Jan

15

You can look, but don’t touch, and I’m not crazy about the looking.

Filed Under general, kittycat weirdness 

JON CARROLL

I think Bucket is taking a correspondence course in “How to Be a Cat.” Archie more or less took up all the cat room available in the home when he was alive, leaving Bucket to sulk around the edges, very occasionally seeking bonding opportunities, during which she drooled copiously. When we made overtures of friendship, she usually ran away. Very disheartening.But Archie’s been gone for nine months now, and Bucket is assuming the role of Cat in the household. Unfortunately, she has no idea what the job entails, and she’s had to follow her instincts. Her instincts are unreliable.

As an example: Most cats will initiate a rub-and-purr session by jumping up on an available lap or bed. I think Bucket maybe saw Archie do that, and so she’s trying it out, sort of. Sometimes, she stands by my chair and looks up. Sometimes she meows.

“Come on, Bucket,” I say. “Come on up. That’s a girl. Come up. You know you want to. Come on.” And Bucket stands there. She’s racked by internal doubts. Is it safe up there? It’s been safe the previous hundred times, but that does not mean it’s safe now.

“Come on, Bucket. Up you get. Come on. Such a good cat. Come on, Bucket.”

Still she stands. She tilts her head quizzically. Sometimes she walks around in a small circle. She weighs the options. A car door slams far away, and that distracts her. By this time, I am getting tired of trying to persuade a cat to experience bonding pleasure. She doesn’t want to get petted, fine. Go your own damn way, devil cat.

Much more at link.  Our local representative of the breed is Little Girl Cat, who is happy to be petted if she has a clear escape route, just in case today is the day you’ve decided to bathe/medicate/murder her.  And you must not look at LGC while petting her.

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