I tucked myself into bed around midnight last night. As I had been gone the night before, the cats were extra eager for their evening scratches, vying for the best spots on the bed. I was attempting to remain a neutral, mediating party to the disagreement until Meeko seemingly abandoned her post only to return, having launched herself from the top of the cat tree, a ball of flying fur baring fangs and claws, at poor unassuming Ben.
Pets.
I attempted to read and made it about 3 pages into my book before I started to nod off. I turned off the light and nestled down into my covers and was just drifting off when Meeko started up with the hissing again. "Meeko, honey," I muttered from beneath my comforter, "Ben lives here too and he can come up on the bed if he wants to." [Yawn] "There is plenty of room for all of us." The hissing progressed to growling. Oh, for goodness sake! I poked my head out from my nest of blankets to call to Ben and blinked in the dim light until I could make what I was seeing into some kind of sense. Whiskers and paws, yes. Orange, no. Not Ben.
A neighbor cat was standing in the bedroom blinking at me with a steady, nonchalant gaze. Either he had always wanted to see the inside of my house and decided to take a tour, or he got the party dates mixed up and showed up one day late. Meeko was all fur, hissing and spitting at the intruder, most likely informing him off the mix-up in days and asking him to get out before Mom catches on.
"Little friend, I think you're in the wrong house." He blinked at me a couple of times and then turned around and sauntered out of the bedroom. I thought about getting up and showing him out, but it was cozy in bed and I figured he could find the cat door on his own. He got in without my assistance after all, and I didn't see how he could cause any more trouble.
Meeko apparently agreed with me. We settled down together and went back to sleep.