The Audacity of the Ruling Kitty

So when one kid gets a car, both kids are gone a lot more. This is great. Finally, peace and quiet!

FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER…

There is this awful howl/cry/meow coming from the direction of my daughter’s room. Now, I am thinking the door was closed, and I just need to open it, and all will be well. I get there, and the door is wide open. Now, I am going into worry mode thinking my little Gwen is stuck somewhere or hurt. So I go racing in there and she is lying on my daughter’s bed with her front paws daintily crossed looking at me as though I just showed up for an impromptu visit. She was purring and wanted attention, so, of course I gave in. Little did I know, this would be my downfall.

Now, when my daughter leaves the house, Gwen will be back there laying on that bed howling and crying. She will continue to do this for a LONG time until someone shows up to pamper her. This does not really add up considering she carries her toys to whomever she deems available at the time, follows the other humans around for attention when in suits, and does enjoy occasionally picking on Brutus, our Chihuahua. It is not as though she is a timid girl who is more content to be in a room she considers her territory. She is very sociable with all of us. So, why the awful sad meow-cry? Because she CAN. Why get up and hunt for attention when you have found a way to get your servants to deliver at will?

This led me to consider the rest of my fur babies. No surprise, I have been a victim of these little con artists for years – an easy victim of course, but I never really thought that much about it. Each cat has their own way of getting exactly what they want and always have. My orange tabby, Bucky, will yell at everyone, in turn, to get each one of us to turn on a faucet for him to drink from. Sometimes he gets all of us to do it right in a row. He does not always drink, but he succeeds often in controlling us via supposed thirst. They all have ways of demanding what they want. Every cat I have ever had did this in one form or another. From observation and confirming with a vet, looking for the lack of these normal manipulative behaviors may be able to give us a heads-up to potential illness. This does NOT mean if your version of Bucky or Gwen did not feel like bothering with you today that we need to rush Kitty to the vet. Some days, I do not see Bucky all day. He is a big boy who likes to hide in tiny places. It is the overarching behavior patterns we should be looking for.

Kitty is not a lap cat but suddenly wants lap time all the time? Is Kitty no longer trying to claw your feet to get you moving for catnip? These are little things that may be worth noting in our diabetic journals. It could be a temporary change that means absolutely nothing. If Kitty has a long-term behavior pattern and then has a sudden shift away without large stressors such as moving, it is something to consider mentioning to your vet.

We have gone over different signs and symptoms of feline diabetes and related conditions. Behavioral changes are another possible tool we can use to at least keep us a bit more watchful if things change. Kitty will change their habits as they grow and adapt to changes around them. Not being as interested in catnip could simply be that you got the wrong brand, or the catnip is not potent enough. Try new catnip first. If they start rejecting a formerly loved food, the recipe may be different, or you have a Kitty that needs variety. Always check for the simple solution first.

You know your kitty better than anyone. I look at habit changes like a tornado watch – the conditions MAY be there for concern. Physical symptoms and drastic behavioral changes are like the tornado warning. It is probably coming so get prepared. Keeping good notes will help you and your vet determine a timeline and may help with faster diagnoses with the extra information.

In the meantime, give in to their manipulations. You probably already do because, well, you don’t really have a choice, do you?

You can share your sugar Kitty stories on the Feline Diabetes Support Group on FB.