The Cat Who Growls

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I was sitting on the sofa this morning with my cat.
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I was holding her against my chest.
She was leaning her head against my shoulder.
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She held her legs stiff and stretched away from me.
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No, she was not purring.
She was growling.  And she was enjoying doing so.
I was enjoying it, too.
This is what passes for affection with us. 

Cute little fluffy cuddly creatures are nice enough.  But I have the sense to realize that I don't have the patience to tolerate them. 

Daisy is by no means a cuddly cat.  Daisy is my kind of cat:  obstinate, bad-tempered, and full of vinegar.  I love my objectionable animal.....even though some days I threaten to send her to the moon.  Those are the days when she decides she would rather bicker than do anything else, and she gets a charge out of trying me to the absolute limit.  The little horror actually finds it funny.

One of my neighbor's saw an example of Daisy's cuddle/growl performance once, and he asked me why I wasn't scared.  He wanted to know why I didn't let go of her.  What he didn't understand was that I was not holding her or controlling her in any way.  All Daisy had to do was make the least move to get away because she was totally free. 

Just like this morning, Daisy wasn't really growling.  She was grumbling.  There's a difference.  Even though she was stiff when I held her, she wasn't resisting; it's just her body language.  Daisy was, in fact, acting like a dog.  She was raised by a dog; she has very little feline behavior.  You've gotta know your animal, and I do.

I know she's a gem.  Loyal.  Smart.  Determined.  That's just what I want (even on days when she bickers).  And I think that the connections you can build with animals who have challenges and who have survived difficult things are stronger and more meaningful.  Daisy knows she can trust me.  That's why I can hold her while she grumble/growls. 

You can keep your sweet little fluffball. 

I like a cat who lets me know where I stand
and who will stand there with me.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!