"THE TIGER IN THE HOUSE ... Carl Van Vechten
Anyone who has lived on terms of comparative equality with a cat knows that he will show his intelligence fifty times a day. To be sure this intelligence is usually of the variety called selfish. Thereby the cat shows how much finer his intelligence is than that of the rest of the animal world. He is quite unwilling to show feats of intelligence for which he can see no legitimate reason, or through which he is unable to derive any personal satisfaction.
If he wants submaxillary massage he knows that he is pretty sure of getting it by leaping into someone's lap. If he does not want it he knows that the best way of avoiding it is to avoid the person who insists on lavishing it. A cat, it is said, will only come when called if dinner is in the offing. This is very much my own procedure. I refuse to make casual calls but often accept invitations to dinner."
(I must admit our Candy does come 9 out of 10 times when I call her even when no treat is being offered. Perhaps being a 'rescue' cat makes here a little more determined to be needed.)
With two cats in the house we have noticed that if one of them is ignoring a call (which does happen) the other will turn and look at the recalcitrant one.
ReplyDeleteJazz is very food oriented and comes in the hopes of food almost always. Jewel is more picky. If she is enjoying herself outside she doesn't hear us 'until the third or fourth call'.
I do think having two cats makes a big difference. We had Henry and Precious together for 8 years. They were entirely different in temperament, their like, dislikes and fears.
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteHehehe pretty accurate; though Jasper did come when called, even without enticement.
Most of the time... YAM xx
I liked your little add on...most of the time. xx
DeleteMy one cat will come when called ( we joke he's more like a dog than a cat).
ReplyDeleteMy other cat, not so much.
Our Candy is more like a dog in that way. Very seldom she doesn't come when called and she understands "NO" quite well too.
DeleteIf I couldn't find our dear old Nick all I had to do was holler 'fish' and he would come running.. Of course, only a fool would have no fish on hand.
ReplyDeleteWe did that with Precious and she was more likely to react to it than calling her name or even "puss puss". She seemed to understand a lot of our language as we began to understand hers.
DeleteThis is well and perfectly said! Cats were my first love, and it's that feline independance and mind that they have! --My cat comes when she wants...
ReplyDeleteMy first love is for cats although there are some dogs melt my heart. I do definitely believe that dogs try to please us but we are just there to please a cat and don't we cat lovers enjoy it?
DeleteAngel very rarely comes when called. For a while he would leap off the table and head to the kitchen when I said 'dinner', but not now. He comes when he is good and ready.
ReplyDeleteWhen I call him in at night, he runs the other way mostly, until he is ready, then he leaps at the front screen door as if trying to open the handle. He's no angel, that's for sure.