The Banana Solution

Cici has been pestering Tia a lot lately,

so I decided they could use a little time apart today.

I flushed Cici out by setting something on the cage

that she finds utterly terrifying . . .

A banana (even a peel works in a pinch).

After Cici left the cage, I put the peel on a plate 

so she would stay away, but Tia wouldn't see it and be scared.

Actually, I probably needn't have bothered with the plate, 

because Tia is smart enough to realize that the banana bears her no ill will.

Tia: "What's the big deal?  It's just a non-carnivorous yellow berry."

We have a small spare cage, 

so Cici had a safe place to eat, drink, and perch

that wasn't besieged by stress-inducing fruit . . .

. . . but Cici missed Tia . . .

. . . so after the kids came home and played with her a bit,

we tried putting Cici back in the big cage.

She and Tia got along a lot better after they'd had a break from each other.

If things get dicey again though, we have more bananas.