AM I THE ONLY ONE . . . who thought all cats were warm and cuddly?

By: Donna Hale Chandler

If you’re like me and thought that, you are dead wrong.  We rescued a cute black and white 2-year-old kitty.  She was so sweet at the shelter, kept sticking her paw through the cage to tap my arm and get my attention.  She’d strut around, meow and was quite the show-off.  I thought she would be perfect because in my delusional thinking I decided she had chosen me to be her adoptive mommy. 

Paperwork was completed.  The wait time began.  She was given an examination and spayed before she was allowed to come home with us.  That’s when she showed her true colors.  A cute little cuddly kitten?  More like a grumpy old lady that had selective hearing and swatted at you each time you walked by.  She refused to be held, be petted or sit on our laps.  She DEMANDED to be fed – meowed her displeasure at every turn and seemed to barely tolerate us.

A few months went by.  She trained us well.  We all settled into somewhat of a routine.  We fed, watered and did not try to cuddle.  That seemed to suit her perfectly fine.  And then the day came when she needed to go to the vet for vaccinations and a nail trim.  I knew it was going to be an ordeal – for both of us.  She would NOT be happy, which of course meant neither would I.

She screamed all the way to the vet’s office.  She was totally insulted at being put in a carrier and then placed in a car.  No amount of cooing or sweet talk or treats soothed her cantankerous mood.  Once we arrived, she quieted down.  There was a lot to see in the waiting room.  Plus, there were dogs there and she didn’t want to draw their attention to herself.  In the examination room, I warned the vet that he should probably wear a suit of armor because this would not be an easy exam.

I sat her carrier up on the table, opened it and watched in amazement as she walked straight to the vet and started rubbing up against him and purring.  PURRING – I didn’t even know she knew how to purr.  The vet pushed and prodded, even took her temperature and all the while she was the perfect patient.  To top it off, as a bonus for being such a good patient, I wasn’t even charged for trimming her nails.

She quietly went back into her carrier for the trip home.  The minute the car door slammed; the screaming began.  As I released her inside the house, she flew out, hissed at me and dived under the bed for several hours.

Yes, she loves us.  I know this is true because she has allowed us to live.