Cats are interesting pets. They are somewhat unpredictable, but also set in their ways. They’re also wonderful teachers. Every day with a cat is a new and interesting experience. Cats seem to excel at keeping their people on our toes.
Sure, a cat can eventually settle into a new home and establish a routine. However, just when you get used to her routine—what does she do? She changes it, right?
And have you noticed how sensitive your cat is to your changes? She either embraces them with enthusiasm or rejects them with total disdain.
You might lay your favorite black velvet or wool jacket over a chair temporarily, only to return and find your white cat rolling around on it—just keeping it warm for you or making sure it doesn’t fall off onto the floor. Yes, cats can be helpful.
But they can also hold a grudge. The thing is, cats don’t understand the difference between an accident and an intentional happenstance. How long can a cat maintain total resentment after you accidentally stepped on her tail or tripped over her or splashed water on her or after she slipped and fell into your bath water on her own. It seems that anything that happens to a cat when you’re around is your fault. You get the blame and the 
stink eye and the cold shoulder.
On day last week Olivia came into my office like she does many times throughout the day. I made the wrong move when I reached to pet her and spilled a glass of orange juice. The clunk and the splash all around her freaked her out. She ran. Then she spent hours sitting a distance from me, staring—just staring–actually glaring. She went into “Don’t you dare touch me,” mode. It was awful—heart-wrenching. It was hours before I could lure her into my office again–then she tippy-toes in ultra cautiously. Oh how cats can punish you.
Cats are definitely teachers. She has taught me to be tons more careful with my morning glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice. I’ve actually received a lot of lessons from my cats. What have your cats taught you?
Oddly, our cat Mouse is very forgiving if we step on him. He immediately comes to us for forgiveness as if it’s his fault. The one thing he won’t tolerate is my running water in the sink if he is nearby. He runs off and remains suspicious of me until I’m prepared to sit in my recliner for lap time. I suspect the shelter bathed him when he was a kitten.
That’s funny. Yeah, we can only guess at what a rescued cat experienced before we adopt them and what made an impression on them. I’ve never heard of a cat being so forgiving when he’s stepped on or something, though. Mine usually hold a grudge for hours or more. Olivia is still leery of coming into my office after the orange-juice spill.