Hi, I’m Christopher! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my silly Russian Blue cat, Olga.
I didn’t have a boring life before adopting Olga, but she made me happy for almost eight years. When studying cat behavior, we often connect their actions to instincts. Their aversion to water is attributed to their desert origins, and their love of playing with toys is linked to their predatory instincts, but is their sense of humor innate?
Comedy Cats
I think most cats have a sense of humor, and it’s hard to argue that they don’t appreciate physical comedy. Olga doesn’t laugh or smile, but she catches my glasses falling off the shelf above my bed, especially if they hit my face. He attacks inanimate objects when he is hungry and wants attention, but sometimes, he does it for fun.
The other day, he was sitting on my lap, half asleep, while I was working on the computer. He lazily stretched his left leg and pushed a pen on my desk. Irritating me was not instinctual, but Olga was amused by it and enjoyed laughing (inside) at my expense. She wouldn’t be the cat she is without her sense of humor, and I probably wouldn’t enjoy living with her.
Slamming Doors
Erratic behavior is not uncommon in cats, but until I adopted Olga, I never thought that opening and closing doors was a source of feline entertainment. He loves to squeeze his body into the narrow gap between the door and the wall, stand on his hind legs, and push the door closed with his front legs. He can hold the doorknob and pull the door open, but he struggles sometimes.
He screams if he can’t open the door and the volume goes up if I ignore him. When I opened the door, he growled at me and ran away. Most cats do not like to confine themselves to a room. After the first experience, they probably won’t do it again, but Olga is a goofball. He would wait a few minutes before running into another room and closing the door.
If I play with him and lock the door, he will scratch the carpet by the door and whimper. After I ignore him, he starts knocking on the door. He is a small cat but sounds like a bull or a battering ram. Although her cries sounded urgent, and she looked distraught when the door opened, she didn’t give in and looked for another door to attack. His behavior is not instinctual, and he won’t repeatedly close the door if it doesn’t make him happy.
Sources of Entertainment
As young kittens, cats are comforted by their siblings and parents and eventually by their owners. If they live in a shelter, they will lose their sense of humor unless they are adopted. Feral cats are probably less concerned about entertainment because they are often sick from injuries and diseases, but at least those who live in colonies can warm to their communal lack of companionship. hope
Cats like Olga are lucky to experience fun and humor. We are the main source of comedy for our cats, and without us, they revert to being humorless predators.
This article is part of a series by Christopher and Olga.
