I’d like to say that I haven’t met a cat I haven’t liked in my work at the cats only boarding facility. Sure, I have my favorites. There are some cats I just bond with and some cats I don’t.
Then there are the cats who like to mess with my head.
We’ve got one guest at the boarding facility now who has been driving me crazy. She’s a striking Persian mix, with a calico coat. Perhaps the most amazing thing about her looks is her eyes: they are a dark amber/orange color. Quite a lovely little cat!
When she sees me coming, she likes to press against the front of her condo and meow at me for attention. Sometimes, she’ll put a paw between the bars and reach longingly in my direction. But as soon as I come close, she runs to the back of her condo. No petting! And if I open the door, she often rewards my friendliness with an arched back and a hiss.
Her mixed behavior doesn’t stop me from trying. I caught her playing with a stray kibble in her cage the other day — rolling it around and pouncing on it — and thought she might like some extra playroom time. So I grabbed food, water, and litter pan and set up the playroom with a cozy bed and some toys.
When I went to get her from her condo, she wanted no part of the plan. She was NOT going into that playroom, no matter what. I spent a good twenty minutes trying to coax her out of the condo so she could go into the playroom — with no luck.
But as soon as I put everything away and closed the condo door, she was back at the bars again, meowing for attention. I can’t win!
We finally decided on a compromise — she didn’t want to be petted, and she didn’t want me to reach into the cage but she would play with a feather toy if I stuck it through the bars. I’m glad I found a way to connect with her in the end!