It is said that cats have 9 lives. That refers to the cat’s
characteristically reckless behaviour, stemming from its innate curiosity and
thrill-seeking instincts. These tendencies for adventure tend to get cats into
one mess after another, but they usually, somehow miraculously, escape. At
least that’s the way the story goes. They spend one life after another, until
one day their fate catches up with them. That may be the typical pattern of a
stray or feral cat. But what of the pampered domestic cat? How long does it
take them to spend their 9 lives?
Sheila, our rather grouchy barncat-turned-housecat, is 9
years old. She is a rather diminutive little beast, with a tiny head and paws
on a rather plump body. Sheila has always hated being picked up. I found her in
the bottom of a barrel in the barn one day in the spring of 2010, where she had
obviously fallen while her mother was attempting to transport her kittens from
one spot to another. Even then, when I scooped her up into my arms, rescuing
her from the depths of darkness, she squawked at me, ungratefully.
Every day I went out to the barn to check on the kittens.
Tiny little Sheila, the smallest kitten of them all, would march right up to me
and growl accusingly. The kittens had runny eyes, so I had to give them eye
drops. Most of them were pretty docile but I think I still have the scars
around my wrists where Sheila tried to skin me alive. https://theaccidentalfarmwife.blogspot.com/2019/03/a-dog-dictionary-has-300-words.html
When she was old enough to leave her mother, Sheila decided
she would use her sharp little claws to pull herself up the steps to the back
porch. The next time the patio door slid open, in she went. And she has been
our self-proclaimed housecat ever since. She isn’t very friendly, but if you
sit really still she will come and sit on the chair or couch beside you.
Occasionally she will even venture onto a lap but that doesn’t last for long.
The human lap is not to her liking. She prefers the comfort of an overstuffed
chair or pillow.
Sheila has always had a bit of a fussy stomach – if you give
her too many treats you will see them again. I took her to the vet to get her
stomach examined, thinking that might be why she hates being picked up –
because her belly hurts. After a thorough examination, the vet confirmed that
Sheila is perfectly healthy and does not suffer any particular intestinal
disorder. She just tends to overindulge in cat treats, and she is just a grumpy
cat.
We have come to know and love Sheila and her negative
attitude. It’s just who she is. Which is why I am a bit concerned by her recent
behaviour. Often I will be standing at the kitchen counter, preparing something
to eat, and the sound and smell attracts the cat. Sheila will then sidle up to
me and squawk. If I don’t immediately give her a bite of whatever I am
preparing, she will give my calf a little nip and then pounce away to hide.
Lately, however, Sheila has been acting in a way that is most unusual and out
of character for the grouchiest of cats. Sheila has been coming around, looking
for cuddles.
I picked her up and gave her a quick examination. Sure
enough, she had a bit of a leaky ear. She was trying to get my attention so
that I would help her. I gave her a few doses of antibiotic ear drops and fixed
her right up. The next week, she had a runny eye. Maybe she had a cold virus.
Again, eye drops seemed to help.
Then the weirdest thing happened. I was sitting on the couch
and Sheila jumped up onto my lap. Instead of turning away from me, she put her
head on my chest, as if she wanted to be petted. It suddenly occurred to me
that our grouchy little cat is entering her senior years. Maybe her personality
is undergoing a bit of a softening as a result.
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