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Some Things I Have Learned From The Cat
Dec. 16th, 2020 03:30 pm1. There's no real point trying to anticipate her needs. During the summer heatwave, I put ice blocks in her cat kennel until it was cool, removed them and then placed her inside it. She was not at all interested, preferring instead to stretch in the shade, annoyed. She doesn't understand someone thinking she might want something. What she understands is that she asks for something and she then gets it (or not).
2. She may not understand empathy but she has created a semi-complex communication system with us. If she wants to go through an internal door she paws at it. But if she wants to go outside she scratches the carpet. If she's miaowing, it means she wants someone to play mouse with her. She doesn't scratch for that and she doesn't miaow for outside. When she wants food she just sits by her bowl looking hopeful, she doesn't miaow, scratch, or paw.
3. She doesn't understand weather and will miaow annoyedly when it's too hot and when it's raining as if we are Gods who can control heat and humidity.
4. She doesn't like new things at all until she is used to them. She is not particularly curious about things, neither does she knock things off shelves or Xmas trees.
5. I don't think cats are capable of love but she does seem to like us. She hangs out where we are even after she has eaten. She will wait politely outside the bedroom at 6 a.m. Sometimes when she has just started eating, she will leave the food to circle around my leg and then go back to the food, as if she's saying thanks. When she first started coming in the house, she would hiss or scratch if she didn't want to be stroked. Now she either moves away or puts a paw on your stroking hand and bats it away if she's not up for strokes.
6. I see her as an adorable little baby, her self image is of a fearsome huntress.
7. The office chair is her holy grail sleeping place.
8. She is not interested in being reassured. When another cat in the garden unsettles her or thunder frightens her, I pick her up and cuddle her. But she's only reassured by the absence of the scary thing. The best time for picking her up is when she's asleep as she's so relaxed she'll tolerate most things.
9. She's Pavlov's cat. I usually get up about 6 a.m. to use the loo, which is about the same time she wants her breakfast. So any time I go to the toilet, even if it's 2 a.m. she'll still want breakfast then, even though it's more of a midnight snack at that hour.
10. She's not that fussed about going outside, unless she spies another cat in the garden, then it's all Fuck you, mofo as she goes out to reclaim her territory like a child wanting to play with an unwanted toy when another toddler shows an interest in it.
2. She may not understand empathy but she has created a semi-complex communication system with us. If she wants to go through an internal door she paws at it. But if she wants to go outside she scratches the carpet. If she's miaowing, it means she wants someone to play mouse with her. She doesn't scratch for that and she doesn't miaow for outside. When she wants food she just sits by her bowl looking hopeful, she doesn't miaow, scratch, or paw.
3. She doesn't understand weather and will miaow annoyedly when it's too hot and when it's raining as if we are Gods who can control heat and humidity.
4. She doesn't like new things at all until she is used to them. She is not particularly curious about things, neither does she knock things off shelves or Xmas trees.
5. I don't think cats are capable of love but she does seem to like us. She hangs out where we are even after she has eaten. She will wait politely outside the bedroom at 6 a.m. Sometimes when she has just started eating, she will leave the food to circle around my leg and then go back to the food, as if she's saying thanks. When she first started coming in the house, she would hiss or scratch if she didn't want to be stroked. Now she either moves away or puts a paw on your stroking hand and bats it away if she's not up for strokes.
6. I see her as an adorable little baby, her self image is of a fearsome huntress.
7. The office chair is her holy grail sleeping place.
8. She is not interested in being reassured. When another cat in the garden unsettles her or thunder frightens her, I pick her up and cuddle her. But she's only reassured by the absence of the scary thing. The best time for picking her up is when she's asleep as she's so relaxed she'll tolerate most things.
9. She's Pavlov's cat. I usually get up about 6 a.m. to use the loo, which is about the same time she wants her breakfast. So any time I go to the toilet, even if it's 2 a.m. she'll still want breakfast then, even though it's more of a midnight snack at that hour.
10. She's not that fussed about going outside, unless she spies another cat in the garden, then it's all Fuck you, mofo as she goes out to reclaim her territory like a child wanting to play with an unwanted toy when another toddler shows an interest in it.
