You Can't Hold a Grudge....And a Catnip Toy

Sinead, hissing and spitting, after the deep-freeze

Anyone who has ever shared her/his life with a cat knows that unlike their two-legged counterparts, these precious creatures are paragons of forgiveness, incapable of harboring resentment for long periods of time. Indeed, like most of us, cats are prone to bouts of anger. The difference is they hiss, spit, and get over it. My cat, Sinead, demonstrated that the other day.

I was staring into an open refrigerator, imaging the wilted lettuce and diet soda were Chateaubriand and champagne, when my cell rang. As I turned to go find it, Sinead bolted into the refrig's bottom shelve, unbeknownst to me, just as the door closed.

Actually, she was never in any real danger, as the temperature wasn't that low, and it wasn't all that long-maybe twenty minutes-before I figured out where the muffled meows were coming from. And yes, when I opened the refrigerator door, she did make her displeasure known immediately with, ears back, a stuttering kind of hiss, and an almost (dare I say it,) "dog-like" yowl. And yes, admittedly, no amount of coddling, baby talk, kitty treats, or imported Danish sardines in virgin olive oil would placate her-nor could I get near her for the rest of the afternoon.

Still, toward evening when she was properly thawed out, had taken a nap (with one eye open), and had eaten the jar of Russian caviar I was saving for New Year's Eve, she started to come around. What's more, by late afternoon the next day, she was stretching her nails on the sofa, knocking knick knacks off bookshelves, and grooming herself in the middle of the kitchen table, just as if nothing untoward had happened at all.

Sinead sleeping off her experience in the frig

So, you see, when it comes to forgiveness, true to their angelic nature, cats don't carry chips on their shoulders. But then again, it's hard to hold a grudge and play with a catnip toy.

Have any incidents where your cat forgave you for a mishap? Want to share? Email me at stories@Petside.com.