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My friend linked above has inspired me to write an article about my tortiseshell mix cat. We rescued her from a shelter, as we were looking for a companion cat following the death of a very special cat (as anyone knows, they are all special). It was a very difficult project, since the remaining cat was beyond shy, he was obviously the runt of the litter. So we had to "choose wisely" (borrowing from the television host of Cash Cab, Ben Bailey). We had to make sure that the cat chosen would not intimidate or dominate the existing cat. Finally we came upon a cage full of approximately a half dozen cats. They all had plenty of room, and were able to find their own "place" in the cage. One was especially docile, and seemed to be begging with her eyes to be taken out of the place. We chose her to come home with us. She was already spade and we paid the adoption fees. Included was her "wellness checkup" with a Veternary clinic. We got an excellent Vet, who examined Missie and took lab tests. She remarked that Missy was "unusual for her breed". I did not know the meaning of this, and so I asked questions. I was told by the Doctor that normally Torties were quite a lively breed, so this one seemed to be bucking the trend that the Doctor had seen. We returned home with Missie. We decided to change her name, but that didn't last long. She knew her name, and so we reverted to calling her Missie. She was slow to integrate into the family, and thankfully and best of all, she did not dominate the shy male cat. They were estimated to be the same age, 4 years old at the time of Missy's adoption.
Soon Missy began clawing the furniture. My husband was furious, as he had just purchased an antique chair at a nice price. He does not tolerate animals destroying the house. I couldn't care less, but of course, in a family relationship, all needs of the parties must be respected. Try as I might, I could not train Missie to stop scratching his favourite chair. He threatened to take her back to the shelter! I had to crack the code on Miissie, and quickly. I would chide her with "Missiy, stop that", and then direct her to the stratching board. She wasn't having it. At last I realized that saying her name was rewarding to her. The next time I caught her scratching the furniture, I took her into a small room, closed the door, and set the timer for 5 minutes. When the bell rang, I released her. I said nothing. After approximately four times of this "time out", Missie got the point.
She now runs to her scratching board and vigorously claws it, for which she receives a great deal of praise. She is told "good Missy" and given lots of petting.
Everything with Missy is a negotiation. She is extremely high maintainance, and has probably the highest vocabulary of any cat I have ever had. On a daily basis, she lets us know when she would like to play, what toys she would like to play with (she doesn't do much alone, as she craves the interaction), exactly when she would like her water changed, and when she feels that her dry food bowl is on the low side.
She is a wonderful little communicator of her needs, however it is not a one way street with Missy. She is attached to me at the hip. I have heard of this pattern before with torties. They tend to bond with the female of the household.
In my darkest hours, Missy has sensed my mood, and comforted me. She is a mirror of my moods, and I suppose I have become a mirror of her moods as well. In this way, we are best friends. As with anything in life, Missy is to be negotioated with. She keeps us on our toes. At this point, we wouldn't have it any other way. She is truly special. Thank you, js, for inspiring this simple offering.
