Hello, I’m Christopher! Read my introduction to be taught extra about me and my foolish Russian Blue cat, Olga.
Cats discover inventive methods to get our consideration, however a few of their methods are extra crafty than others. Though canine are extra well-known for his or her begging abilities than cats, Olga has developed a system that encourages me to feed her sooner than her ordinary dinnertime. It was pointless earlier than I labored at dwelling, and through the years, she’s modified her strategies.
Most pet cats, even the affectionate ones, are considerably manipulative. Their instincts affect their habits, however their intelligence helps them uncover new methods to annoy their homeowners. Within the wild, they don’t must beg or rely on people for meals or leisure.
They could devise a plan to steal a rodent’s carcass from a littermate, however most felines, besides these in feral colonies, are solitary hunters. Wild cats don’t should be manipulative, however housecats have discovered to prey on our feelings.
They haven’t been domesticated for so long as canine, however the not too long ago found grave of an 8-month-old cat buried next to their owner in Cyprus suggests cats have been annoying people for almost 10,000 years. Like her ancestors, Olga is aware of methods to affect individuals and makes Dale Carnegie proud.
If she needs to sit down on the windowsill, she begins by grinding her claws on the wooden molding. Then, she stands on her hind legs and hits the blinds. If I don’t open the blinds and let her sit down, she escalates her assault by jamming a paw into the blind and slamming it forwards and backwards into the wall. If I shout or inform her to cease, she backs off momentarily earlier than resuming the mischief.
She is aware of I’ve a breaking level, and even when I chase her away from the window, she received’t relent till I pull the blinds up. Her begging routine is refined at first, however as her starvation grows, she turns into extra impatient and bolder. Her regular dinnertime is round 5 PM, however the refined begging begins round 2:30. She wakes up from her tenth nap of the day, sits close to the doorway to my workplace, and stares at me.
After an hour of ignoring her, she’ll transfer nearer and sit on the windowsill because it’s to the left of my pc display screen. I can see her glare in my peripheral imaginative and prescient after I’m typing, however I’ve discovered to disregard her and keep away from eye contact. She’ll grunt and arise if I return her stare, and ultimately, she’ll get bored with ready and discover different methods to seize my consideration. She’ll run into the bathroom, soar within the bathtub, and howl.
I didn’t suppose cats have been intelligent enough to know the rules of acoustics, however Olga is aware of that her voice is amplified when she screams within the tub. Subsequent, she jumps on the sink and knocks my toothpaste or contact lens case on the ground. I respect her for making an attempt the mild method earlier than resorting to violence, and whereas I don’t prefer to be manipulated by people, I don’t thoughts when Olga is dishonest.
This text is part of Christopher and Olga’s sequence.
