Life with a senile cat

[pjthompson]

My roommate's cat, Underfoot, or the Princess Pussepotte as I call her, is senile and often loses track of where the humans are in the house. Instead of seeking them out, she stands in the middle of the room and launches into the most heartbreaking caterwauling. As soon as a human appears, or yells, "What's the matter, Undie?" the caterwauling stops and she can go about her business. She doesn't like thinking she's alone in the house, I guess.

The other trick she's started to play lately is, "I want someone to go to bed with me." She'll walk into any room where humans are gathered and give an insistent-sounding meow, then she'll scamper off a few feet. If no one takes the hint, she'll return and repeat as necessary until someone finally clues in and follows her. She inevitably leads them to my roommate's bedroom where she either jumps up on the foot stool and thence onto the bed, or stands flicking her tail until someone lifts her upon the bed. Then the human in question (anyone will do) is supposed to sit down next to her on the bed and administer scritches until she can relax a bit from her ordeal--maybe a minute or so. Then you are free to carry on with whatever menial chores (like getting ready to go to work) you were doing before she required your facilitation.

Maybe she isn't senile, just spoiled rotten?

She certainly has complete faith that whoever occupies the house is going to fall right in with her wishes and commands. Oddly enough, we do.

One of my friends said, "You know tortoise shells: they're one-half crazy and the other half nuts."

I'm beginning to think she's right.

Comments

[merebrillante.livejournal.com]

I think she's just being a cat.

Dylan will wander around the house, howling like a hound-dog, until I yell for him, then he'll come running.

Maeve comes up to my chair when I'm working and paws my thigh, walks a few steps away, then waits for me to come. If I don't come, she'll come back and do it again. If I follow her, she usually goes to some part of the house where there are no other cats and demand to be petted.

Kerry sharpens her nails on the walls or the bookcases until I stop what I'm doing and go to pet her. She then wants me to follow her into either the bathtub or shower, which is her special place for petting.

Brigid will come to my chair in the office, give a little chirp, and look up at me with woefully big eyes. If I scritch her head, she takes that as a sign that I'm ready to have my lap sat on. While I am providing a lap, I'm also expected to provide cuddles.

They own us, not the other way around.

[pjthompson]

I think she's just being a cat.

Yes, you could be right. It's been eight years since I've lived under the command of a cat and I must say I've missed being bossed around like this.

And it's definitely a vast improvement over her behavior for the first month and a half I was there. Every time I'd enter the room she'd jump up and say, "Oh! I'm terrified!" and run from the room, tail flicking, and glancing over her shoulder after about five feet to see if I was following.

[jmeadows.livejournal.com]

I think I love that cat.

[pjthompson]

She's the Princessiest!

[frigg.livejournal.com]

*lol*

That name is just precious. Jonesy doesn the "Am I ALONEEEEE???" thing and he's just seven months old, so it might be a cat thing. The bed thing...hmmm...spoiled rotten sounds spot on. *grin*

[pjthompson]

It probably is. I've only had one other cat that did that when people were in the house. Miss Winifred was a bit of a Princess, too, now that I think about it.

[vayenne.livejournal.com]

"...she stands in the middle of the room and launches into the most heartbreaking caterwauling. As soon as a human appears, or yells, "What's the matter, Undie?" the caterwauling stops and she can go about her business."

Yep. My cat does the same thing if she's not sure where everyone is. All you have to do is say, "I'm in here, Circe," and she's fine, again. It must be a cat thing. *shrug*

[pjthompson]

Kooky kitties!