Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Tortie Tuesday: Bad Behavior? No, Serena's Behavior

Just to annoy the whimsy-impaired, a Cat Sanctuary Animal Interview:

PK: Someone asked me a question that surprised me, recently. "What do you do about your cat's bad behavior?" 

Serena: Say whaaaat?

PK: Exactly. You were born in the office. You accepted your human godmother, me, as naturally as you did your mother, Samantha Scaredycat. You learned the rules by watching Samantha. You never have done much of anything I'd call bad behavior.

Serena: Of course not. Well, I know I've done things you didn't like.

PK: So you have. As a young kitten, you went through that stage some kittens go through, when they're about two months old, of squatting on the floor to show the humans what a mess you can make.

Serena: Of course we do. It's a thrill for a kitten, being able to do that all by itself, after all those weeks of having to wait for someone else to groom our bottoms so that we can get rid of bodywastes. We want the people who've groomed our bottoms, or seen them being groomed, to know that we're taking care of ourselves now! It's a big event for us, and it's disappointing when you say things like "bad" and "naughty" and "don't." I've even heard of humans so thickheaded they'd shove a kitten's face into its mess.

PK: Ivy, whom you don't remember, was the communicator cat who explained that to me and kept me from packing kittens off to be barn cats somewhere else. The first few times I saw kittens do that, I thought they were doing it out of spite.

Serena: Why would a six-week-old kitten want to "spite" anybody? Older kittens and cats will leave something to bury where humans will find it, sometimes, out of resentment. But how can you not see the pride and joy of a kitten who's showing you that it's able to take care of itself, in one way at least?! I didn't squat on the office mat out of spite. I wanted you to share the thrill! It felt so good to have control of my own bottom! 

PK: It also helped your case that you were sensible enough to choose a plastic mat to display your creations on. You were spending time outdoors by then. I thought you'd have taken care of your excretory needs in the sand pit. I know Samantha had taken you there.

Serena: Yes, but I wanted you to see and celebrate too. You're family!

PK: Samantha didn't let you show her what you could do twice, either.

Serena: No. Now that I'm a grandmother, I do know that kittens' first little puddles and piles do smell nasty, to everyone but the kittens themselves. You do have to make it clear to a kitten that you don't like that sort of thing. But at least you didn't hit or kick me or shove my face into the puddle...

PK: Or put you into a cage and start calling everyone, demanding that someone take you away. Even at that age, you understood things most cats don't. I said, "You're old enough to do that, so you're old enough to go outside to do it," and took you outside. You understood right away. I believe you're an intelligent animal; you have reasons for what you do.

Serena: I appreciate that, since I do have valid reasons for what I do. Even the time I don't remember very well, when everyone says I ran around the office in circles and threatened to bite you. The reason for that was that I was delirious from food poisoning. Nothing smelled or sounded or looked or felt the way it ought to have done. I thought I wanted to bite you but I couldn't tell exactly where you were. 

PK: Why do cats bite vets and other humans who are trying to help when they're sick?

Serena: You can't see? We feel bad. Everything hurts We want everyone to leave us alone. And it may be a survival mechanism for some disease germs to give even infected humans an impulse to bite, to get the germs into other creatures' blood.

PK: A man who had rabies and lived said that the disease made him want to bite other animals, but not his fellow humans. So that may well be. There are diseases that have an urge to do things that spread the disease as a symptom. 

Serena: And I know you're accustomed to cats who never got enough snuggling because they had siblings, but I'm sorry. I got all of Samantha's attention and had nobody to play with for a long time. If you want to show how much you like me, play a good, fast, rough game with me! 

PK: Cats like you are often misunderstood. You don't want to cause pain...

Serena: We don't know why God didn't give you adequate fur. coats. A person can't even bite you without tearing your skin. But that's all right. You don't have to play with me the way another cat would play, much as I'd enjoy that. You can throw or dangle things for me to chase. You can chase me. I've heard of cats who would slap or nip their humans and run away, just to get the humans to chase them. \

PK: That can't be much of a game. The humans are angry, and if they catch the cats they're likely to want to punish the cats. 

Serena: It's not much of a game but it's all some cats can get their humans to play. 

PK: You don't attack me when you want to be chased, but you claw at the door when you're surrounded by acres of perfectly good trees.

Serena: You don't hear when I claw at trees or dead wood. I often do, but when I'm talking to you I claw at your door so you can hear me. Even if all you do is shout "Stop it." At least that means you remember that I'm out here wanting something from you.

PK: Some humans who have lived in this house would have sent your away for less. 

Serena: And what did they do about mice?

PK: They spent a lot of money on traps and poison baits. And lived with mice, anyway. A house without a hunting cat is unsanitary. 

Serena: Well, there you are. You're an inferior species who can't catch your own mice, so you have to take whatever was hand out and like it.

PK: Not quite. Most cats don't have enough sense to use birth control--very similar to humans--so we don't have to put up bad behavior. Cats can be re[;aed/ 

Serena: But a new cat is likely to understand less, forgive less, and want less to please than a cat who's spent her whole life looking after her human. Now, I use snuggling as a reward, and let you hold or stroke me only when you've done something I particularly like. Some cats, like my adoptive brother Traveller, will take all the cuddling they can get. There are some honest disagreements among cats, like how much we want to snuggle, that can give humans the idea that they can get away with anything if they can find the right cat. But they are wrong. Start with the fact that the cat they didn't understand might have been expressng dissatisfaction with their behavior, but had probably built up some trust, understanding, even affection for its ungrateful humans over the years. A new cat does not have those feelings or that understanding. And it can probably tell that the previous cat's trust has been betrayed.

PK:  Is "betrayed" too strong a word for what happens when humans just don't feel able to understand, or cope with, a cat's behavior?

Serena: It depends on the relationship, I suppose. I would never have confused you with my mother, but some cats really do feel that their humans are like mothers to them. Sometimes "betrayed" may not be strong enough. All they were doing was trying to show their humans some part of what they were feeling, and the humans threw them out in a strange place, a wilderness full of strangers and predators, or one of those death camps called "pounds" and "shelters." 

PK: Oh, such a guilt trip!

Serena: Well, you must admit humans have a lot to feel guilty about. 

PK: I suppose we have. While our Most Photogenic Pets feature usually gets pictures from "rescue" groups that usually say they don't kill animals, it's hard to predict what will happen to shelter animals who are not adopted in a few months. Sometimes it does happen that a shelter animal stays with a foster family who really want to keep it if they can, and sometimes that eventually becomes possible. Or the animals may be sent to other shelters that have different policies. 

We can only advise readers: If a foster human seems to be clinging to an animal, the person probably has some hope of adopting it, which means the animal is probably happy where it si. That's nice. Keep looking for an animal who wants to be adopted by you. 

If you can't adopt these animals but wish you could? Sharing is caring. It makes no difference to the animals whether you tweet or repost the link to this page, where readers can meet all of our Photogenic Pet picks for the week, or to the animal's own web page, where they can meet the humans who are currently responsible for the one animal who interests them. Ideally, of course, you'd share both! 

Today's Cat Category is "Domestic Medium Hair." This is a trait that occurs when short-haired cats and long-haired cats have kittens together. The coat is more manageable than a long-haired cat's coat, fluffier than a short-haired cat's coat. Kittens may look like true long-haired cats at birth, but grow up to look more like short-haired cats. 

Zipeode 10101: Charlize from Brooklyn 


All the shelter has to say about her is that she's been vaccinated and seems healthy. She's a clear winner in any cute picture contest, but I should mention that this picture, cute though it is, was my second choice. 

Zipcode 10101 Alternate: Drizzy from Brooklyn 



He's described as friendly, possibly a social cat, described as a kind uncle sort of cat who likes to play gently with kittens...and FIV-positive. It is probable that all the resident cats here between 2007 and 2018 have been FIV-positive; it doesn't keep them from being strong and healthy--when young--and active and very, very lovable. In fact it's possible that, because social cats are so willing to share food and look after one another's kittens, they're at higher than usual risk for FIV. FIV itself does not make the cat ill so for the first year, or five years, it may be happy and healthy. Sooner or later, though, it will have an unusually hard time with some sort of infection (or with vaccines) and you'll know that, even if the first infection can be treated with antibiotics, this cat is not going to win any prizes for longevity. FIV-positive cats' average lifespan is 5 to 7 years, instead of 10 to 15. FIV is so named because its effects on cats parallel the effects of HIV on humans in some ways. It is a separate virus, not transmitted to humans and transmitted through saliva or milk rather than sex. Most "poz" cats got FIV from their mothers; it is rarely transmmitted by biting or coat grooming, and might potentially be transmitted by sharing food.  

I try to feature FIV-negative cats, but readers who've liked what I've been able to write about Burr, Sommersburr, and Mackerel the Social Cat Who Started It All By Taming Humans in the Alley, just might find Drizzy to be that kind of cat. Even though he'll probably break your heart, and can't even leave an heir, you will be richer in spirit for having known an actual literal tomcat who'd make a good role model for some men.

Zipcode 20202: Atlantis the Purr Machine from Arlington 


Actually he's not the most photogenic medium-hair cat seeking a home in the Metropolitan Area this week. The real contest winter was a pale "Torbie" kitten called Aria with grey tabby stripes on a pale buff background. She's already been spoken for, though, so here's the red ribbon winner. Atlantis is described as a smart, tough fellow who commands respect and you'd better deserve his respect, too. He reportedly "broke out of" one shelter altready. In foster care, he soaks up a lot of attention and might be jealous or mean to a smaller cat. He's part Maine Coon and most cats are smaller than he is. He is at least reported to tolerate his foster humans' dog. He will own you if he has any time for you at all. If you want to be owned by a lovable tomcat with a big purr and a fluffy coat, you might want to present yourself for Atlantis's inspection. He gives audiences in Falls Church. I think I'd take the Metro as it sounds as if he may be planning to keep his foster humans.

Zipcode 20202 Alternate: Tia from D.C. 


For those who might not be up to the challenge of adopting Atlantis, Tia is said to be just a normal, lovable Tortie who likes to hug her human and likes to climb on top of things, possibly the better to practice pouncing on her humans, though she's not reported to be doing that yet. 

Zipcode 30303: Mouse from Douglass County 


Those Georgia shelters are getting serious. We razzed them about posting photos that make it hard to be sure that the animals photographed are in fact cats (or dogs, in alternate weeks). This week their page was full of photos that are unmistakably cars. They noted also that encouraging foster care, in which the organization supplies some of the animal's needs for as long as the foster family agree to show the animal to potential permanent adopters, got some cats placed fast. They continued to encourage foster care, and the first five pictures on which I clicked all opened pages that said the cats were in foster care and being adopted, apparently by their foster humans. Georgia has a certain reputation for being the home of people who talk slowly but catch on fast. 

So, this fluffy Amber-Eyed Silver Tip is still available. Obviously a pet looking for the right person to be a pet to, poor little Mouse is still in the county shelter. Walk in, say hello, and if she does the traditional nonverbal routine of "Please, please get me out of this dreadful place!" you're hers. 

There is a perception, and anyone initiated into cat adopting by our Founding Queen Black Magic would never dispute it, that the combination of black or black-and-white fur, white skin, and amber eyes indicates at least the potential for an unusually lovable pet. Obviously a cat will respond to the experience it's had but the Amber-Eyed Silver Tip may be genetically programmed to make good experiences especially likely Not everyone shares this perception...but those who dispute it all seem to belong to cats of some other physical type. All I know for sure is that Magic was the perfect first cat for me. I have a permanent bias. Any animal that purrs and cuddles and keeps vermin out of the house is easy to love, regardless of color, and I even found it easier to adore sturdy, healthy Serena than weary, sickly Traveller--but there's something special about an Amber-Eyed Silver Tip. 


This was Serena's one and only good pose. Generally she thinks cameras are a kind of soccer ball. She was imperious before she was three months old, and grew more so with maturity.


This was Traveller's only recognizable pose. The look of fierce concentration on his baby face was because, in crouching down to snap this picture, I had created a lap, however small and slanted, and Traveller never let a lap go to waste. He was preparing to leap. Traveller was a sickly, dyspeptic kitten who couldn't keep up with Serena for all of two years, but he did his very best, while he lived. They were inseparable. 

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