If you’ve had cats in your life for any length of time, you probably know that everything’s on their terms. They get petted when they want, fed when they want to eat, curl up in your lap when they want, go outside when they want. If a cat doesn’t get his way, he makes your life miserable.
He’ll yowl, claw your favorite piece of furniture, chew on your new houseplant, knock over the vase of freshly-picked flowers, hide from you and cause you to panic when you can’t find him, trip you in the middle of the night when you’re on your way to get a sip of water, eat from your plate when you turn your back for a minute, chew the bow on a package you just wrapped, shed all over your new black slacks and/or any number of naughty behavior.
However, behaviorists tell us that cats do not understand or perpetuate acts of revenge.
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They don’t play payback. What we perceive as naughtiness or vengeance is simply a cat doing what cats do. There’s no malice or tit-for-tat intended—at least that’s what they say.
We know that cats are closer to their origins (the big cats) than dogs are to theirs. Are you going to trust that your precious little kitty-cat won’t revert back to their beginnings and commit a heinous act in your home? No, it’s best that we appease the cat. Give him what he wants when he wants it. Otherwise he can make your life at least uncomfortable and maybe worse. Those who you with cats already know that’s one reason why we spoil are cats. Right? And we love doing it.
And then there are cats who pay us back for treating them so well by saving our life. (Or do they do this for their own benefit, thinking that if she isn’t here anymore, who’s going to feed me?)
Today, I’d like to honor a cat hero named Grace. She was the saving grace for a family in Wisconsin when she alerted them to carbon monoxide fumes that were seeping into their bedroom. The couple were already experiencing the effects of the gas—they were disoriented, sick, feeling a lot of pain, but Grace’s persistent attempt to get their attention finally prompted them to call 911. All is well in that home thanks to Grace and the family has installed several new carbon monoxide alert systems. Good thinking.
Last month in Canada, a cat on sentry duty in his home at night noticed flames roaring in one of the rooms. He clawed his way into the owner’s bedroom and bit her on the arm. Now some might say he wanted her to get up and save him. Who knows—but everyone in the home that night got out safely thanks to the unnamed cat
Here’s a fun site listing other cat heroes. http://www.kittens-lair.net/history-and-famous-cats/cat-heros.html
What heroic cat acts have you witnessed? How do you spoil your cat?
