From a long time cat wrangler, I’ve gone to being a … well, words fail me. I don’t know what I now am to a cat.
Make that, not this cat.
She decides my program and when I don’t keep to it, she’ll let me know.
Like today. She acts like she’s out of patience with me and just now batted my wrist with her claw.
I’m lucky I’m wearing sleeves or there would’ve been another scar beside the one wher she got me last time.
At first I don’t even want to work out the why’s and wherefore’s. I’m furious and get the spray bottle ready should she have another go.
As the pain fades—yes, she hit a nerve—I think again. Do I really want to go back the square one with her? Not really.
I start the analysis. How have I not come up to her expectations?
Today I had a visitor for half an hour and then I went out for two hours. Both normally not what happens on Wednesday’s.
There was an extremely long and large boom lift working outside, fixing the outside of the highest balconies. When you’re on level 2 this thing is menacingly visible in all the places a cat likes to sit.
What else? Did I miss giving her any meals? Nope. She got her titbits at lunch and dinner, her breakfast hunt and her training session at 10.30 a/m.
The last feed of the day isn’t until 9 p/m. Do I spoil her? Yes. Is she spoiled? Yes, I’m inclined to think. She was a stray before she spent a hundred days at the cattery recovering.
Right now she’s pretending nothing untoward is going on, but lying nearby as though she’s waiting waiting for me to suddenly discover I haven’t done xyz for her yet.
But it’s only 8 p/m. I don’t even have the TV on for her to get narky about. Umm, what was I doing when she lashed out? Reading a book.
What? I’m not allowed to read anymore?
So, Readers, with me so far?
What does she need more of?
As I’m typing it, I’m thinking it. More attention! She needs more interaction. Or she needs more … or she needs more … or or or!
I don’t know. Biggest ongoing mystery in my life.
I’m stumped.
Rita de Heer 