Recently, I got back in touch with an old classmate who,
like me, has quit her job to be a full-time cat mom. Now, many people might
find this crazy but those who love cats will understand. A fact that even many
cat lovers and cat caretakers don’t know, ignore, or are forced by circumstances
to ignore is the need for attention and affection of these amazing creatures. Although
quite independent, and often fiercely so, they cannot thrive if left entirely
to their devices. Therefore, giving them enough time and attention is a must. This
is especially tricky in a multi-cat household. Both attention and affection
have to be equally distributed to everyone under circumstances where the
definition and level of requirement for both these things differs from cat to
cat.
Pippin, for instance, likes to be brushed and groomed and
cuddled and petted. A tummy rub is an especial favourite treat. He rarely
imposes himself on our attention but it does not mean that he will not react
badly to being ignored a lot. When not given enough attention and affection,
all cats tend to get depressed. He also expects to be fed on – and preferably
before – time. His other favourite activity is playing, with us encouraging him
on. When he sleeps, he really likes to use my foot or ankle as a pillow. If mine
is unavailable, his dad’s also suffices.
Merry’s case is a different one altogether. His mood swings
remind me of a Bengali nursery rhyme about a boy named Natu Babu, whose moods
moved from despondent to irritable to pleasant to exhilarated from Monday
through Sunday. Merry hates Mondays with an intensity unmatched by the laziest
of office goers! As the week moves towards the weekend, his mood invariably
improves. Attention and affection, of course, have to be lavished in inverse proportion
to keep him motivated enough to be “normal”. And yes, it is connected directly
to his dad’s office days and hours.
Sam does not go through mood swings. What he does go
through, however, is envy of my laptop. He cannot bear to see the thing sitting
on my lap. Whenever he notices it, he trots over to me and bunts the laptop
with his head until I move it. But even that is not enough! If the laptop is
anywhere within reach, he keeps bunting it until it is removed too far for me
to use it. He may or may not stay
long in my lap, but that is inconsequential as long as the awful laptop does
not. He also loves to snuggle against my tummy while sleeping at night.
Frodo is a lazy guy these days and hardly ever leaves the armchair
in the bedroom. However, at the same time, he starts getting sad of he is not
encouraged to leave it. Go figure! One thing he does every night is accompanying
us when we go to bed. There, he consistently rubs against us and mrrows, demanding
to be petted and cuddled. No sleep for anyone otherwise. Afterwards, he turns
around a few times and settles down between my legs to sleep, making a pillow
out of my thigh. It’s weird, but it’s his thing. If I'm lying on my side, he’ll
sleep between his dad’s legs too.
Evie is perhaps the most undemanding and unassuming cat
there is. All she wants is a bowl of milk when she leaves her room for the
first time in the morning, and maybe a few titbits from our breakfast table. And
a goodly amount of petting by her dad. When she leaves her room for the second
time, around eleven-thirty, she likes to be petted a little bit. But, mostly, she
likes to snuggle by me on the sofa while I work. Sometimes she sits in the
balcony or watches birds, but mostly it’s snuggling and sleeping time. She’s at
her mellowest. In the evening, it’s playtime. If I don’t play with her, she
gets bored.
So, like I said before, it is tricky. Giving equal time and
attention to all five isn't as simple as spending fifteen minutes per head
petting them and playing with them. They all need different types and levels of
attention and affection. Anything less is not enough. This is not to say that I
am highly successful at doing this. Of course not! I manage – more or less. And
every day I hope and try to do better. Depending on how they are feeling, some
days are happier for all concerned than some other days. But in the end, I
think, they know that we are trying and love us back with all their heart. And that
makes everything worth it!
