CAT’s behavior might have been the result of two instances of accidental abuse for which my entire family feels guilty.  As a kitten, CAT liked to play in the sink, and often didn’t mind getting wet.  My brother and I thought it would be cute to see him play in the shower (thinking that perhaps we had one of the rare cats who liked water).  My brother changed into a pair of swim trunks, and turned on the water in the shower while holding CAT.  CAT flipped out and scratched his chest.  Thinking that CAT might be happier with a bath instead, we put CAT in the bathtub and began to run some lukewarm water.  CAT was still horrified.  From that moment on, he was never the same.

Another incident that may have shaped CAT’s cowardly and mean behavior was a time when his curiosity literally almost killed him.  He enjoyed playing within little nooks of my family’s big Tudor house, and rarely came out when we called his name.  One day, CAT was nowhere to be found, but we assumed he was just hiding in one of his many spots.  We continued to leave food out for him, until three days went by and it occurred to us that he was not eating or going to the bathroom.  Thinking he had somehow gotten out of the house, we worried, until we found CAT sitting peacefully in my mother’s closet, licking himself.  Over the three days in which he was locked in the closet, CAT never peed or pooped.  He never made a big deal out of the closet incident, but it was clear he had developed a general distrust for all humanity.

So, much like a playground bully, CAT’s behavior came from deeply rooted issues in his past.  After the closet incident, CAT would sit in cardboard boxes and act catatonic (no pun intended).  The box was his “safe place” and if anyone came near it, he got very upset.  As CAT continued on his journey to obesity, the boxes would break as soon as he sat in them, and we would have to give him larger and larger boxes.  

Every now and then, CAT shows some vulnerability.  While he ignores most people during the day, CAT enjoys spooning with them at night.  At bedtime, CAT will make his rounds to every family member’s room and try to cuddle with them.  He will climb in bed, push the person over on his/her back, and lie on their chest.  CAT seems to prefer doing this with people who have boobs more than people who don’t.  He will close his eyes and purr, and inadvertently dig his nails into your neck like a zealous lover.  When you tell CAT to get off of you because you need to go to bed, he doesn’t understand.  The next logical step is usually to pick him up and put him elsewhere.  CAT doesn’t like this.  He gets aggressive, and makes his way back into bed with you, sometimes opting to jump on your head, or worse, pee on you.  CAT also performs this same act early in the morning (think 5 AM).  Then, in a mere matter of hours, CAT acts as though the cuddling never happened.

One night, I had the privilege of actually spooning with CAT.  He had turned his back to me and nestled against me.  Although I am not a cat person, I enjoyed this company.  Under my covers, CAT looked so cute and vulnerable.  He needed a mommy.  He then turned to face me, outstretched both his arms, and clung to my shirt.  It was seriously adorable. 

CAT’s bullying behavior, however, has still not stopped.  He still scratches people unnecessarily and demands attention by sitting on people’s heads.  But in those rare and valuable moments, CAT’s true nature came out.  Talking to other people who have cats, I discovered that CAT’s behavior was common.  Most cats behave rudely and destructively, only to turn into angels randomly during the nighttime.  The only thing you can do is savor those moments where your big fat cat returns to you and becomes a gentle and sensitive kitty.