Trusting That She Will Trust

I am constantly surprised at how animals can come to trust people. That usually must occur whenever a cat comes into a new situation: Brazil, Moxy, even Imogen, had to be won over to various extents. Last night, I wanted to cut Indigo’s claws. She was a little wary, having just had a course of daily medicine which she hated. But I situated her and myself on the floor and took up the trimmers. With a few feeble, protesting retractions of her paws, she allowed me to cut the sharper swords.

I think back to when Indie first arrived. I was afraid even to check her gender (you may recall that I thought initially she was a mancat), so ready to be combative was she. Allowing me to inject her with insulin was a big step. She now lets me cut her claws, give her medicine (though it’s only her opening her mouth in protest that permits me success in that endeavour), and push her into a carrier. Lately, she has been coming up onto the bed at night; she has been doing that for a while, but the change is that she lies down next to me - her face so close to mine that her whiskers tickle my nose - will stay there for much of the night. Also, for the first time, yesterday, she curled up on my lap, instead of accepting pets in a nearly straight position.

I think most cats want to be friends with people. I think in this, they are more like dogs than they may appear. They do not display their affection in the same way, of course, but the desire for it is usually there. A cat like Indigo, abandoned, uncertain of her future, wanted a home, a friend. Often, it’s just a matter of a human proving that he can provide that home, and be that friend, that will give a cat everything she wants.