så da Dronningen og jeg kom hjem fra besøg andetsteds, kom hun løbende gennem snedriverne, med sne og istappe hængende fra pelsen, mens hun flere gange så på os og sagde "mau"mau".  Iøvrigt snakker skovkatte meget og "fortæller" ofte og længe.

 Det kunne vi ikke modstå og hun blev lukket ind i varmen. Man skulle tro hun kendte huset, for hun susede lige ud på badeværelset, smed sig og nød varmen fra gulvet mens hun smeltede og bare fladede ud. 

 Det varede nu ikke så længe, inden Pjuskes "Mor", Maria, i genbo familien på vejen, kom over og spurgte om vi ville overtage hende.  Øøh, Jootak og så var vi pludselig 3 i huset.

 Nåeja, det dér med at "overtage" en Norsk Skovkat er nok en variabel størrelse. En Norsk Skovkat (ihvertfald Pjuske) lader sig ikke "overtage", medmindre den absolut selv vil. Pjuske er meget territorial og tillader ingen andre katte, at komme ind på grunden, dog lige med undtagelse af en anden rød Skovkat fra vejen, som hun gerne ligger tæt med. Alle andre bliver jaget ud af grunden øjeblikkeligt, mens hun selv "inspicerer" nabogrundene efter forgodtbefindende. Ligeså har diverse hunde god respekt for hendes kløer, der er over dobbelt så lange som en almindelig huskats kløer. Og hun har intet imod at bruge dem.

Samme kløer gør hende til en fænomenal klatrer. Hvor andre "normalkatte" giver op og skal hjælpes ned, nærmest "går" hun op og ned i træerne i området efter forgodtbefindende, ligesom hustagene ofte bliver inspiceret.

 Apropos jage, så er hun rigtig god til at komme med fugle og mus hjem til husholdningen. Overværede en dag, hvor hun lå afslappet på græsplanen og en svale gjorde skinangreb hen over hende. Pludselig og uden nogen form for varsel, røg hun 1½ meter op i luften og greb svalen med kløerne. Og så var det nat for svalen og vi fik igen fangsten leveret i havestuen. Indrømmet, det var lidt barsk at se, men samtidig flot at opleve hvilken utrolig effektiv jagtmaskine en skovkat er.

Den 30. December 2011 døde Pjuske, da vi tog den tunge beslutning at få hende aflivet ved dyrelægen.  Hun havde i lang tid levet med smerter i led og knogler, da hun led af fremskreden leddegigt, som ofte gjorde at hun bedømte sine spring forkert og i nogle tilfælde landede hel forkert og trillede pivende rundt.  Ligeså gjorde smerterne i kroppen hende klart noget vrissen, hvis man kom til at røre de forkerte steder. Derfor var vi også noget nervøse for, hvis et lille barn begyndte at kæle hende forkert og Pjuske så ville angribe barnet i "selvforsvar".
 
En Norsk Skovkat har jo nogle ret store og skarpe klør, hun brugte til at "gå" op og ned i træerne med,  så der kunne ske stor skade på "angriberen".  Derfor besluttede vi at aflive Pjuske, inden fremmede hun mødte på hendes strejfture i nabolaget, måske ville skade hende fordi de troede hun ville angribe dem, når hun hvæser istedet for at spinde når hun blev kælet. Et barn ville måske ikke rigtig forstå hendes advarsel og kæle videre af et godt hjerte, men med et hurtigt angreb til følge.

Men vi kan se tilbage på 6 gode år med Pjuske der forsvarede huset og hendes territorie flittigt mod fremmede katte, der gjorde fejlen at overtræde grænsen, hvilket afstedkom hurtig afregning og udvisning ligegyldigt om det var hun- eller hankatte. Den eneste anden kat hun accepterede, var en anden rød og ret "slidt" skovkat, som hun gerne lå i ske med, blot det skete udenfor huset. Her var grænsen ingen kunne overskride. 

Fred være med Pjuske der hvor skovkatte nu drager hen på den anden side.

Kig også ind på:  
 http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norsk_skovkat  og  www.killingelisten.dk/info/nfo.php

Pjuske the cat ………
  Here are some pictures of the cat Pjuske. She is a Norwegian Forest Cat who migrated from her former family across the road to take our house as her own.

  It happened gradually in 2005, when I was at Thulebase in the summer. She was now never allowed to spend the night with Lisa, just as she was never given anything to eat here, since she "belonged" to another family on the road. The first time she was allowed to spend the night was during a snowstorm in the winter of 2005-6, when she had not been allowed in with her family for the night. So when the Queen and I came home from a visit elsewhere, she came running through the snowdrifts, with snow and icicles hanging from her fur, while she looked at us several times and said "mau"mau". By the way, forest cats talk a lot and often "tell" and for a long time.

  We couldn't resist that and she was let into the heat. You'd think she knew the house because she rushed straight into the bathroom, threw herself in and enjoyed the heat from the floor as she melted and just flat out.

  It didn't take long before Pjuske's "Mother" in the other family came over and asked if we wanted to take her over. Jootak and suddenly there were 3 of us in the house.

  Well, the thing about "taking over" a Norwegian Forest Cat is probably a variable size. A Norwegian Forest Cat (at least Pjuske) does not allow itself to be "taken over" unless it absolutely wants to be. Pjuske is very territorial and does not allow any other cats to enter the plot, with the exception of another red forest cat from the road, with whom she likes to lie close. Everyone else is chased off the plot immediately, while she herself "inspects" the neighboring plots at will. Likewise, various dogs have good respect for her claws, which are more than twice as long as the claws of an ordinary domestic cat. And she doesn't mind using them.

Those same claws make her a phenomenal climber. Where other "normal cats" give up and have to be helped down, she practically "walks" up and down the trees in the area at will, just as the roofs are often inspected.

  Speaking of hunting, she is very good at bringing birds and mice home to the household. Witnessed one day where she was lying relaxed on the grass pitch and a swallow made a mock attack over her. Suddenly and without any warning, she flew 1½ meters into the air and grabbed the swallow with her claws. And then it was night for the swallow and we again had the catch delivered in the garden room. Admittedly, it was a bit rough to see, but at the same time nice to experience what an incredibly efficient hunting machine a forest cat is.

On 30 December 2011, Pjuske died when we made the difficult decision to euthanize her at the vet. She had lived with pain in her joints and bones for a long time, as she suffered from advanced rheumatoid arthritis, which often caused her to misjudge her jumps and in some cases land completely wrong and roll around squeaking. Equally, the pain in her body clearly made her a bit squeamish if you touched the wrong places. That is why we were also somewhat nervous if a small child started petting her incorrectly and Pjuske would then attack the child in "self-defense".
 
A Norwegian Forest Cat has some rather large and sharp claws, which she used to "walk" up and down the trees with, so that great damage could be done to the "attacker". That's why we decided to euthanize Pjuske, before strangers she met on her wanderings in the neighborhood might want to harm her because they thought she would attack them when she hissed instead of purring when petted. A child might not really understand her warning and pet on out of a good heart, but with a quick attack as a result.

But we can look back on 6 good years with Pjuske who diligently defended the house and her territory against foreign cats who made the mistake of trespassing, which resulted in quick settlement and expulsion regardless of whether they were female or male cats. The only other cat she accepted was another red and rather "worn out" forest cat, with whom she liked to sleep, as long as it happened outside the house. Here was the limit no one could cross.

Peace be with Pjuske where forest cats now go to the other side.