Hi, I’m Christopher! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my silly Russian Blue cat, Olga.
Life with a cat is rarely dull, and most healthy cats find some way to annoy their owners. It’s cruel to punish an animal for their behavior, but I think it’s okay, to some extent, to tease or annoy your pet from time to time. They don’t understand the humor behind a practical joke or understand the complexities of improv comedy, which is okay because I’m in the same boat, but they probably notice when their owners pick on them.
Before you own a cat, your impressions of them are based on what you’ve seen on TV and experiences with cats owned by others. They may seem stuck or lack anything close to a sense of humor because they don’t connect with you and don’t feel comfortable acting like goofballs around you. Cats are sensitive, but I think most have a sense of humor and can tolerate teasing.
Olga’s Boundaries
Olga enjoys petting her neck, head, and behind her ears, but she doesn’t want you to touch her near her tail, hind legs, or belly. When he walks by me while I’m reading or watching TV, I sometimes poke the side of his thigh to see his reaction.
She grunts and stares at me disapprovingly but doesn’t attack like she used to when she was a kitten. I have several scars on my hands and arms from where he often retaliated and sunk his nails and teeth into me.
He considers an unauthorized poke a big sin, but after a few years of living with me, he sees it as a minor annoyance. If he’s in a feisty mood, he’ll answer me and encourage me to play “tag.” It confirms that he’s not a stuffy, entitled bore who doesn’t appreciate my ribbing or attempts at humor.
Required Irritant
Olga gets irritated when I sleep late on weekends or ignore her when she begs, but she doesn’t get angry. He allows for this by finding ways to annoy me and get my attention, but it will disappear if he is locked in a room. I didn’t lock him in a room for being mean, but I had to replace my air conditioner.
I locked the door because he could stand on his hind legs to open it, and when he noticed it was locked, he screamed loudly and tore up the carpet next to the door. Her cries grew louder as she was locked up, and eventually she forced the door down.
Staying in the room with him didn’t help; he did not calm down and continued to attack the door and carpet. He ran to me and cried and buried his head in mine, but he quickly returned to the locked door and continued his attack.
It’s strange that he doesn’t want to be locked up because one of his favorite games is slamming doors and opening them, but I’ve given up on trying to read his mind. Annoying Olga can’t always be avoided, but I don’t think she harbors a grudge, even if I do it on purpose.
