Getting used to

Oct 18th, 2024 Friday Sunny

If you have never lived with a kitty, I bet you have all sorts of stereotypes about this mysterious creature. But as stereotypes are usually over-generalization, even in cases where a kernel of truth might be found, the experience of beholding a real cat could easily surprise you.

For example, it is a common notion that cats are aloof, especially compared to dogs. They do not wag their tails to welcome you home. Nor do they express much excitement about being held. In the rare situations that some cats seem to love their owners, they remain shy, or at best indifferent towards strangers.

The reality is, your cats’ personality is LARGELY the result of the socialization they have received, with a little influence of their natural temperament. Yuuki and Sesame, our two new members of the family, both spent the first few months of their life in comfortable settings, among other kittens and frequent visitors. As a result, they were not avoidant when we first met them. Instead, Yuuki showed an adorable curiosity, immediately checked us out before continuing to play and explore the environment. Sesame started purring the moment I held him in my arms (and he is absolutely a purring engine now 🥰).

After settling down in our house, we not only showered these two with gentle care, but also had friends over every now and then. With no exception, everyone was impressed with how friendly and easy-going our fur babies are. At the sound of door opening, they came to greet the guests, graciously accept being petted, the “woo”s and “ah”s, and occasionally being picked up or voluntarily jump on someone’s lap. So far there has been no sign of stress, or any incident of injury ✌️

If all the interactions kitties have with humans are positive, why should they be afraid or uncomfortable around us?

Sometimes, self-fulfilling prophecy perpetuates. Research has found that cats do recognize and respond to simple names, particularly those ending with a “ee” sound (e.g. Yuuki). However, people often assume that cats do not know their own names, hence let their fancy run wild when it comes to naming their own cat. Worse still, many folks call their cat by a random collection of other “nicknames”. How on earth can you expect a kitten to hear “stinkers”, “sweety”, “sweet butt”, “dude”, “fur ball”, “dummy”, etc. and somehow figure out “Loki the greatest” is actually their name??

Again, it is the way that cats are treated that determine, to a large extent, their capacity and development.

As a final proof, I learned that our feline buddies could be open to anything that they have been exposed to before one year old, so long as it is not causing harm right away. I have heard that most cats hate being dressed, yet the prospect of seeing Yuuki and Sesame in cute Halloween costumes is so tempting, that I decided to give it a try.

When the outfits arrived, I carefully wrapped one around Sesame’s head, well-prepared to face any displeasure or freaking out – none came. Sesame seemed slightly confused for a moment as if wondering “what is this thing?” but otherwise did not mind being a little frog at all. A similar success was achieved when Yuuki was put into the evil pumpkin hat. Now they are both ready for admiration.

It is just a matter of getting used to.

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