Cats are unpredictable. You’d think that Lubya, who will do anything to be petted, belly-rubbed and massaged would be a lap cat. Not so.
He will curl up near me, occasionally put a paw on my leg and his head in his paw. He will sidle up to me and plant himself length-wise against my side. But he will never rest in my lap.
Mimi, on the other hand, my sweet but hyper-alert female is turning into the sweetest dearest lap cat you ever want to pet. For a long while now, she will lay across my legs if I’m sitting on the couch with my legs up. And I’ve written about how she likes her rump rubbed at breakfast. But now, she’s gotten into two habits that I am loathe to break.
First, instead of just lying across my legs, she will, on occasion, turn around and plop herself on my lap, head on my chest. Who can resist holding her close and stroking her? Not me!
Her second new behavior occurs when I’m working on the computer. She’ll jump on my lap and find a way to settle in. With her small body so completely relaxed, I’m compelled to pull her close and rub and pet her at which point she begins the most delicate purring—her way of re-inforcing my behavior!
So there you have it. Mr. Pet Me! just likes to get close whereas Ms. Skittish, when the conditions are right, seeks the intimacy of my lap.
Go figure!
—Anne Simpkinson
P.S. I can’t get a shot of myself with my cats, but I can catch them relaxing together!
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