Cats regard it as bad manners to stare at them. They get into a hissy fit, snarl, protest your rudeness, turn their heads away from your gaze, then high tail it when stared at.
I try to mind my cat manners with Andy and Dougy. It promotes harmony in the home. Besides, unlike the boys when one upsets the other by “staring rudely”, I can’t run fast enough to catch the miscreant! (Or run away if I’m staring rudely…..)
That said, I felt a presence a moment ago. I turned to my left, and there was Andy, stretched out on my old computer chair, staring rudely at me. How dare he!
“What’s up, kittycat? Forget your manners?” I asked my boy. I put a double rudeness stare back on Andy just in case he missed my point. He blinked, turned his head away.
“Woo hoo!” I proclaimed moments before I did my staring rudely victory dance. “I beat you at your own game, buster. Stare at me, and I’ll stare at you till our eyeballs dry out. Yeah!” (I did a fist pump to emphasize the victory.)
Andy has no sense of humor and an over-sensitive nature. The staring rudely contest was fun while he did it, but not so when I returned the rude down: He got up and ran into the kitchen.
“I’m just a kitty…” I thought I heard him say. “Meany!”
Now I feel bad. I’ll go out to the kitchen and give him some Greenies, the boys’ favorite treat! (Dougy must have read my mind. He just walked over and gave me a tail brush, his way of letting me know he expects some sort of service. Or treat!)
Actually, I think I hear the cat say, “I can’t believe that worked!” just before he ate his treat! =^.^=
Believe me when I confess I spoiled my boys something fierce when they were kittens, and they know every one of my buttons to punch for whatever they want any time of day or night! LOL!
LOL. Yeah, mine too. The latest is pawing my mouth ever so lightly … Works every time! 🙂
Andy pats me on the arm while standing just out of range from me if I try to pat him back. Dougy “meows” and scratches the chair, bed, or sofa I’m on, a definite “bad boy” behavior I’ve never been able to break him of.
Here’s a video from when the boys were still kittens. Dougy still abuses that same sofa on the same arm. Everything I’ve tried fails to break his bad habit.
http://youtu.be/MBka4t_Voko
Woof! Dogs, too, regard eye contact as aggression! (tail wags)
If Andy were an aggressive cat, I’d probably have a fight on my hands! He’s very shy, though, a sweet little fart that appreciates all the love you give him! (Especially those nose rubs because I get that spot right between the eyes that Persians can’t got a good rub on!)