Little Guido the Thug

Margeaux had that stereotypical "Guido" look. Sparse hair that appeared slicked back. She had a swaggering demeanor and we surmised it was from her trying to overcome her humble roots. The ringworm left her looking rough - yellowed and scraggly. Guido had claws too! She could scamper up a human body as easily as jumping onto a sofa. We lost blood. Cutting her nails didn't do a thing, it was as if she instantly sent out a set of razor-sharp replacements.

When she roamed the house, she was a courageous little bully. She held her own with the puppy, hooking a lip and an eyelid "playing". She could get onto the counter where we ate (sometimes by scaling human flesh) and would confidently stride over to our plates repeatedly, with a more sense of entitlement than a spoiled child. "No human food for cats!" we'd tell her, but she kept trying.

So she spent a lot of time in the cat apartment. We counted the days until she would visit the vet for her front declaw. Each morning we'd awaken to Margeaux's voice crying out to join family. Sometimes she threw her voice loudly through walls. We were excited for the day when she'd be out for good. Laura Ingalls, however, was not.

Margeaux tries to play with Laura who still emits a low growl at the kitten. She is not amused by the antics of Little Guido the Thug. The day came and went and now that recovery is complete, Margeaux spends her time growing, sleeping, being cute, and trying to steal food off our plates.