Maybe That’s Their Way Of Saying Hello?

I’ve been volunteering at my local animal shelter for years now, working with shelter cats. It’s a very rewarding position where I get to meet all sorts of felines, but some are a bit different from others.

The shelter recently put in a cat lounge, which is a room that people can go into and interact with the cats who are in there. I went into the lounge one day and heard growling. On a shelf over the door was a tortoiseshell cat who was looking bloody murder at me — ears back, teeth bared, and making noises more appropriate for a mountain lion than a house cat.

I decided to give her space. Part of the reason for the cat lounge is to let the cats get into a situation where they can be used to humans being in the same room as them without being right up on them.

I played with the other cats for a while and then sat down in a chair. I heard another growl and looked up to see the “unfriendly” cat approaching, ears still back, teeth still bared, and making enough noise that by this point I was convinced she was going to attack me.

Instead, she headbutted my leg and jumped straight into my lap, smashing her face against my hand. She proceeded to lay in my lap, rolling around happily while making the most godawful frightening noises I’ve heard from any domestic feline. Never met a cat who acted like her before in all the time I’ve spent working there.

And I’m happy to report that several days later, she was adopted.