Before raising a cat, the image of a cat in my mind was a round, cute, and fluffy ball with an affectionate personality, always rubbing against the owner affectionately and having the unique laziness and elegance of a cat. However, when I saw the cats shared by everyone else and then looked at my own “little ancestor”, I couldn’t help but deeply doubt whether I had raised it in the wrong way.
Let’s start with its figure. Looking at its thin and small appearance in the photo and comparing it with the chubby figure of another cat, it really is a case of “no comparison, no harm”. To make it gain some weight, I have gone to great lengths. I have tried various cat foods, carefully prepared cat food cans, and occasionally cooked some fresh meat to improve its diet. But it is extremely picky about food. Especially things with a fishy smell, it won’t even smell them and just turns its head away arrogantly. I once thought that cats naturally love fish, but my cat completely subverted my perception. Its picky eating makes me very worried, fearing that it will affect its health due to malnutrition. I often sit aside and watch it remain indifferent to the food, feeling extremely helpless and not knowing how to make it have a good appetite.
Not only does it give me a headache in terms of diet, but its personality is also very different from the cats I imagined. Cats of others’ families always like to be held in the owner’s arms, enjoying stroking and love. But my cat is simply the representative of the “aloof school”. It doesn’t let me hold it. Whenever I try to get close to it and stretch out my hand to hug it, it will quickly dodge and run to a safe distance, looking at me from afar. It seems to be very vigilant about my affectionate actions, as if I were some kind of dangerous person. On weekdays, its favorite thing to do is to occupy the high ground in the house, such as the top of the wardrobe or the top of the bookshelf, and then stare at me from a height, like a lofty king, guarding its territory and not allowing me to approach easily.
Even when it’s sleeping, it remains highly vigilant. Once, I tiptoed to the place where it was sleeping, wanting to gently stroke it. Unexpectedly, it peeked at me in a half – asleep state and then quickly moved its body away, for fear that I would go over and touch it. At that moment, I really felt a bit disappointed, not understanding why it was so resistant to me. I have reflected on myself countless times, wondering if I did something wrong in the process of taking care of it, which made it so alienated from me.
However, what puzzles me the most is that as a cat, it seems to completely lack the “awareness” of being a cat. Cats of others’ families like to stay at home, enjoying the warm and comfortable environment. But my cat, day after day, just wants to go downstairs. It often squats at the door, scratching the door with its paws non – stop and making eager meowing sounds, as if protesting to me why I don’t let it go out to explore the outside world. Whenever I open the door, it will rush out like an arrow, and I can only follow closely behind, for fear that it will get lost. It runs around excitedly in the corridor, full of curiosity about everything around. Its appearance is like a child who has been locked up for a long time and finally gets freedom. I try to make it understand that home is the safest and warmest place, but it is always yearning for the outside world, completely ignoring my concerns.
Although my cat is very different from the cat image in my ideal, as time goes by, I have gradually accepted its uniqueness. Its thinness may be a manifestation of its unique personality. Its lack of affection has taught me to respect its boundaries. Its yearning for the outside world has shown me its energetic side. In the days of getting along with it, I have understood that every cat has its own character and preferences, and all I can do is to accompany it with more patience and love, allowing it to live happily in its own world.
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