Thursday Thirteen #22

Personality types in Oriental Cats (well, most cats really!)

Certain characteristics occur in many or most Orientals. We love to sleep in heaps or piles, our ears flap when we shake our heads, we love warm places, we are busy and intelligent, we like to sleep under the covers,many fetch, many like riding on shoulders. We are very devoted to our people, following you around the house, seeking physical contact. We are generally social, doing best if we have other feline companionship and a fair amount of attention from our humans. We tend to be talkative, athletic, and inquisitive.

We tend to frequently come in certain specific personality types. These types are not mutually exclusive, some cats fit multiple descriptions. They are ordered alphabetically, not by frequency.

1) Airhead: Sweet but spacey. If this cat is a fetcher she or he is really easy to fake out. Spends a lot of time staring off into space. If female, is often a mediocre mother, may move half of her kittens to one place and the other half to another. If a male, often notices only food and girls.

2) Cuddle Bug: Loves to be attached to your body. Sleeps under the covers or curled on your pillow against your face. Materializes into your lap the moment you sit down. Purrs a lot.

3) Favorite Uncle: Usually a neutered male. Takes good care of partly grown kittens. Plays gently with them, sleeps in a heap with them, cleans faces and ears, comes running if one sounds distressed.

4) Fetchy Monster: Lives to play fetch. Nothing else matters. Is tireless. Impossible to fake out. If you stop throwing the toy, will poke, nip, or yelp to remind you to keep going. I heard of one that noticed that humans sleep with their hands curled up. She discovered that if she pressed her favorite fetch-toy into a sleeping human's hand, the simian reflex would cause the human to grasp the toy. It is really annoying to wake up to a pair of green eyes staring intently at you and to have the fetch toy already clutched in your hand!

5) Goofball: Usually a boy. Silly, loopy, and not very graceful. Slams into walls when playing. Thunderfoots around corners and skids accross the floor. Loves belly rubs. Sleeps in an ungraceful heap, with at least one foot sticking out or up into the air. Favorite toy is usually something big he can cart around. Is prone to abruptly flopping over in the middle of the floor, making a loud THUNK in the process. When you call him he hurls himself into your lap in a purring body-slam.

6) Green-eyed Monster: Jealous, jealous, jealous. No-one else had better try to get in your lap or get petted when this one is around.

7) Lover: Usually a male. Adores you. Stares lovingly into your eyes. Jumps into your lap and leans against you, staring up at your face. Gives hugs. Will wrap his front legs around your neck, your arm, your thighs, whatever is available. Rubs his head against you. Will try to crawl under your shirt to get closer to your skin. Is usually smart and considerate, knows when you're too busy to give him attention and waits fairly patiently until you're free.

8) Pest: Won't leave you alone. Refuses to learn what the words "No" or "Get down" mean. Is usually terminally cheerful and purring, but may be a whiner. Whatever you are doing, this kitten is in the middle of it. You can't tie your shoes, cook or eat dinner, talk on the phone, write out your bills, or even walk with this annoying creature around. Wants tons of attention.span>

9) Princess: She knows she is beautiful. Very opinionated. The world must revolve around her, and boy does she go into a snit if things don't go her way! She is sweet (so long as she is the center of attention) and graceful, but very demanding. She gets along well with all cats that are properly friendly and differential to her.

10) Social Butterfly: Loves everybody. Loves a party. Thinks that the more people there are, the more hands will be there to be petted with. Gets along well with other cats, dogs, and kids. If a fetcher, will take the fetch toy to a different person each time. Has little or no loyalty.

11) Wild Man/ Wild Woman: Moves fast, thinks fast, causes a LOT of trouble. Plays hard, bites hard, purrs loud. If you are playing with your cats with a stick toy, or a fishingpole type toy, this cat flies through the air, grabs the toy, wrenches it out of your hand and runs off with it, growling. Loves to ambush the other cats. Chatters at birds, catches flies and eats them. Tears up and down the stairs. Rolls over on stairs and bites them and kicks them. Loves belly rubs, but beware! will bite and kick your arm in the process.

12) Wimp: Bottom cat. Runs from everything and everybody. Runs, and even walks, with belly low to the ground. Is REALLY annoying because although this cat may have been born and raised in your bedroom, with cuddle bugs and pests for siblings, you'd think the cat had been abused as a baby. This cat flinches you reach out to pet him or her. When you are sitting still, this cat may creep into your lap, and if you start petting slowly and carefully, may start purring thunderously, acting as if no-one had ever been nice before, and then a sudden movement or a noise and off he or she runs. Arggh!

13) Worry-wort: Has a great deal of concern about the house, other cats, cat shows, etc. Toys may be scary or threatening. Strange people might like to eat cat-soup. If a mother, is usually a great mom until the kittens start getting out of the box, then she almost has a nervous breakdown. Tries to put the kittens back in the box. Tries to keep them herded together. Seems to be worrying that they are going to join street gangs and become drug addicts is she can't keep them under control all the time. Is a lousy subject for photographers, thinks the camera might be a weapon of mass distruction. Tends to hunch back when judges try to stretch.

I would say I am a "cuddle bug" and "green eyed monster". Yup, that is my Lap Lady and you'd better know it!