Cats, like humans, have unique personalities. Some cats at RAPS’ cat sanctuary are outgoing and affectionate, some are shy, and some are aloof. Also like humans, some are not always very nice and a few are downright bad-mannered and cantankerous. There are the indiscriminate pee’ers or the feral cats that hiss and spit, and then there are those with Doctor Jeckyll and Mr (or Ms) Hyde personalities.July is definitely a cat with a split personality. She was surrendered to RAPS after she bit her owner’s grandchild. Perhaps the tot provoked the attack, but it was the last straw for July’s owner. July likes to sit on laps and pretend to be friendly, but after just a few pats, she begins to hiss and swat. She wears a collar so that visitors can recognize her and give her a wide berth. Volunteers who allow July on their laps know to watch for the twitching tail that signals that she’s had enough attention for now.
Phoebe is the only other cat at the sanctuary who wears a collar. She started out at RAPS’ City Shelter but when her quirky behaviour made adoption difficult, she was transferred to the sanctuary. Unlike July, Phoebe really does like people and loves to be cuddled, but when another cat comes too near, she erupts into a jealous frenzy – hissing and lashing out at the intruder. The innocent person holding her will be “caught in the crossfire”. Phoebe really wants to be an only cat with an owner who will lavish her with attention.
Baby’s owners not only abandoned him at a boarding kennel, but they’d left a collar on him that was way too tight. No wonder he’s a grouch sometimes! With his long, ginger fur and sweet face, Baby is a very handsome cat but don’t be fooled – he has been known to give a nasty scratch to the shins of innocent passers-by. However, now that he knows he can trust us, Baby is becoming more friendly and much less unpredictable. He loves ear rubs and gentle petting, at least for a while. No collar for him though – never again, we promise!
Jerry is usually a well-mannered, easy-going and playful cat, but don’t ever try to break up an argument between him and another cat! Several volunteers and a few well-meaning visitors who attempted to act as referees in one of Jerry’s “disagreements” have become victims themselves. Being at the receiving end of one of Jerry’s attacks can be quite a shock, especially for those who previously saw only his nice side. Fortunately, Jerry doesn’t get into too many altercations, but there has been talk among sanctuary volunteers of forming a “Jerry Victim Support Group”.
A tale of bad cats just has to include Combo # 5, even though he’s not like the others in this story. Combo was, and still is, very feral so of course he behaves like a wild animal. He was trapped near an A&W restaurant – hence his unusual name. Combo likes to lurk on a high shelf and scare the living daylights out of anyone who enters the room. Totally unsuspecting, I’ve often walked under his hiding place only to have my heart nearly stopped by an ear-splitting hiss and yowl from directly above my head. Recently, Combo had to be confined to a well-fortified cage for some medical treatment. While cleaning his cage and fending him off with a long-handled back-scratcher, we discovered that he actually liked having his head and ears rubbed with the back-scratcher!! Has Combo turned into a sweet kitty-cat? Certainly not, but it’s now possible to get within a few feet of him before the hissing starts and, on a good day, he’ll even tentatively sniff at a finger. Combo isn’t really bad; he’s just a normal feral cat, but an especially scary one.Are they really bad cats, or just misunderstood? It doesn’t matter. Despite their nasty manners, we love ‘em all the same.
