Does Your Cat Do This Too?

Bella was one of two kittens in a cardboard box in the park. Her sister, a tabby I named Stella, was the cat I chose, but I knew they were both coming home with me the minute I held Bella. I was a sucker, but it didn't matter. I had room in my heart for both. Having lost my 13-year-old cat, I was finally ready for a new pet, and I just knew that two would be a whole different experience.

I was unprepared for kittens. My apartment had the basics. I had litter boxes, toys, and food, but I had no idea how much work babies were! I would come home from work to destroyed plants and my curtains on the floor. It looked as if a tornado went through my apartment. "This is why we can't have nice things!" I would throw my hands up in the air and shout.

These kittens were wild! I was used to Sophia, my docile, sweet old cat that I rescued when she was two years old. I projected my human emotions onto Sophia. To me, she wasn't just a cat. She was my baby who never acted out. Why couldn't these rascals be more like Sophia?! It turns out I had a lot to learn about cats and myself.

Does this motivate your cat too?

Bella, my black Halloween cat, is remarkably praise motivated. I can say, "I love you, Bella," or "No, Bella," and she understands the words and will reply. She loves going outside, but Bella gets in trouble when she goes out by herself (more on that later), so she goes out on a harness and leash--like a dog. Most cats want nothing to do with leash walking, and they collapse the minute you put it on them. While some "cat-dogs" just cry annoyingly to go outside every day (Bella). I think you can train cats how to walk with a leash, but I didn't have to train Bella, so I don't know what the trick is. It might be because she used to go outside alone, but I think it's because Bella is a "cat-dog."

My tabby Stella is very food motivated. She does very well with a set food time and only vocalizes when I am two seconds late for her 8 pm feeding. Stella leans up against me or sits directly on me when she is ready to eat. If I'm reading or concentrating on something online, if I feel a cat hanging out close to me or on me, I know it's mealtime for Stella.

Both Bella and Stella love catnip. In our house, we call it going on a "nip-trip." They both eat it and then zoom around the house as though fourteen woodland fairies are clinging to their fur. Some cats (Sophia, I'm looking at you in cat-heaven) don't even want the stuff.

Does your cat show affection like this too?

I never understood what the cat bonk was all about until Bella. She is the queen of head butting or bunting. Sometimes Bella will bonk the cabinet or me so hard, I raise my eyebrows and ask, "Are you okay?" That's how much she loves me, or maybe she's just marking me as "hers." Anyway, she is very affectionate and loves to rub her face and body against me. I see the cat in her whenever she does this. Yet, when Bella's chasing her tail in the empty bathtub? Not so much.

Stella is my little emotional detective. She knows when I need a cat near me. Stella does this when she is hungry too. However, I know it is genuine when it is nowhere near dinner time, and she is cuddling up to me. Stella has a motor with a high purr RPM. The cat purr combined with the loaf on the lap is the perfect remedy for a foul mood. Don’t you think?

Does your cat show off like this too?

Bella is a birder, and she loves to show off. She would do two-foot-high flips when she was a kitten catching the feather bird toy. One time she caught an actual blackbird that was half her size. The bird was fine, and I had to chase it off, but I swear she was side-eyeing me and was so proud of herself for catching it. Bella now has a bell on her collar to keep the bird population safe when we go out for walks.

I've never seen Stella kill a real mouse, but I know she's a mouser simply by watching how she plays with her toys. The secret is in her kill tactic. She always goes right for the "neck" and then shakes the toy quickly. Stella's doing the "death neck snap"! It's morbid, I know, but her wild cat instincts are still intact even though she lays around all day waiting for me, her slave, to prepare her evening meal.

Is your cat naughty like this too?

The most challenging lesson I learned was from Bella. Bella's bolting out the front door was something that stressed me out because it was nearly impossible to bring her inside. I was taking her biting and scratching too personally. I tried so many different things: potholders, a towel, yelling, leaving her outside, begging, and crying. None of them worked because I needed to modify my behavior to take care of her. Now I talk to her positively using her motivation style. Bella knows when I am mad. So, I don't get angry. I speak to her calmly, and then she miraculously lets me pick her up. I tuck her under one arm and scruff her lightly with the other because she still has fangs and claws, and I need some control and protection!

I cannot have houseplants because Stella loves to munch them. Of course, her motivation is food! See how it fits? Eating my ferns, pathos, and aloe causes barfing and the sad death of several beautiful plants. I've given up on most greenery. I buy cat grass in bulk, plant it in cute planters, and call it good.

Does your cat scratch stuff too? Cat's instinctually need to get a good scratch in. It keeps their claws sharp, gets rid of the loose ones (how we trim our nails), and marks territory. They all do it, and that’s why they all need a good scratching spot just for them other than a favorite chair.

Do you have a scary story about your cat too?

There are terrible people in this world. One of those people decided to shoot my black cat, Bella, at close range with a pellet gun. The pellet went through her body and lodged in the muscle of her left thigh. Luckily, it only grazed her intestines, and the emergency vet was able to save her life. It happened on a Saturday afternoon when I was home. Bella came inside as she usually did, and she went directly into the bathroom and sat down on the shower rug. I thought that was odd, so I bent down to inspect, and I saw a small wound that I assumed was an animal bite. She must've been in shock because I could put her in the carrier without a problem, and that was not normal. I was calmer than I realized when the vet told me it wasn’t a bite, but an entrance wound, and someone shot her. I don't know if you've ever been to an emergency vet before, but it isn't cheap. Bella had to have two surgeries totaling over $3,000. Myself, my Mom, my community, and a local non-profit helped pay for her surgeries.

If you ever have to choose between paying for a vet bill or euthanizing, research non-profits in your community. They can help.

Anyway, I do believe it changed Bella’s temperament from sweet to a bit moody. But I guess I would be moody too if someone shot me. I think she still has residual pain in her leg from where the vet took the pellet out. Now Bella only goes outside on a leash because this kind of crap is way too common. It's not worth it.

During COVID, I was working from home, and so I was around the cats all day. I started to notice Stella gagging like she had a hairball, but nothing was coming up. Then her breathing was sometimes really raspy, and she snored a lot. I googled the symptoms and then scheduled a vet appointment. The vet diagnosed Stella with asthma and prescribed an inhaler. An inhaler for a cat?! I ordered the inhaler through my vet with the help of The Pet Fund because it was so costly.

"The staff and board members of The Pet Fund work constantly to develop resources for pets and their families to fund critically needed veterinary care, keeping animals out of shelters and helping pet owners to become skilled at preventative care practices." -The Pet Fund

The "Flovent" chamber was inexpensive, and I ordered it from Chewy online. The inhaler attaches to one end of the Flovent chamber, and on the other end is a little mask that fits over the cat's nose and mouth. I squeeze the inhaler, and the medicine dispenses into the middle chamber. Then I cover Stella's nose and mouth with the mask. There is a little flap that opens and closes with each breath to see if she is inhaling. It works excellent, and Stella benefits from it. I give her a puff when the symptoms are intense, and I've seen an improvement in her breathing and activity level.

So, does your cat do all this stuff too? Every cat owner knows their cat is exceptional, and it's true. Each cat is so unique. Yes, they are animals, but they still have their own motivations, naughty habits, emergencies, and ways of showing love--kind of like us.

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