Human to Cat – we have arguments just like any other couple!
Are you like me and Gabriel, my tabby cat companion? Do you have certain flash points which are the cause of some discord? If so please tell me in a comment. Gabriel and I get along famously. I love him dearly but there is one thing that causes me to tell him firmly to stop and p*ss off.
Early in the morning when he is active, as all cats usually are, he comes into my bedroom and starts to try and wake me up. One way he does this is to lick the headboard of the bed. I hate that and I think he knows it. I am not sure why he licks the headboard other than to wake, and wind, me up! Is this what cat behaviourists call: cat attention seeking? I believe it is. Apparently it is one of the most common complaints about cat behavior. Perhaps, then, we are not giving our cats enough attention?
The headboard is made of material – a cloth. I can’t see how or why it could taste interesting to a cat. I am barely awake at the time and have been known to throw a pillow at him! I regret it afterwards but when you hear the rasping noise of cat’s tongue against material while half asleep and knowing that it is not good for Gabriel, it can bring out the worst in me.
There is one other thing that I now find irritating and stop whereas in the past I liked. Perhaps it is because he is much bigger. Gabriel likes to come under the duvet to rest for about 15 minutes. I am half asleep and he’ll prod under the duvet and sometimes his claws are slightly out. I hate that and have told him.
Then when he gets under he messes around sometimes and irritates me because he disturbs the peace and calm that I am enjoying. Nowadays I tend to stop him going under the covers, but not always. It depends on my mood. Do cats have moods?
Whenever I have a bit of a bust up with him over behaviour that I don’t like (but which is not bad) we quickly make up. Well actually, he doesn’t need to make up because he is not upset. All the upset and annoyance is on one side: mine. Cats just don’t have the fragile mentality of humans. They don’t hold grudges and they don’t find our behavior annoying. They just work around it if it gets in the way of their behavior.
There is a beautiful steadiness and predictability about the feline psyche which is a major reason why they are excellent human companions and often better than a human.
Gabriel has caught his first prey, a bird and I am both impressed and pleased for him but saddened by the bird’s death. He charged in through the cat flap growling and I immediately knew what was going on. And it was my fault, I believe. I had filled up a bird feeder yesterday and some of the seed had ended up on the ground below the feeder.
Although I did not see the kill, I believe that Gabriel attacked the bird while he/she was feeding on the seed on the ground.
The pictures that you first see in the slide show above are of him with his prey. Others show him under the duvet! Woody does not have permission to comment!