She's the most powerful cat in my house, yet few people have ever seen her - it's Barclee. She's incredibly shy and spends a good portion of her time under the bed. If there's even a hint of a car, she bolts for safety.
Yet she wields in the power in the cat hierarchy in a very important way. She determines who can enter the bedroom AND, who is allowed to sleep on the bed!
While dogs usually go by the Alpha Dog model, cats are different. They'll have sphere's of influence. So while Bridgette appears to be top cat in most situations, when it comes to bedroom protocol, Barclee makes the call.
When Truman and Spott were alive, Hamilton and Molly were not allowed to even enter the bedroom, let alone look at the bed. Back then, Truman was calling the shots. I figured Molly and Hamilton just preferred to spend the night elsewhere. After Truman and Spott, I noticed that Barclee stepped right up and patrolled the entrance to the bedroom.
It took a couple months, but like a bouncer standing at the door to a night club, Barclee finally allowed two new members in. Hamilton and Molly could now enter the bedroom, eat the "private" food, use the personal litter box AND, finally, sleep on the bed.
It became even more apparent that Barclee used her power when Tuukka and Luna arrived. For awhile, she'd attack them if they even WALKED by the bedroom. They were not allowed into the inner sanctum.
Just recently, Barclee let Tuukka in, but so far, he's been sleeping in the closet. I suppose if he follows her rules for awhile, he may be able to move closer. Luna, however, has not appropriately paid the price, and still can't even look in the door.
It's really funny, because Barclee is the last one to eat, isn't allowed in the cat beds, and can only sit on the cat chair if there's no one else in line. But she has her kingdom and rules it with an iron paw!
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