This is a test to find out how generous your cat is. This is a first on the internet. However it is experimental and not entirely serious. Generosity is a human concept. The dictionary definition of generous is: “willing and liberal in giving away one’s money, time, etc.” (Free Dictionary).
For people, generosity is provided in the form of money and/or time.
We know that domestic cats form friendships. These can be close and cats that are friends will lie next to each other and groom each other.
Cats don’t have money. They have plenty of time. One classic and obvious way that a cat can give something of value to another cat is to groom that cat. It is giving away a cat’s time to another cat without regard to a reward. Or is their a self-interest motivation in doing this? That is important because if a cat grooms another in self-interest it is not an act of generosity.
Our cats see us as friendly cats – more than that – probably as a relative (mother) and close friend. They will lie down next to us all night sometimes. Charlie just did this. I am very slightly allergic to him so my nose is slightly bunged up in the morning! That isn’t the point.
In the morning when be wakes up he does his bathroom stuff – conscientious self-grooming. When I am near him when he is grooming I put my hand over an area where he has over-groomed to stop hum grooming that spot.
Charlie will then groom my hand. He will lick it about 2-5 times. Not much. But it is a modestly generous act by a fellow cat (he thinks I am a cat). It feels like a gift from him to me.
That is the test. Does your cat lick your hand (or face) if you put it near him especially when he or she is self-grooming? And if so how much grooming does he do? At least when a cat is grooming himself he is in the mood to lick and be generous and lick either another cat or his human companion.
I would argue that if a cat licks you voluntarily it is an act of generosity and a gift. It is one of only a few ways a cat can give to us directly . How generous is your little furry companion?
Original photo on Flickr
Interesting comment. I find the comment about Queen cat Matahari changing character after giving birth interesting. Do you know what happened. It would seem to be a hormonal change. I have not read this before.
There is a marked difference in my two cats in their reaction towards their human care-takers.Queen cat Matahari was playful as a kitten , loved being cuddled but changed drastically after delivering her first and only set of 6 kittens in 2009.Today she is absolutely aloof and although likes being petted as do all cats she never ever mixes with either me or my house care-taker who feeds her.She only there for the food but absolutely the loner cat rest of the day and night.Her kitten, now a 3 1/2 year tomcat matata is the opposite of her in temperament and behaviour. He is more dog-like and loves attention throughout the day.He is the house un-official “Alarm Clock” waking the house at dawn with his loud “me00wing”.Early in the morning he comes to the bedroom, meoows and lies sideways on the floor to be petted. This is his daily regular habit and hence we can never oversleep in my house.He is just like a young child, absolutely an attention seeker who loves nothing but sleeping on his chair almost the entire day with intermittent petting from his human care-takers.Its rightly said about humans regarding pet ownership, quote, ‘A human owns a dog but a cat owns a human”.
Love your story keenpetite. Cats do choose their friends and loves. They get so close to some humans that it is sort of love. Maybe it is a truer love than ours. The great debate is how to cats choose their close friends and loves? What do they look for? is is just that undefinable chemistry that humans talk about? Panchita died beautifully.
I find the yellow cat story interesting. She grooms Shadow but not you. Perhaps she recognises that you are a human and not a cat – one of them… 🙂 She only reserves her generosity for one of her kind. I see head butts as a friendly act. I see grooming another cat as an act of close friendship. But there is no science on that. Your cats are lucky to have you.
Ruth:
Being candid is a special virtue, personally I truly detest those that are not, eg I rather have a dr tell me bluntly of my medical condition than beat around the bush, give it to me straight or I’ll go to a dr that cares. As an animal rescuer/lover/helper for over 50 yrs (hope fully our God will allow me & son much longer)learned that animals clearly know our feelings not only towards them but specially how we interact with our own. July 1981, hubby & I found a Tortie in an abandoned house, took her home & soon got her spayed. She absolutely adored my husband, tolerated me (food)but hated our young son with Cerebral Palsy (she would hiss/spat @ him every opportunity)her name was Panchita II (female for Frank, my husband). She was very picky with her human companions.
December 2001 she waited for her beloved owner to come home, she drank a bit of water & few seconds later peacefully passed away in Frank’s arms. Few weeks later I took Snuggles (spayed Ginger female)to our vet & casually mentioned.
“Dr Sugasky, Panchita did well for being 20 yrs old” his comment was “Mam, Panchita was @ least 24 yrs old, I wish more owners cared about their pets the way you do” I simply said “Thank you, we consider them part of the family”
How could the vet tell about Panchita being @ least 24 Yr, he said Panchita had the bones of a very old arthritic cat,she was born in 1977 I thought she was born in 1981,she was already 4 yrs old when we found her.
Panchita was the epitome of a “Moody Tortie” but @ same time very loving towards her owner, she picked him not viceversa.
keenpetite
Sotheast Arizona (USA)