Cats aren’t jerks. They’re just misunderstood. https://t.co/kpEn1zTYSo
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) March 12, 2024
Right now, I’d only go as far as ‘Not all cats are jerks’, because the Spousal Unit’s cat Rocky is being… a pain in the neck, which is his default status. Per the Washington Post, “Cats aren’t jerks. They’re just misunderstood.” [gift link]:
If you’ve lived with cats, you’ve probably found yourself staring at them after they’ve toppled a plant or swept a mug off the table, thinking: “Why did you just do that?”
A precise answer isn’t easy to come by. Some recent studies have made strides in assuaging the more self-conscious human anxieties about cat ownership (allegedly, they know their names and they emotionally attach to us). But by and large, research that sinks its claws into domestic cat behavior, genetics and psychology remains somewhat nascent, especially compared to what’s available about dogs…
Cats indeed descended from solitary creatures, but this doesn’t mean they’re hermits. In wild or feral colonies — which form the basis of most feline social research — cats develop dynamic relationships with their peers, selecting a few “preferred associates” (Hollenbeck’s words) to hang out with…
Research into feral colonies shows that cats tend to form matriarchal social bonds; females will adhere more closely to one another (typically in a community of mothers, aunts and sisters). Males, once they’re about a year old, are more likely to move about nomadically. Even though existing research focuses primarily on feral cats, any person who has lived with more than one feline can attest that the domesticated ones form bonds with each other, too — if they so choose.
Monique Udell is the director of the Human-Animal Interaction Lab at Oregon State University, which has been investigating the social potential of domestic cats. According to Udell, cats actually have a “flexible” social structure, meaning they can exist successfully on their own or in groups, depending on early life experiences (such as whether they were exposed to humans as babies) and their environment.
“What we’re finding is that when we give them the same kinds of opportunities or challenges that we regularly give dogs, that oftentimes cats not only can engage in high levels of social behavior, but many cats actually prefer social interaction,” Udell says.
Of course, no one — cat or human — wants to be around others all the time. Leslie Sinn, a veterinary behaviorist in Ashburn, Va., says domestic cats, just like their wild ancestors, navigate conflict by dispersal; they remove themselves from an uncomfortable situation as protection. “That’s often where we run into issues in our home, because there’s limited movement that can take place in order to be able to avoid conflict,” she says…
Still, some cats will never be best friends. Differences in age, energy level and lived experience can all fuel clashes. And some cats’ personalities simply don’t gel, Serpell says. Researchers in Denmark are preparing a study now, he says, to figure out why some cats get along easier than others, and to learn more about the roots of their individual personalities. While you can reduce the drama by creating a world where they’re not forced to share every necessity, some furry housemates just aren’t terribly compatible.
“You will get what looks like … almost cruel, kind of bullying that goes on,” Serpell says. “There are cats who will just seemingly get pleasure out of persistently annoying another cat.”…
“A lot of the so-called mischievous behavior of cats is simply an attempt to get the owners’ attention,” Serpell says. “They’ve learned by trial and error if they sit on your desk and throw your pens on the floor, eventually you’ll give them attention or get up.” Taking an extra 30 minutes every day to interact with your cat could lead to a happier dynamic.
Hollenbeck emphasizes that “misbehaviors” in cats rescued from unknown circumstances could also stem from past trauma. An animal who was hungry all the time in an earlier life may be defensive or agitated around meals, just like a cat who was mistreated by previous owners might be anxious around people. “As a survival instinct,” Hollenbeck says, “they are really good at generalizing that fear.”…
At the Human-Animal Interaction Lab, Udell and her colleagues lead classes for both children and adults to strengthen their bonds with cats by participating in activities together, including learning tricks or chasing a toy. While it depends on the individual animal, many cats coming through the lab have demonstrated an interest and ability to walk on a leash, play fetch and perform tricks when they’re given the attention and time, she says.
“People who have participated in these programs, they’ll send us back pictures of taking their cats on hikes and taking them on kayaks, and all sorts of adventures,” Udell says.
Separate from Udell’s findings, another study from researchers at the University of Sussex last year also found that cats can play fetch — although it was unclear if the behavior was more rooted in a bond with the object than the owner. Classic.
Cats prefer the jerk branding and this coming out is going to make them very upset.
— Bob Sampson (@bobsalpha1) March 12, 2024
glc
This has zero credibility.
sab
We have 5 cats and 4 of them are jerks on occasion, and 2 of them are jerks most of the time. And even the non-jerk cat swats our pitbull claws out at least once a week.
sab
@glc: They don’t need to plot it. It just happens as they go on living their best lives.
catclub
As our house puts it: “She’s not bad, she’s differently motivated.”
sab
Also too, my girl cats tend to get into hissy fits with each other and everybody else. The boys really back off from confronting the girls, and mostly get along with each other.
But Dobby and the new girl (our nice cat) Sadie really seem to like each other, and they play together for most of the four hours a day when they are actually awake.
sab
How many cats actually know their names? We have two now. We have only ever had three who did. Everyone else mostly will come to “Kitty!”
Suzanne
I mean, me too.
Chris
When I got back to DC, I moved in with friends who had two cats that were mostly well behaved, one was cranky and took a while to warm up to people but basically good. It did a lot to make me warm up to cats and consider the idea that maybe this adorable species was just unfairly maligned.
Then last year they got a third cat who just absolutely fucking destroys everything and cannot be deterred from doing so, and I’m right back to “nope, cats are evil.”
zhena gogolia
@sab: In my experience, girl cats are more problematic at getting along with others than boy cats. But the boy cats are more destructive.
Jay
When T’s boss moved up to shared accommodation in Kamloops, she couldn’t take her cat, Zoe, with her.
So we offered to take care of Zoe until E bought a house.
Zoe was a matted, long haired Tortoiseshell, a former feral, house cat.
Her only interaction with humans was attacking E and eating fud.
At the time, we had two cats and two dogs, so Zoe settled in to staying on top of the upper kitchen cabinets, only coming down to eat, use the litter box, and hiss and attack any human walking past.
Did I say matted already?
So, after a few days of this, I started putting on welding gloves, a welding apron, dragging Zoe down off the top of the cabinets, and starting the long process of getting the matts out. Unless you are clipping, (I wasn’t), getting the matts out is fairly painfull for everybody involved. I would work at it for about 15 min, pet her for about 5 min, (which in the beginning she hated), then gave her treats, (Kitty Crack).
When she would attack, I would correct her. After a while she would stop attacking me, (but not others)
About two weeks in, she would come down from the top of the upper cabinets, when I called her and would walk behind me to her “grooming station”, and jump up on my lap.
It took a month to get all the matts out. Once she was matt free, she started engaging with the whole house, stopped attacking T, nose booped with the other cats and dogs, sitting on the couch with all of us, and started sleeping on my Dad’s old recliner, rather that the top of the kitchen cabinets.
When E bought a house in Kamloops, we drove Zoe up there, she spent most of the trip either on my lap, or staring out the windows. With in a week, she was back to attacking E , E’s daughter and granddaughter.
PAM Dirac
I’m finding out about cats as for the first time in 68+ years of life I am now living with a cat. She is a sweetheart but it is very, very different from living with a dog. She gets much higher up than any dog I’ve ever known, all over counters, furniture, etc. The second day we had her she somehow got in the second floor joists, wandered around between floors, and fell down a vent hole. It took almost an hour and numerous holes cut into ceilings and walls before we could find her and extract her. Nothing remotely has happened with any dogs we have had. And my knowledge the cat has not tried to kill me yet.
mrmoshpotato
The late Quincy (orange tabby) would put his paw on a glass and proceed to tip it over and then run away. Jerk.
He also pissed on a bunch of my DVDs. Super jerk.
Dan B
We’ve got three cats that know their names and a few other words like ‘food’. One cat is my cat. The other two are my partner’s cats. We’ve had other cats who were similar. The current trio are covid cats who are afraid of other humans except our neighbor across the street who walks his big German Shepherd. They recognize him and know his voice. He feeds them when we’re out of town.
danielx
Yeah, uh, no. They ARE plotting how to ruin your day, in between bouts of plotting world domination. Boris the giant tabby swatted me today for no particular reason other than male dominance, as far as I can tell.
bbleh
This is a nice Cats 101 article. And … that’s about as far as it gets.
Chris
@PAM Dirac:
Yeah, “much higher up” is the real problem IME.
It’s probably equally possible to get an ultra destructive pet whether it’s a cat or a dog… But when dogs are destructive, they’re mostly destructive in two dimensions. Cats can get in everywhere.
Salty Sam
My little buddy, named “Buddy” did. A stray tuxedo boi who adopted our family. I said *my* little buddy because he bonded with me immediately- I could whistle for him like you do for a dog, call “Here Buddy Buddy Buddy”, and he’d come running.
He crossed over a quarter century ago and I still miss him.
TBone
All of my cats know their names. Each will come when called by his or her name. Because they know how to get praise and treats. Believe it or not, the vocal praise and attention works just as well as treats. They were trained when young and impressionable (after a certain age, in my experience, limited training is still possible but only when they want praise – they respond to cooing but laugh in my face if I yell). Each drinks from his or her own human-size glass of water and mostly ignores the bowls of water we set out (yes, they are spoiled rotten). I once had a cat who learned to fetch because, when he was wee, he brought a toy into my bed to try to wake me up. Toy got thrown out the bedroom door. Back he came with it in his mouth. Rinse, repeat! He would fetch any time he wanted to play after that. Learn ’em young, I always say.
The Thin Black Duke
I submit for your approval.
Jay
@PAM Dirac:
Most cats love to climb. We built a kitty tree out of a small aspen, wrapped the trunk with hemp rope, we put padded and carpeted platforms every 2 feet, braced by branches and a padded and carpeted Kitty box on top.
We quickly learned that we had to screw the base down into the subfloor and tie the top with aircraft wire to a ceiling rafter.
Lil’Bit, (so named because when I brought her home, fit in the palm of my hand), grew up quickly into a chonk. She would go into the back bedroom, crouch up against the far wall, and launch, running at warp speed at the cat tree and leap. It didn’t help that she was one of those cats with gravity control. She could leap on the bed, so lightly that you never knew she was there, or leap onto the bed so hard that everybody, Me, T, Capra, Casey and Digger, would bounce.
A Ghost to Most
Cats love me, dogs bite me. YMMV.
Percysowner
Oh, good a cat thread. About a month ago, I started fostering a senior bonded trio of cats. I’ve been waiting for them to get more settled and update here. They are doing great. They are a 10 year old, steel grey, big chonk named Smokey, an 8 year old big butterscotch tabby named Goldie and a small, grey tabby, Tink(erbell). They got into rescue when their people died within in a week of each other. The couple actually had 12 cats, but these guys were bonded and old, so placing them was not easy. I lost both my cat and dog last year and didn’t quite feel ready to adopt, but when the rescue said they would love a foster, I took the chance.
They are settling in great. I was told that Smokey would be the most social, Tink was adventurous and friendly and Goldie was shy and would take a long time to come around. The cats, who are determined to not be pigeonholed, decided to switch it up. Goldie came to me first. He was followed by Smokey. They started hanging with me for small periods of time and eventually the time periods got longer. They still go off together to other rooms, but they always come for pets. Smokey is my bed buddy and is cautiously coming into my lap on occasion . He recognizes when I’m getting ready for bed and he is waiting there for me. Goldie is king of the cat tree. He climbs as high as he can and settles in. He will also lay on the arm of the sofa when I’m sitting on it.
Tink, took a couple of weeks. She hid. She would peek out, then run away. Eventually she decided that I don’t eat kitty cat toes and came to see me. It turns out she is a real lap cat and makes sure to sit on my lap at least once a day.
All the cats couldn’t be sweeter. They still are skittish. If I move to fast, or sometimes if I move at all they run. A sudden noise makes them hide. But they come out more and more every day. I also hear the sounds of cats thundering through the house as they play chase. When I come home after watching the grandkids they are all curled up on my bed. I think they are pretty happy.
I’m sure I will foster fail, but right now, I’m going to keep them as fosters until I’m sure they are pretty healthy. The last time I posted I put the link to Goldie’s adoption page, this time I’m putting Smokey’s up. It has pictures of Tink and Goldie as well https://www.petfinder.com/cat/smokey-goldie-and-tink-70398251/oh/carroll/tails-of-second-chances-oh926/ I don’t want to get put into moderation for too many links, but I do want you to see my new buddies.
Geminid
The war in Ukraine spurred my interest in the Black Sea region, and lately I’ve been learning about Turkiye and Turks. Turks have more in common with Americans than I thought, but they also have their differences and one of them is a special respect for cats.
I’ve found plenty of social media posts documenting this. One video showed a cat that had set up at a supermarket checkout counter, right in front of the scanner. A customer was handing their groceries over the cat to the cashier who then scanned them.
A similar video showed a stream of people stepping around a cat who was lying down at the top of an escalator. Americans would say “Scat, cat!” and shoo them away, but Turks seem to really respect cats and their autonomy.
Some security camera footage showed what happened on a city sidewalk when a man kicked a stray cat. Another man ran over and started pummeling the cat-kicker until a third man pulled him away.
One of the neatest pictures I saw was of a room at a Turkish air force base. There was a period of severe cold, and the airmen knew the base’s cats needed shelter. So they made a cat hostel with 8 sets of small bunkbeds. About 25 cats were lounging in them.
satby
@zhena gogolia: yes, and yes. Generally my experience too. Though with 9 in the house now while foster one is at the adoption center it’s much quieter. Most all know their names, all vie for time with me, and the majority co-exist very well. It’s quieter becausethe foster who’s away until Monday is one of the youngest, and very playful with Bitchleen, who appears to be a sibling. The rest of the cats are out of their teenage years and are pretty content to eat and snooze.
dexwood
My dentist was telling me about the cat he adopted last summer. Said he can’t put a glass of water, cup of coffee, or beer on any surface the cat can get to. He swipes whatever it is onto the floor. I told him some cats are just assholes. He said his cat is one with a capital A, but he loves him.
H.E.Wolf
@The Thin Black Duke:
I love the original poem by Christopher Smart… I’ve got it in book form with illustrations by Emily Arnold McCully.
Paul Bommer also did an illustration of the poem, in poster format:
https://spitalfieldslife.com/2013/11/10/for-i-will-consider-my-cat-jeoffrey/
cain
@sab:
I have a cain and Abel situation at home with my two black cats. I’m almost certain it’s because they are bored and need interaction. The Abel cat is anxious and the other one is quite confident.
Strangely though, Abel is braver in new situations.
satby
@Percysowner: They’re adorable. They probably get startled by sudden movements because their previous, probably elderly owner moved slow. I hope you decide to keep them.
different-church-lady
My last cat thought his name was the clicking sound I made with my tongue to get his attention.
satby
Posts like this are when we really miss WereBear.
eclare
@PAM Dirac:
I once drove home to my apt after work to find my neighbors under a tree holding a stretched out blanket, trying to convince the cat to jump. It eventually made it down on its own.
danielx
@satby:
Has she vanished?
eclare
@Percysowner:
Yay! Thank you for the update! I think last time you said you had some allergy issues, I assume those have cleared up?
NotMax
Repeated from last night.
Just for fun. Candy Candido, The Pussy Cat Song.
;)
glc
@The Thin Black Duke: That brings back memories – it was on my Hugo 2020 nomination ballot (and made the final ballot). I didn’t know the poem prior to that.
Brachiator
Cat: Why won’t this thing the human keeps throwing at me stay dead? I know that I have killed it.
Jeffro
(just putting a foot in the door for the next thread: trumpov says it’ll be a “bloodbath” if he isn’t elected president this fall)
yes, really.
His team jumped right in afterwards to claim the reporting was the problem, trump meant an ‘economic bloodbath’. oh, okay.
Villago Delenda Est
@Jeffro: Sure, Jan. “When President Trump said ‘we’ll round up all the Jews and put them in camps to be industrially murdered’ he meant that we’d resettle them to the East.”
Percysowner
@eclare:
Yes. Azelastine nose spray and Claritin cleared thing up perfectly.
HinTN
@Salty Sam: Mama had a white Persian (I think) that was deaf, named Lancelot. Mama would call him after dark with a flashlight. He was an amazing cat.
NotMax
@HinTN
So a Persian fluent in (wait for it)
.
.
.
Far-see.
:)
HinTN
@eclare: They’re good at that. We had a mother tuxedo and her kittens that were abandoned in a box beside the road. Kept mom and one male tuxedo, Sam, and his morning suit sister. One day a foreign dog came and chased Sam up a ginormous tree. We had no idea how to retrieve him but after the dog left he came down just fine on his own. I love cats.
HinTN
@NotMax: You betcha!
eclare
@HinTN:
Awww…I love tuxedo cats. I lost my sweetie Oliver last year, so now I have one unsuited cat and a dog. A very, very vocal stray has been coming around for the past week or so, but if I open the door to put food out, it runs off. I keep putting food down, but I don’t want to end up feeding raccoons or squirrels. Oh well.
Elizabelle
Too funny. I was gonna share this link with BJuice. Lot of cataholics on this blog.
Nukular Biskits
I’m sure others here have already taken issue with the WaPo headline, but I’ll add my .02 here as well:
The WaPo lies.
Steeplejack
“Preferred associate” sounds so much better than “hoomon slave.”
different-church-lady
@NotMax: We’re gonna have this every night now, aren’t we.
TBone
@Jeffro: he is not kidding around. As Digby sez.
https://digbysblog.net/2024/03/16/will-the-next-civil-war-start-in-arizona/
Also, the whole enchilada for those with strong stomachs:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/16/arizona-election-denial-consequences
Election workers are preparing for violence in a number of terrifying scenarios.
schrodingers_cat
Kittehs rule! Great Caturday thread. Thanks AL.
Caturday Cat catching on his zzz’s
My late great boss cat was a bit of a jerk to our guests but our current resident kitteh is a love bug. Very chill.
Jeffro
@TBone: I’m going to take a look on Monday morning and see if any election worker jobs are available in my area. Eff these people.
danielx
@Villago Delenda Est:
IIRC, “resettlement to the East” was the exact euphemism used.
A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)
@Percysowner: All good-looking cats, but Tink is a doll. Of course, I am partial to tabbies. Good for you. You’ve got 3 nice cats which all like each other (and you)!
A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)
@Jay: This was a wonderful story until the end where you gave Zoe back to her former owners (sigh). Good for you for taking out the mats. As you probably know, mats can be painful, pulling against the skin. Sounds like she had a great time at your house. Too bad you had to give her back.
A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)
@Geminid: And of course Angora cats originated in Turkiye.
Geminid
@A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan): Also, the long-haired Angora rabbits. They both came from the central Anatolian province of Angora. Its capital is now called Ankara.
eclare
@schrodingers_cat:
Very cute 🐅
TBone
@Jeffro: good on ya! I wish I could but physically am now unable, so I do what I can in other ways. I hope you have a peaceful and productive experience protecting democracy 😊 and I’ll be cheering you on! If things are hairy, I hope you put any rats in a trap from which they cannot escape.
Jackie
@HinTN: Speaking of up a tree, we had a cat Oreo, who was unexpectedly charged at by our neighbor’s ankle biter. Poor Oreo was a bit of a chunk and lumber-dashed up our very old maple tree – about eight feet up the trunk. A huge section of bark broke away with poor Oreo’s claws firmly embedded. Thankfully ankle biter had already dashed back to his yard, while I was busy helping Oreo get freed from the bark. I was laughing so hard while Oreo looked at me with that “what the hell!?!” look only a cat can give. I miss that guy.
Prescott Cactus
@PAM Dirac:
Mark my words. . . they’re planning. . . they all do. . .
WaterGirl
@Jeffro:
No problem, then!
A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)
@Brachiator: One of my current cats plays fetch, too. The first one I’ve ever had who did. And she will sometimes make the “I’ve caught something” successful hunter cry when she brings me the catnip mouse. The fetching was her idea.
SW
I think there hasn’t been very much scientific work done on domestic cats up until this point in time because of gender. Many men have a hard time with cats because they have a need to dominate the creatures in their household. Cats do not respond well to being “disciplined”. You share a home with a cat. You don’t “own” them. That is not to say that cats don’t bond with people. There can also be obvious affection shared between humans and cats. But on their terms. Dogs have embraced affection towards humans as a survival strategy. You don’t get affection from a cat without earning it. My Vet has a plaque on his office wall that reads “He who hates the cat, was in his last life, a rat.”
Odie Hugh Manatee
“There are cats who will just seemingly get pleasure out of persistently annoying another cat.”
They’re called orange cats. I think I tell him to cool it about 50 times a day. Our three cats actually all get along very well, it’s just that The Orange One is almost three and has a lot of kitten still in him. Our oldest is twelve and rules the neighborhood and the middle one will be ten in a couple of months. He’s the expert in Horizontal Studies, regularly testing a variety of sleeping locations.
I think cats like to shove stuff around because they practice Cat Physics and are always testing the boundaries to see what happens. For science!
mrmoshpotato
John Mulaney plays “What’s New Pussycat?”
Odie Hugh Manatee
@TBone:
Yup. I have talked to our cats since they were kittens and they have learned many phrases that I use with them. They all talk back to us or even interrupt us while talking to let us know that they want/need something. Some phrases I’ve taught them:
“What’s that?” – Stops them in their tracks and they will come up and check out whatever you are holding/pointing at.
“Be good!” – Initial warning that trouble is brewing for them. Follow with a name to target one cat (and watch the other cats visibly relax when they realize that it’s not them…lol! Ramps up with other phrases if they don’t take heed.
“Yo [name]!” – Usually gets a ‘mrrrr’ as you walk into a room. “What’s up, bud?” works too.
“Want a treat? – They love this question! Change “treat” to “Churu” for Chuckie to get his attention.
“You’re being a good boy / You’re being good boys” – Cats look pleased and move to ‘treat positions’ to see if they can milk out an extra goodie.I talk to them all of the time and they all respond to it. Heck, they’re like kids so I treat them likewise.
Kids with Murder Mitts.
LiminalOwl
@sab: Toby always perks up when his name is spoken; if he’s sleeping, he’ll come to full attention. And he often comes when I call (though rarely, if ever, when my beloved—the person who feeds him—does!).
mrmoshpotato
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
Oh yeah! That’s it! Science! /S
cain
@danielx:
I think she mostly lurks now. She’s quite active on Mastodon.
cain
We have 4 cats, 2 that just are 1 year old as of a few days ago. And another pair that will be 3 years old. The kittens are still quite kitteny doing a lot of running around. The other ones are not so active like they used to be. :)
But they all get along pretty good with Luv, Zoe, and Ziggy forming a mini pack. Luv is an anxious cat and gets a lot of love and snuggles from the the other two. Interestingly enough, I think now the black cats snuggle quite a bit more than they used to. We have a house filled with sweeties. Except now somebody or somebodys is doing inappropriate peeing. :(
Geminid
@A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan) I hope to see the documentary Kedi (2017) sometime. Kedi is Turkish for “Cat.”. Director Ceyde Torun and crew spent weeks filming some of the many cats of Istanbul, and then distilled the video down to the story of seven cats.
From the introduction to the trailer:
Central Planning
When we were getting work done on our house last year, the first time the electrician came we let him know we had two cats. He said cats always ignore him. Of course, our one aloof cat walked right up to him and became her new best friend.
Our new cat is now 6 months old and is turning our orange tabby back into a kitten. They chase each other, hide on each side of the door and bat at each other, and also hiss at each other when they don’t want to play. So funny to watch them interact.
schrodingers_cat
@eclare: Thanks. He is a cutie.
BellyCat
@Odie Hugh Manatee: +1 for Cat Physics!
Cats require people to earn their trust over time. Dogs generally give it freely and immediately. When I hear people say they hate cats, it’s a helpful filter. I’m a smidge prejudiced that way.
SW
@BellyCat: When someone proclaims to me “I hate cats” I look them in the eye and respond, “All rats hate cats” It helps a little if you smile.
Matt McIrvin
@Jeffro: The bloodbath stuff aside… if he actually put a 100% tariff and effectively banned the sale of foreign cars, people would in fact not like it. Surely the people who spent the Obama administration bellyaching about “Government Motors” would not like it.
(The punitive tariff regime he wants would be an economic bloodbath, too.)
BellyCat
@SW: Heh!
Interestingly, I recall reading a study some five(?) years ago that for online dating websites, men who are owned by or like cats more than dogs in their profile got something like 3-4 times more responses from women.
My highly (cat) bigoted response was, “Duh… this is a dude who is attentive to and willing to work for what pleases others. Why would this not be catnip for discerning women?!?!”. YMMV
Tazj
Last year, our two cats passed away within months of each other. A few months later, we made the decision to get cats again and took home two kittens from the SPCA. They were very timid and skittish. We were told that because they were abandoned they needed extra care and attention to get used to people.
Well, several months later I can tell you they’ve come out of their shells. They are the most vocal cats I’ve ever had and also the most destructive. I never had cats put holes in dry wall. I mean, they are small holes but still. One likes to sing the song of his people at 3am on the top of our headboard. And they love the carpets even though we have many scratching posts and cat towers in the house.
Are they jerks? Yes, sometimes but they’re so lovable they’re worth the trouble.
satby
@danielx: Been a while, but I’m not on as much either.
BellyCat
@Tazj: Might try Feliway diffuser at night? I’ve experienced some improvements from my night yodeler!
Rose Weiss
My late honey and I had many cats over the years, probably numbering in the dozens. We rarely went out and acquired one, they just kept showing up at our door. They all quickly learned their names, and in fact understood a lot of what we said. For instance if we were talking about someone needing to visit the vet, that someone would go hide for hours.
El Muneco
The cat I hung around with for most of my early teen years had been an abuse survivor (a previous owner had “played” by “sparring” with him, which got overly physical).
He grew to be very social around me, and even communicative, but understandably had bodily integrity issues that would come up at weird and unexpected times. He was pretty apologetic about it, although I totally understood.
Tazj
@BellyCat: It seems to be worth a try.
Sister Golden Bear
@PAM Dirac: @Prescott Cactus:
The Oatmeal: How to tell if your cat is plotting to kill you.
Sister Golden Bear
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
Fixed it for you.
eclare
@Sister Golden Bear:
That’s cute! My cat is sleeping right now, dreaming of killing me.
randy khan
I read an article once which basically concluded that cats are barely domesticated. I think it’s definitely fair to say that they are less interested in pleasing people than dogs are, and in larger groups you definitely can see that they don’t always like each other, but will find a modus operandi that works, at least for them.
Mike E
My best cat was way back 40 years ago, he was a keen fetcher and all around gregarious little guy… originally my brother’s cat, we took him in but had to give him up when we moved to a no pets apt. He found a home with my brother’s former roommate who had a great big orange cat, the two of them had a blast together until he got feline leukemia and died at age 11. My daughter’s 2nd kitten was an ornery bitey scratchy fellow who also fetched and would occasionally sit in your lap to cuddle, though always on his terms.
Soprano2
Our cat Gary has taken to biting my nose in the morning when he wants me to feed him. It’s not a hard bite, but it’s not pleasant either. He also paws at me with his claws out when I’m feeding him in the evening. This is new the past few months, I don’t know why he started doing it. I’ve had so many cats, they were all my babies.
One of the big disappointments of my life is that I won’t get to be a little old cat lady with my sister. She had a running tote of cats, I’d ask her what this week’s number was and she’d get defensive and say something like “I think it’s 8, I’m not sure”. She had 9 cats we had to find homes for when she died, and I couldn’t take any of them because I had 2 elderly cats and big dogs. Her cats had never been around dogs so I was afraid to chance it.
Rose Weiss
@Soprano2: The two cats I’ve had the closest relationships with, Squeaky and Missy, would both wake me up with an increasingly insistent series of reminders. Often nose bump would be first, then soft paw on the cheek, then soft paw on the nose. Sometimes Squeaky would press her nose against mine so that when I opened my eyes there was a pair of cat eyes staring into mine. God, I adored them both and mourned their passings as much as for any relative except of course my own honey.
BethanyAnne
Man, my cats are now 14. Wow, time flies. The vets guess they were 4 when I got them 10 years ago. I was looking for a bonded pair of adults, and they had spent 16 months in the shelter because everyone wanted kittens. They were found inside a taped up box in a parking lot in Houston in the summer. I still feel rage thinking about that. The only cats I’ve met that absolutely hate boxes and containers of any kind. They both run if I walk in with a laundry basket, even still.
Solid black boy – Louie. Fit, active, and a paws-on type kitty. Dilute tortoiseshell Clio – larger, more sedentary, and a “tell you about it” cat. The shelter said that Louie would be chill, he just laid around and slept. That’s cause he was bored. He needs a half hour of play every day, or he starts getting antsy. For the cat people around here, try “Da Bird” toy. Louie absolutely flies to catch Da Bird. In a pinch, the laser pointer will do, but Da Bird is his nemesis. Clio has to be approached more gently. I have a bit of paracord about 18 inches long, with a knot in the middle. I can pull that around, and she’ll play with it.
I think most cats aren’t aloof, they are bored. Their people don’t play with them enough. You gotta play with your cats! I can’t believe how much love mine have to give. I set up my new desk with a small towel to act as a cat bed, and they both spend time on it while I’m working, keeping me company. Louie even gets up and bonks me with his head if it’s been too long since belly rub time.
One of my favorite things they do is when Louie wakes up hungry, he complains all the way to the food dish. I translate the meows and grumbles as “Hungry! How did this happen?! I’m a good cat! Hungry! Why do bad things happen to good cats? The service in this establishment is terrible. Hungry! Gah!”
Rose Weiss
@BethanyAnne: My Missy was very talkative, and I could pretty easily translate what she had to say. She loved having “conversations” with me, just trading greetings time and again. Any time I said her name she would immediately repsond if she was within earshot.
eclare
@BethanyAnne:
My cat Jacy only talks when she’s hungry, but when she does talk I participate in the conversation.
Jacy: Meow. Me: Really? Jacy: Meow. Me: Then what? Jacy, becoming insistent: MEOW. Me: Oh no!
Etc, etc.
Jay
I came home one day from work, and as soon as I was in the door, T announced “we have cats!”
Her Ex got the cat’s in the divorce, his new GF, (who caused the divorce for the most part), hated the cat’s so that morning, T got an email, that the cats were on an Air Canada flight from New York to Vancouver.
I was like, “OK”.
Capra climbed up on top of me and claimed me as his “new boy”.
Pablo, lurked around the margins, until in a flash, when we were having supper, he saw his chance. Flying at the speed of light, he raced across the couch, crossed my lap and stole a leaf of spinach from my salad.
That night, Capra curled up against the back of my knees. Pablo slept at the foot of the bed, between us. Eventually, Pablo learned that he didn’t have to steal salad, that I would make him one too.
Sister Golden Bear
@randy khan: Also, we hoomans aren’t nearly as good reading cats’ facial expressions compared to dogs. Cats Make Nearly 300 Different Facial Expressions
A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)
@cain: Uh, oh, someone is anxious. Maybe try some Feliway plug-in diffusers.
BethanyAnne
@Rose Weiss: Clio is the same way. She has to tell me about her day. :)
NotMax
@different-church-lady
If had known there would be a threadus cattus so soon would have waited.
;)
Chris T.
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
Ours isn’t orange. She’s a Tuxie, and she loves to have someone to yell at. The one boy cat in the clowder (who’s twice the size of her) is her usual foil; when he’s in the right mood he likes to stalk her just so she can yell at him, and when he’s not in the right mood she yells at him anyway, trying to get him to stalk her.
(The big male is solid black. He and the orange-and-cream tabby are not afraid of strangers, while the tux girl and the Siamese girl are terrified of strangers.)
Chris T.
@Matt McIrvin:
Then you also have the problem of defining “foreign car”. Is a Subaru (Japanese manufacturer) foreign, when it’s actually made in Indiana? What about a Ford (body made in Mexico, engine made in Canada)?
TBone
@Odie Hugh Manatee: they are a lot smarter than many people give them credit for, your story warms my heart on this cold and yukky morn. Love it!
TBone
Something that drives me nuts here in central PA. Every one of our neighbors keeps their dog(s) inside the house while all their cats are “outdoors” pets. What the fuck, they don’t understand the word “housecat?” It makes me crazy to see the half-feral creatures out in the cold, rain, snow, etc. I took in one especially needy fellow who now lives with us full time (he was half dead and finally decided to trust us) but cannot take on six or seven on top of my current residents who are all rescues. People around here have a barn cat mentality I guess. No! It’s right there in the name! HOUSECAT
We do feed them bowls of dry food and all “leftover” wet food out in our shed and have coolers with entry holes cut into the side, stuffed with hay and soft blankets. The shed door is merely a tarp so they have constant access to shelter.
BellyCat
@TBone: Central PA is a mixed bag of cat (and political) dysphoria depending on distance (North or South) from State College.
How many miles away from S.C. are you? (I’ve got a seasonal place 1 hour south, at Raystown Lake, and flew an LGBTQ+ and American flag last season at the mailbox and was shocked that the flags and mailbox survived!)
BellyCat
My most restrictive cat adoption (of many over 5 decades) was near State College, PA.
Wanted to adopt two male litter mates. When asked if I would let them outside, I indicated “Of course. Dogs go outside and cats should not be denied the same pleasures.”
They said this was against their policy and asked if I would reconsider. I understood but held firm. A week later, a woman came into our driveway (a kind of connector for two houses that joined a Main street and neighborhood streets) to inspect our location. A few days later, she called and told us that the Board at the shelter met to discuss our case(!). They actually voted to make an exception and permit adoption because they admired our conviction to Cat’s Rights and the location seemed safe! LOL
That’s how we got two Best Cats. :-)
(No judgement here about having 100% indoor cats — they (and birds, chipmunks, mice, and bunnies) are certainly safer, you get fewer objectionable “gifts”, and not all locations are safe outdoors.)
SteverinoCT
I had two cats that, when I taught them their names, I would also whistle. My mom had a rep as the lady that called her cats home by name, but whistled for her children. That’s because we roamed further away. So my guys would come when I whistled: at least, they would show up; I still had to catch them. Ignoring them until they came over for attention usually worked.
Once I came home and they were asleep on the bed. I got coffee, my book, and settled in my chair. Then called, “Alice, want some lap time?” Alice came in, saw me, and jumped in my lap. Trixie didn’t budge.
Paul in KY
@sab: I think all of mine knew their names.
Paul in KY
@Jay: She’s pissed she had to go back to E’s house.
Paul in KY
@dexwood: The cats needs to be corrected. Can only be done though right when it happens.
Paul in KY
@Villago Delenda Est: You could get some work as a ‘speechminder’ and ‘liar to the media’. Protip: Get paid up front.
Paul in KY
@Mike E: My best cat got mouth cancer at age 11 and I had to put him down. Boy do I miss him.