Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five funny cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.
This is Zazzles. Zazzles is our most shy, quiet, and shy cat, and it’s common for us to go days without seeing him, except when he skulks out to grab a bite to eat. He can often be found hiding in my closet.
This is also Zazzles. He rolls around on our bed and sofa, meows to the point of chaos, loves belly tickles and back scratches. He can often be found lying on my bed or soaking up the sun on a windowsill.
A Checkered Past
Zazzles was taken to the veterinary hospital where my husband and I (now) work, and he is in very poor condition. Very thin and covered in fleas, she is in dire need of a flea and worm treatment and lots of TLC. He limped on one hind leg but did not show any sign of pain when it was manipulated. X-rays showed an old fracture that hadn’t healed properly, resulting in a shortened leg. Repairing the old fracture will be difficult and painful, and the amputation will be quite extreme. So although he walks with a limp, it doesn’t slow him down and he runs and jumps as well as any of our other cats.
For the first 2-3 years she lived with us, we hardly ever saw Zazzles. He’ll come out to eat, then disappear back into one of his favorite hiding places, and he definitely won’t come out if there are guests in the house.
After we moved to Cornwall, things started to change…
Traffic
Not long after we moved across the country, we started seeing more and more of our little Torti kitty. It was infrequent at first, but we began to see her sunbathing on windowsills, spending time with our dogs, and even sitting on our laps asking for excitement. He’s like a different cat!
One explanation for his personality reboot is that our home in Cornwall is at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, so the only traffic noise we hear is from cars slowly pulling up. in their paths. Back in Essex, we live on a fairly busy road, with the sound of passing cars a constant soundtrack to our lives.
It makes us wonder if his previous injury was from a car crash. This would certainly explain the fractured femur and his shyness in busy traffic areas.
Two Personalities
Although Zazzles is suddenly outgoing and social – even enjoying the laps of our houseguests – she retains her fearful and shy character. It’s like he has two distinct personalities.
When he is confident and friendly, he is indeed confident and friendly! Sometimes we have to force him off our laps when we need to get up, and we even coined a term for his gentle rubbing and pulling behavior: trolloping. He will roll around and meow until you notice, and he will meow even more to get our Shepherd Kodah to come and play with him.
A few hours later, the terrified Zazzles returned, jumping away as if he expected to be beaten, hiding in my wardrobe, and running if I tried to pick him up. He even treats mealtimes with suspicion when he’s in this mode.
We haven’t been able to identify any specific triggers for his comeback, or if there’s anything in particular that boosts his confidence. Instead of having a gradual change in his whole personality, It’s as if two personalities exist within this little cat, alternating.
While I’m hoping that her confidence will eventually win, I’m more than happy to love both Zazzles and Zazzles.
This article is part of a series by Dr. Karyn with her five funny cats.
