I discovered this week that people with abandonment issues should not have cats.
The cat got got nervous when he saw me sit at my computer on Monday morning.
"Aha," he said, "She is typing. The last time she did that those construction men came and made noise. I must hide."
And hide he did, in a spectacularly clever spot behind the bookcase, where if you looked from one side he was a black cat hidden in the shadow made by your flashlight.
It took me hours to shine the flashlight from the other side, hours of pleading and singing the Goldie song, wondering WHAT I HAD DONE WRONG THAT MY CAT DADDY DIDN’T LOVE ME ENOUGH TO STAY PAY CHILD SUPPORT.
I let him stay behind the bookcase for four hours, then returned to sing an encore of The Goldie Song, at which point he stretched and came out for cuddles.
... that does sound like a... personality mismatch. (unless you accidentally end up with one of those cats who comes when called, reliably, but they are few and far between)
Some friends can collect their cat(s) by opening something that sounds like snacks or cat food in the kitchen, though; maybe that would work next time Goldie freaks out?
(may Goldie not freak out again anytime soon!)
Posted by: KC | November 11, 2023 at 10:36 AM
KC - I think I need to be comfortable with not knowing where my cat is. And he does come when sung to, just not that one time. He goes to the vet Monday, then painter comes Tuesday, then the dishwasher repair Friday, poor guy.
Posted by: theQueen | November 11, 2023 at 11:41 AM
... so probably can expect cat to be AWOL for a couple of weeks after that, altogether. Sigh. But yes, growing comfortable with "I don't know where he is and cats *specialize* in this and it is a Cat Thing and not about me at all" seems like a good plan. How, aside potentially from the "exposure therapy" you'll undoubtedly be getting this week, I do not know, though.
Posted by: KC | November 12, 2023 at 10:27 AM
KC - for the last two days he has been with Gary exclusively, because Gary sleeps. And last night he jumped in bed with me and woke me up, so I sat up, and he bit me and hissed. I imagine he was ... playing?
Posted by: theQueen | November 12, 2023 at 02:45 PM
Cats are mysterious beings. Also, with cats, it is almost 100% it's-not-you-it's-them. I hope you do well with adjusting to not taking it personally, though, because: cats; but also: human brains have some of the logic bits short-circuited sometimes.
Posted by: KC | November 13, 2023 at 11:17 AM
KC - I am getting a bit better. He's been jumping in bed with me, and evidently that is the way to my heart.
Posted by: theQueen | November 13, 2023 at 08:42 PM
I hope he quits with the biting, though. (unless that is also the way to your heart)
(but again: if he vanishes for a bit at any point, it is because he is a cat and cats just *do that* sometimes esp. when spooked, not because he does not like you; the fact that he even *sometimes* comes when "called" by his song is abundant evidence of appreciation)
Posted by: KC | November 13, 2023 at 09:47 PM
KC - he hid again today, and I got him out with some smoked chicken. And a little singing as I put down the chicken.
Posted by: theQueen | November 14, 2023 at 01:26 PM
Awwww. He loves you! And smoked chicken. :-)
Posted by: KC | November 14, 2023 at 04:18 PM