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Just in case you haven't noticed, cats do have certain personality traits in common. What kind personality does your darling feline display? Some are active and boisterous; some are quiet and shy. Then there are those who are very independent or affectionate, etc. Animal behaviorists can help us identify some common cat personalities, and at the same time teach us how to cope with some of their more "trying" traits.
What purr-sonality type is living in your house?
Let's see...
--POSSESSIVE:
You can spot this one in a multi-cat household, He's always the one who bumps the others out of the way. If you pet another cat and she starts to purr, the Possessive One will hear it from no matter where he is and come bounding into the room and will push himself between the two of you. This can be a little annoying to you, but it's all still quite friendly. Most other
cats are quite accepting and forgiving.
(This describes my Caesar to a "T." He's always been very possessive of me. Plus he's way bigger than all the others, and can push all his glorious 18 pounds around without resistance from the others.)
--MANIPULATING:
The funny Manipulator Cat is a master at leaping up on the dresser in the early morning hours and knocking off several items just to get your attention. This puss wants you to play with him right now or wants his food bowl filled right now! If you ignore him, he may be persistent and keep puling tricks out of his bag until he gets you to do what he wants. You can give in and reinforce this behavior or you can resist and ignore it.
May the stronger of the two of you win! (I'd say this describes my darling little Tonkinese Peavey a little bit. He gets on top of our bookcase headboard and drops knick- knack bombs onto us to wake us up!)
--THE "BAD" CAT:
This darling little creature has stolen you heart, but how can you continue to put up with the tipped over trash cans or the knocked over houseplants, or the chewed up books and flower arrangements? Well, I guess there's a trade-off - a little mess in exchange for those big green eyes and beautiful silky soft fur!
It may be that you have a high-energy cat that doesn't get
enough stimulation from his environment - and is just plain
bored! He's not a "bad" cat really, he just needs more "cat-things" to do. Maybe another cat for a playmate or some new toys will do the trick.
NON-COMMITTAL:
This cat likes to keep people at arm's length and gives and receives attention on her very own terms, certainly not yours. She will roll over with her belly and feet in the air, looking SO adorable, but when you reach to pet her, she zooms off. She may walk on your chest while you're lying on the couch, but will panic and squirm if you try to pick her up and hold her close. This cat will most likely not be a good lap cat, with maybe only an occasional visit.
One reason for this behavior may be that as a kitten, she was hurt or abused and so likes to keep control by keeping her distance. Some cats as kittens were very affectionate, but become aloof as adults. (I hate that when it happens, don't you?) But sometimes that's just the way it is! (My Callie is like this. It's like I have to ask permission before I can stroke or touch her, even though she was a very affectionate as a kitten.)
--WIRED:
This cat is truly excitable and unpredictable and gets into a lot of trouble with his aggressive behavior. They can get into moods where they just like to run around wildly with reckless abandon, although all they really want to do is just "play." This kitty will jump out at you as you walk by and dig his little teeth and claws into your legs! (How many pair of panty-hose can this guy ruin?
The best thing for you to do, is TRY not to react or shake your legs, as this will just spur him on. If you act disinterested, (as hard as it may be through all the pain and blood!) hopefully he will become bored with it and stop. It's a good idea to have some short but vigorous play sessions with your Wired One and let him use up some of that high-energy. Get him to change his focus and chase a toy around the room for several minutes. Hopefully, you'll wear him out before he wears you out! (I can see a bit of Tribble here, when she runs madly through the
house sometimes, but most of the time she is more mellow.)
Well, do any of your little sweethearts show any of these traits? It really is quite easy to identify your cat's personality. It does, however, take some patience and creativity in order to live with them. One behaviorist has said that the bottom line is to remember that "cats are what they are and we have to adapt to them."
How true indeed!
"In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods, they have never forgotten this."
--Unknown
WHAT PURR-SONALITY!
Is your cat on a canned food diet? Allow her 10-15 minutes to eat the canned food, then pick it up and feed a fresh serving at the next meal time. Left-over crumbs are unappealing to your cat and may spoil if left out at room temperature. Keep opened food containers tightly sealed and in the refrigerator. Warm to room temperature before offering the food to your cat.
