Hi, I’m Christopher! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my silly Russian Blue cat, Olga.
Before I adopted Olga, I lived with a friendly Siamese cat who rarely left my side. I quickly learned that Olga was not a lap cat, and it took her a while to warm up to me. He used to meet me at the door when I came home from work, and he always enjoyed playing with cheap toys, like paper balls, but he didn’t like petting or any form of grooming.
He’s much friendlier and more vocal now, but it’s a slow transition. For several years, he slept on a chair in my bedroom before wandering to the foot of the bed. When he was young, he was always friendly with visitors but was not allowed to take him; he preferred to lie at their feet.
Olga’s Early Years
Although she is usually gentler with strangers, she is not afraid to hit them if they rub her back or try to touch her belly. Living with a distant cat isn’t for everyone, but some prefer it. It requires less effort because you don’t have to pay them much attention.
It took me a long time to convince Olga that human contact is useful. Another owner might have decided to give him up and allow him to hide under the bed for most of his life. I was irritated that he liked me. He attacked me every time I picked him up, but when I started picking him up and carrying him to the kitchen for dinner, he learned to relax.
Now, when I turn off my computer at night, he jumps on my lap and eagerly awaits his trip to the dinner bowl. Bribing him with food was an effective way to keep him from getting picked up, but I couldn’t do anything to convince him to sleep on my lap. He doesn’t seek out lap naps as often as my other cat and he can’t tolerate human contact for long periods of time.
Lap Nap Anxiety
Olga rarely slept on anyone’s lap for more than ten minutes, and sometimes, when she woke up, she looked confused and quickly ran away. I don’t know if it’s because he’s shy that he’s too friendly or concerned that his bonding time is interfering with his alone time.
He had a violent reaction once when he was a few years old. He fell asleep on my legs with his head and front legs hanging from the seat, and when he woke up, he almost fell over. Instead of slipping away, he jumped up and attacked my legs with his claws and fangs. He doesn’t attack me anymore, but the fear is still on his face when he wakes up in my lap.
Some independent cats may never learn to like interacting with people, and it can take years for an aloof cat to transform into a lap cat. This requires patience and helps if you have a high threshold for pain. Olga spends some time in meditation under the sofa every day, but she spends most of the day next to her favorite, annoying person.
