Cats fight
Today, on my travels I was attacked by a stray cat. Why is it that cats attack me? I saw a cat under a flower stand and I blinked at it (that's cat for hello). While I stood looking at the flowers it came out and came around my legs asking to be pet. So I pet it for a while (random stray cat - but it looked healthy enough.... a sick mind in a healthy body!) and he liked it (or so it seemed) - he curved his back towards me and wrapped his tail around my leg (I even think he was purring). even got stray-cat hair all over my hand. but when he got tired - instead of just walking away (I was standing still - I didn't follow him, or crowd his space or anything - he was in my space) he attacked me! teeth and nail and and hissing and spitting and everything. and no I hadn't done anything wrong - not that I know of, unless I crossed some invisible cat line of etiquette. It's as though they think I'm one of the cats and treat me as such - well I growled at him (arg! GRRRRRR!!!!)- so maybe he was half right.
but it's not just random stray cats - it's even our very own Tom. he attacks me. even though K is the one who harasses him - she gives him love he doesn't want and holds onto his tail or paw (which he hates) and all he ever does is walk away. but he always comes at me with claws out and teeth bared (that is, when he's not sleeping or asking for food) - even when I'm not doing anything - just sitting in bed. K says that it's Tom's way of talking to me - she says it's better than the way he just ignores her - as though she's not even worthy of comment... I say I want to be unworthy of comment (especially at 4am)!
Tulip
but it's not just random stray cats - it's even our very own Tom. he attacks me. even though K is the one who harasses him - she gives him love he doesn't want and holds onto his tail or paw (which he hates) and all he ever does is walk away. but he always comes at me with claws out and teeth bared (that is, when he's not sleeping or asking for food) - even when I'm not doing anything - just sitting in bed. K says that it's Tom's way of talking to me - she says it's better than the way he just ignores her - as though she's not even worthy of comment... I say I want to be unworthy of comment (especially at 4am)!
Tulip
posted by Tulip @ 3:17 PM
1 Comments:
At 6:00 PM,
Stephen said…
I hope you don't mind, but i had great fun reading about your reluctant and yet blossoming relationship with the eponymous Tom. He seems to be of the 'treat them mean and kept them keen' approach to life. But I do feel sorry for 'K', as being ignored is the greatest insult!
I'm not a cat person, distrusting and disapproving of their don't-call-us-we'll-call-you dismissiveness of the human species outside of meal times. But i'm not quite a fan of the unconditional devotion of the dog either. Perhaps my future pet, somewhere between a cat and a dog, is outthere to be found! Maybe the turtle ... devoted to a fault, but when you treat it badly back into its safe shell will it go.
Your adventure with the stray cat reminds me of a few stories involving the comic character Bertie Wooster, by PG Wodehouse. He was often going around petting strays with ebullient bonhomie only to get a few scratches and growls for his trouble. My own theory is that the stray is so little loved that it reacts with distrust and defensive violence whenever it finds a suspicion of love in these humans. How long you might have to be bitten before it would break down and love humanity again is anyone's guess. I hope such rationalisation lessens the sting a little.
Really enjoyed reading the weblog.
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