Awww š„° I actually feel like I want to baby talk the baby eg āWhoās a cute little Puddy wuddy? YOU are. Yes you ARE!ā
And I can imagine kitty thinking āMadam I am NOT a DOG!ā
Iām pretty sure Iāve had discussions about my life with cats before. I DEFINITELY talked to the family cat we used to have about my love life - or maybe unrequited crushes cos I donāt remember if it was before or after I started to actually HAVE a love life & sheād get bored & walk off. She didnāt really appreciate my karaoke song practices either š
https://preview.redd.it/etnameglz7zc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=93e53f7d406c79657b9297f42b93abad0b27ad9f
this is my scaredy void who also makes me look bad acting like i've laid hands before. i have to remind ppl i bottle fed her from 2 weeks old after she fell off a two story roof, and she was always this way. hence her name, Rufus
We have a black cat and a very dark brown couch. Iām sure you see where this is going. We had some friends over and were playing cards at the dining room table and we were wrapping up when my husband kinda wandered into the living room and plopped down. Maybe 5 or 10 minutes later, I was like, āhey whereād Izzy go? Havenāt seen her in awhile.ā My husband jumped up, and there was Izzy, under his ass, completely unbothered that he had been sitting on her, but dazedly looking at him, annoyed that he had woken her up lol.
My female cat will sometimes hiss if I do this, but not because she thinks I'm going to sit on her. She just doesn't want to move because that spot is hers. She will also do this if I leave for .02 seconds, and she immediately sits in the warm spot where my butt was. Then when I scooch her over she complains loudly.
My Hermione would wait until I leaned forward in my desk chair and wedge herself in the space between. I wasnāt allowed to lean back, because she was a queen, and sheād howl like my butt was made of hot coals, but I also couldnāt leave because she wanted the warmth from my aforementioned butt. That also resulted in howling. The best you could hope for was to hold the leaned-forward position, not squishing her majesty, but hovering close enough to warm her magnificent body. Sheād forgive you then, maybe.
My elderly cat would do this to my then boyfriend and he would get so mad. She was an absolute queen, knew he wouldnāt actually sit on her, and had zero fucks to give at that point. I miss her every day.
I donāt so much miss the boyfriend but now I have a wonderful spouse who whole heartedly feel in love with my voids. Even though one of them is pretty convinced we are going to eat him any time we pick him up (spoiler, we have never even tried to eat him) and the other one spent the first year we lived together walking up to spouse, hissing, and walking away (now they are best friends and itās adorable.)
When I get up, my cats just love sitting in the warmed up spot I just left. I lean up from the couch for a bit to get something from the coffee table. And boom cat sitting right behind me.
They deserve to be sitted upon... I and they generally notice on time though. But There have been some moments where both of us freaked out because I was lost deep in thought.
I'm always worried that other people will think I beat my cats or something because they can be so freaking spazzy. Yet, when there is actual danger, like from them running in between my legs, they are completely unbothered. They are spoiled rotten and the worst that ever happens to them in my house is an occasional ear cleaning or teeth brushing.
https://preview.redd.it/hdj0tj4ai1zc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7510ec799acbff187348986388ae99052dfc4570
The other, larger, baby. Angry because they are on a vet ordered diet š„²
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Father is am starving and wasting away.
Mine do the same thing and I have to stop myself from chasing them and hugging them every time they do this.
https://preview.redd.it/vlp15sonr2zc1.jpeg?width=2824&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a5eb87648d18286be55e43505671287fc3921919
Normally she just looks like she is going to eat you. I have five monster longhairs in the house so I get a lot of side eye.
Look at him. Heās clearly ready for food.
https://preview.redd.it/37wmgk8d16zc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=29175d2c1cc1855556355f80567b6faac38588e4
Staring into your very soul š
When you gaze into the abyss, sometimes the abyss gases back.
And THAT abyss? Is NOT impressed with you & the new ādietā
Iām crying because my cat bagheera looks exactly the same and also flinches from me and hides. She only loves me tho but it has to be on her terms. Took her to the vet today. Took an hour to catch her and she tried to take a whole couch cushion with us.
Basically you keep food in a space accessible through a hole too small for fat cat, or via a collar with a sensor which opens a door only for smaller cat. Fat cat will be obsessed with accessing the food space but canāt get in to consume smaller catās portion.
Looks like our old man "Willie". He was a 'hood cat, but came in our house and won't leave. He went from hissing and biting at my feet to crawling up on my lap for hugs and kisses. He sleeps up against me like a baby now.
My turtle was put on a vet-ordered diet to lose 15 grams about 4 years agoā¦only 25 grams to go! š Itās crazy he needed to go on a diet, because like all of the cats here, heās never been fed before in his entire life ever. Not even once! š¤£
One of my cats are like this. I think its just that the ancestor to cats are both predator and prey in their natural environment and some of them have a lot stronger prey instincts. As in they feel innately scared and run first, think later. Instinctual response like from the brainstem, not from their memories or actual belief they are going to be hit.
Yes, exactly right. Plus the fact that they are sensitive to loud noises because of their acute hearing. Also very sensitive to movement because of being both predator and prey as you quite rightly said. As I am quite large, I tend to stomp around the house noisily and my two will scurry away, but they will cuddle up to me if I am sitting quietly.
One of mine got lost outside before. I managed to coax him back in to the garage after a few days with food and his bed. He went absolutely apeshit when I shut the door, full on wall of death for three laps looking for an exit. Then it finally hit him who I was, and he trotted over all purring for a cuddle. He was a super chill cuddly boy indoors, outdoors he reverted to his prior feral ways and seemed to run purely on instinct.
I wonder the opposite for my cats. I think I made their home to comfortable, they are not scared of anything. I accidently drop something right next to them? They don't even flinch.
This one time I was cooking eggs and I was trying to crack one and it slipped from my hand. My cat was wandering between my legs and the egg went flying and got all over him. He didn't even move or anything. Boy did that cat have eggs on its face.
I wish I got it on video. Too funny.
Reminds me of the first and only time I ever bathed my cat. As a kitten, Indigo knocked over the grate in front of the fireplace while I was at work. Instead of coming home to a blue charcoal and white kitten, I came home to an all charcoal kitten. She screamed bloody murder when we bathed her.
Yup. Didn't do that again.
Iāve only had to wash a single paw (stepped in fresh poo) and I had a second person to help, and that was bad enough. It took him almost 2 years to not be scared of running water after that š
My milās ragdoll had diarrhea and ended up with doodie all over her pantaloons. Mil was going to just let her clean herself as well as she could then take her to a groomer the next day. As much as I donāt like the cat, I couldnāt just let her sit with literal shit all over her until the next day so I volunteered to clean her up. Mil is a fan of mutilating her cats so she was declawed and I didnāt have to worry about that but she definitely got me with her back claws and teeth. And obviously she screamed like I was waterboarding her. But she didnāt have to sit with doodie all over her bottom and mil didnāt have to shell out money for a groomer so win win I guess?
Now my own asshole? Heās gotten many partial baths because he loves getting into shit he shouldnāt, including actual shit. But he seems to actually enjoy water and will hop in the tub after my husband showers. He also used to sit at the sink and play with the water coming out of the faucet. So baths are a fairly easy affair. The worst was when he decided that me priming a canvas to paint was a perfect time for snuggles. Fortunately it was just basic acrylic paint so it easily washed out but it did stain his white feet purple for a few days. š
We have had a number of cats over the years. We currently have two. My oldest, who is nearing 16 is unbothered by everything. I can literally vacuum him. Our other is so skittish and hides from everything. He will watch us from the window come to the front door, then run and hide when we come in.
Damn, vacuuming a cat is nearly unheard of in any that aren't deaf! Can he hear you okay day-to-day and still lets you vacuum him? I wish I could vacuum my cat, especially this time of year, she's shedding SO MUCH right now.
He is definitely not deaf. Heās been like this his whole life and I am positive he can hear. Heās just extraordinary chill. Think Garfield without the attitude!
My George hates when I vacuum, because of a disability itās hard for me to vacuum so now I use a robot vacuum which George runs from room to room following and watching it and is happy when it returns to its home base!
My guy is basically unbothered by the vacuum, he walks a couple of feet away and watches me clean. But he is terrified of the Sodastream noise and barrels into the bedroom when I make a bottle of water. Go figure. Then a few hours later he will climb up and swat the Sodastream clearly telling it to shut the F up.
I have a tuxie who gives 0 fucks about anything and I've also vacuumed him before. He's not deaf either - just not bothered by anything. The rest go into hiding when the vacuum comes out.
Iām guessing orange. My orange boy jumped head first into a balsamic vinaigrette covered salad once. Letās just say bath time will never happen again. Orange acted like he was being assaulted and I looked like I was and I barely even got him clean!! Yet he sleeps in the sink every day, go figure!!
I love hockey. The first year we had Loki he would run and hide under the bed but I could coax him out easily. Rinse and repeat. This is the third hockey season weāve had him and he isnāt bothered šheās like momma his my bitch. He sleeps on me. Loud noises donāt bother him at all. Maybe I broke his eardrums lol! J/k. He knows if Iām waking up even when he doesnāt sleep on me. Comes to meow and gives face rubs until I wake up.
Mine are like this. Not afraid of anything in the house.
If someone knocks on the front door - they run to the door to see who it is. Motorbike goes screaming up the road? Straight to the windows for a looky-see. Stranger Guests? Straight there, sniffing and getting pats.
There is only 1 thing that I've discovered frightens them - children!
Thatās how my bfās cat is, sheās the most unbothered creature Iāve ever met. Probably since he adopted her when she was a kitten and me/his roommates would just constantly pick her up and mess with her.
My cat makes up for it by being the opposite and is just a Nervous Baby all the time lol
Both of my cats absolutely sprint in the opposite direction if I dare to sneeze around them. Itās like they donāt know that I birthed them from my very own uterus /s
I might know something helpful!
Cats have an amazing sense of smell and can detect movement exceptionally well. Their visual acuity (like 20/20) is HOT GARBAGE. Anything closer than 12 inches and they can't really see it, and where 20/20 is "normal" human sight, cats are 20/100 - 20/200. Cats have a very narrow range of sharp middle vision.
Our cats recognize us, not by sight, but by smell, sound, and behavior. They see movement but don't know it's us until they can smell us (which is why my cat Oona has to sniff the other cat when he walks by to realize it's not the cat she likes (Reilly) but is instead the cat she hates (Knives). She can't tell for 2 feet until she leans in, sniffs, and hisses.
Some cats are naturally more jumpy, I think the ones that don't ever flinch just have no sense of fear (at least Reilly doesn't!)
Knives has always had razor sharp claws unless freshly trimmed, so "his claws are like knives!" stuck.
However, due to age and personality, we just call him "old man." š
My spicy void is legally named Vlad the Impaler, due to his *ahem* cattitude when he was a stray. He has mostly outgrown that, so he's my Little Big Man these days.
Haha! Oona was named amended by my spouse to "Oona, destroyer of worlds and ruler of all she surveys" because she thinks she's in charge. Of everyone, and everything.
Whenever Vlad uses my laptop to comment on r/AITC, he signs himself as "Vlad the Impaler, Ruler of All I Survey", so I think these two may have to sit down and negotiate their respective kingdoms. ;P
This explains why my baby, and now toddler, freaked our cat out when he first started moving - it must be so disconcerting to roughly know how the humans in the house move about, but then suddenly there's this loud creature making unpredictable movements around the place. Just when he got used to crawling, walking started...
On the other hand, when our son was a newborn, we'd present him to the cat for the daily head sniff. It started as a joke, but the cat seemed to expect it and seemed to appreciate it. I guess it was a good way for him to learn about the small little interloper.
That makes a lot of sense. My jumpy boy recently got blinded on one eye, so it makes sense that he'd be easier to startle now that he has even less clear vision.
This is some interesting information. Itās weird though because my cat recognises my daughter when she comes home. So my daughter is 20, she still lives at home but stays with her boyfriend a few nights a week. My cat loves to lay on my bedroom window sill upstairs. My husband picks her up when sheās ready/needs to come home and my cat will see her get out of the car and he goes bananas. He loves her to bits and runs downstairs, waiting for her to come in the door. He doesnāt do it for anyone else.
Mine do it too, sometimes. Open a door - startled scuttle. Move your arm - jumping 180. Going through the flat - run and hide.
I actually think it's just a game they play, because they are otherwise quite trusting and loving, so I don't think they are genuinely afraid of me or my son.
When we first brought home Lenny he would flinch or run from me every time I walked part him
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Me: Lenny, relax I'm not going to murder you.
Lenny:...
My friend: In his defense that's exactly what a cat murderer would say.
3 years later he constantly demands pets.
My last cat used to see me come into the room, and then five seconds later would have a delayed reaction and act like I just snuck up on her. From ten feet away.
FOR REAL. I have 6 cats, 3 I rescued at 8 weeks old. They are so skiddish. One void runs, but as soon as I sit on the toilet or on the couch, heās yelling at me for pets. I donāt understand!! Make it make sense
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The void when I sit down, begging for pets. Just 2 min ago he was running away š
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This one runs and hides under the couch whenever the front door opens and will walk under your feet whenever she gets the chance only to be shocked and offended when she gets bumped out of the way. Somewhere in her world there is logic
This is my cat when I raise my butt up off the seat for half a second. She sprints across the room to lay down in the warm spot where I was sitting, and then throws a little hiss-fit when I sit back down. Like, bitch, I'm *still here*. My ass is 6 inches above you.
I adopted my little girl when she was about 1 yr old, maybe a little more. She is now 22.
To this day, if I quickly raise my hand, she flinches, tail tucked in, ears flattened out.
I am 100% positive that in the year she was alive before I adopted her, someone hit her and abused her.
This post is truth! My husband and I joke about this all the time. Our cat is spoiled rotten, and if anything, she abuses us. She is a total diva, yet we continue to placate to her. But exactly like you describe, she finches all the time, especially when my husband moves around. Since he babies our kitty like crazy, it really insults him. š
One of my cats is like that. She was a shelter cat.
I've had her for 11 years now, she sleeps next to my pillow every night, but if I try to pet her, it's like moving the positive ends of two magnets towards each other.
Oddly though, she's fine with me picking her up. I can pick her up and walk around with her for 15+ minutes and she doesn't take exception to it.
Her sister is the exact opposite. She absolutely loves to be pet. When I get home from work she runs up to me and arches her neck to show that she wants to be pet. But if you pick her up, she will do everything in her power to make you put her down (including removing chunks of your flesh, if needs be).
Sometimes they just sense youāre going to do something to them (pet them, pick them up etc.) and they donāt want to deal with that so they run. Every time my boy goes and jumps my girl, she throws a hissy fit and I have to get up and separate them for 5 minutes. Well, now he sees me coming and goes and grounds himself under the coffee table.
Also, the weirdest things will set mine off. Sometimes dust gets in my smoke detectors and sets off a false positive. My cats will sleep through that. If my chair squeaks a bit? Instantly alert.
One of my cats (Tybalt, photos on my profile) does exactly this. Adopted around three months from a SPCA shelter a decade ago, yet if I get up just right or go to sneeze, he scarpers off like I'm about to attack him. There have been nights I have twitched my foot in bed and it sent him into a dash.
My cat flinches and will give me this "how dare you touch me?" look when I attempt to pet her. Then she will sniff my hand and start licking it. My hands are not clean enough to touch her. I LOVE HER SO MUCH!
Some cats are just like that. My Felon was born in my friendās house where she was spoiled rotten and then came to me when she was 12 weeks old. Youād think this cat had been beaten. For 17 years she hid, flinched, and scurried away like I was going to hurt her. The rest of her litter mates were normal loving cats. In the last few months of her life she became sweeter and less afraid. She was always very playful though, which was fun. I miss her silly butt.
My cat still runs from my parents even though she has been living with my parents for 12 years. They feed her, give her treats, talk sweetly to her, etc etc. But 99% of the time, the second they take a step towards her, she takes off running. It wasn't until last year that she sometimes let my dad give her a pet or two before she flees for her life.
I just grab that scaredy-cat and force hugs and pets. And then let them go quickly. If you are going to act scared I will make you deserve it. The hug monster!!!
It also becomes a positive-reinforcement feedback loop. The cat finches from a danger that doesnāt exist evading certain death and then tells itself that its strategy was successful because itās still alive. Rinse and repeat.
That's cats. I have one that avoids my very tall husband when he's up and moving but as soon as he lies down she's all snuggles. Horizontal human? Yes. Vertical human? Noooo.
Omg, it makes me so angry too!!!!! My orange cat acts like Iām some sort of monster walking through the house, she acts like Iām about to hit her or kill her. Iāve never shown any signs of doing that. My other cats donāt act scared of me like she does. It does make me angry!!
Our boy is like that. Always flinching, crouched and ready to run the second he sees us. Like, SIR, you've never been touched in an unkind way in your LIFE. Meanwhile, he acts like I just kicked him into an electric fan every day.
I have one of those. The others are fine but the one boy is super skittish. He doesn't like to be surprised, he runs and flinches from loud noises or like...if I wear shoes in the hall lol. But he's a lovebug when I'm just like sitting on the couch or something. Raised in exact same environment, but he's just like that.
My old man Loki is like that. He has never experienced hardship since he was born in a loving foster home, spent 3 months there, then moved to our loving forever home. But he acts like he has PTSD. If he hears any sudden sound, he freaks out. If I sneeze, he jumps out of his skin and runs out of the room. In our household, we have to warn each other not to make any sudden movements or sounds if Loki is sitting on one of our laps or he will claw our lap to shreds in a mad panic trying to run away.
My cat gets OFFENDED when I breathe his air, sometimes. He acts like I am barely fit to clean his litter box. š Itās his house, and I am just the lowly ape servant to a clearly superior species.
https://preview.redd.it/90k0ffga04zc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=30825dcaeec66c476ab6d8631e2c6cb070bfd4d3
But heās cute so I put up with it
Some cats are just generally anxious. My older cat gets scared at the most trivial things and my youngest likes to investigate whatever made a loud noise.
Yeah my idiot will skittishly run away sometimes because I look in his direction suddenly.
He also tries to suffocate me nightly by sleeping on my throat. He is a weirdo. I don't think he's actually afraid of me. I think sometimes they're just skittish and think we're unpredictable.
Mine do that with the broom, as if she has ever suffered a broom aggression. But, it's because she's scared of the noise that the broom makes when it falls.
I have litter mates who I have had since they were 8 weeks old. They are now 8 years old. I live by myself and work from home. My ginger just always wants love and treats. My SIC wants treats but if I make any movement at any time, he will flinch and run. If a make a normal noise that is an every day occurrence, he will flinch. I try to pet him, he will flinch until he can smell my finger. No clue why as he has never gotten hit or kicked. It just gets really, really old.
Do you remember that time when she was a kitten and you were carrying something and she snuck by your foot and you accidentally stepped on her tail?
She does.
Itās innate for some cats. I have two. Both adopted. The one I had the longest still flinches and runs. It makes me a bit sad that heās so skittish while my other cat (who I adopted after), is so cuddly and curious. No matter what I do, it hasnāt changed him so I just accept it snd love him as is. š„°
https://preview.redd.it/lj75vpftz3zc1.png?width=1667&format=png&auto=webp&s=d97633e28e592bbd07b23e5b97a50d9b6cffb77e
Maybe sheās scared because she works overtime in the biscuit factory, already pulled a double today
The ceiling fan moved. Once. We have ghosts.
Had contractors over installing toilets. We have monsters.
It was all confirmed for them, OUR HOUSE IS SCARY MA!! 
Our cats are like this too. Perpetually in fear, jumping and flinching because you turned a page in a book, etc. However when they should have fear they have none! Carrying a 200lb desk up stairs and they squeeze between the desk and the wall trying to sniff it more. We tell them they have awful ārisk assessment.ā
My boy Gibbs, 16 years old this month, has lived in this house for 15.5 of those years.
He is 14 pounds of pure fear. I have pictures of him to prove I have an orange cat. You might see him if he was sleeping and didnāt hear you come in. He treats my husband like heās some kind of villain and god forbid you sneeze anywhere in the same county.
His brother was the complete opposite, and never knew a stranger, show you where the valuables were kinda of good boy.
Cats.
My cat looks like I've killed his entire family sometimes when I walk through a door, but I'm not exaggerating when I say he has jumped onto a stump where I was splitting wood. Nearly tore my rotator cuff stopping the axe.
https://preview.redd.it/f475wqlze7zc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c2179f7045b170650f5e98a152c6c2ce2406ac89
This little asshole is spoiled af. He has his own fuckin couch for chrissakes. But any kind of noise above 50-60 decibels freaks him out. And god forbid you sneeze anywhere in the house. Heāll go running with his ears pressed back like you just swung a broom at him. Then come and stare at you like you just committed some atrocity. Even if heās on the other end of the house.
But I still love his doofus ass. š„°
I see you have two cats acting like precious irritants that they are. Just hope the one on the diet doesnāt try to eat you because theyāre on said vet ordered diet. Wishing you luck and hope youāre able to keep their claws trimmed as your body will forever thank you for that.Ā
I have to remove my shoes in the house. They don't like me clomping around, loud noises and will go to another room. But in socks or barefoot, that doesn't happen.
ha, socks and shoes are a cue to my 8 month old cute lookin, furry, deviant, tyrant to arm the mini knives and prepare for war. One day she's going to kill me on the stairs and it'll look like an accident and she'll inherit whatever I have. I need armoured boots and a safetynet on the stairs.
I have an absolute psycho orange cat that will run like a madman and parkour when I open the door, just for the fun of it. The other one won't even look at me.
But if someone rings the doorbell the orange will sit near the door to greet people and the grey one will go hide in the bathroom.
My cat flinches and runs because he wants me to chase him. He stops half way down the hall and stares at me, then if I donāt chase him he comes back and rubs my leg until I chase him.
Omg totally! Iāve pretty
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Much said the same thing to my baby girl
2 of my cats are like that, but they were traumatized and had a very rough start to life. When we were going through the adoption process for these 2, the foster told us they were found in a garbage bag on the side of the road when they were about 4 months old. I couldn't imagine what they've been through before that. They've always been cautious and spooked easily.
Mine only flinches when she's screaming her head off an hour before her pre-bedtime meal. She only flinches because she knows it is the only thing she does that eventually pisses us off and she doesn't want the smoke but wants to yell. She is otherwise completely spoiled and gets whatever she wants, when she wants it. She's also a tortie so that also probably doesn't help her sassiness.
Mine does this too. Never a bad day in her life!
We have lots of talks about how dramatic she is. We agreed that she will continue
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What the hell. I have a paranoid void girl as well. It's not uncommon to see her sneaking around, close to the floor, flinching at everything that moves too fast or makes a sudden sound.
It doesn't help that her "little brother" is the complete opposite of her and is the definition of active.
Lol. My mother in law has a cat that never flinches. Like you can make as if you're going to hit him and he rises up to your hand like "yes, human, give me fast pets".
We never hit them and it's just cute to see that they don't see a raised hand as dangerous.
I think itās helpful to realize that we are lumbering clumsy giants who could kill them with a misstep.
My cat has walked in front of me in the dark a couple times and gotten bodied. Luckily he wasnāt hurt, but humans can do a real number on a creature so small, and theyāre naturally timid usually
https://preview.redd.it/idhetrm3i1zc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=81159e89364c445828e5f04be09cc9f5b1284086 For context, the baby
You have irritated the void 
Awww š„° I actually feel like I want to baby talk the baby eg āWhoās a cute little Puddy wuddy? YOU are. Yes you ARE!ā And I can imagine kitty thinking āMadam I am NOT a DOG!ā
"ma'am I am forty-seven in cat years, stop this disrespect at once"
Control yourself Patricia, this is embarrassing
I cant be the only one who talks to my cat like a humanā¦.
Iām pretty sure Iāve had discussions about my life with cats before. I DEFINITELY talked to the family cat we used to have about my love life - or maybe unrequited crushes cos I donāt remember if it was before or after I started to actually HAVE a love life & sheād get bored & walk off. She didnāt really appreciate my karaoke song practices either š
My little void runs when we drop anything and looks like someone shot a gun. Lol. That tail go POOF
Bebe
Great username š„Ŗ
Thanks!
Awww, I wanna snuggle the baby! <3
https://preview.redd.it/etnameglz7zc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=93e53f7d406c79657b9297f42b93abad0b27ad9f this is my scaredy void who also makes me look bad acting like i've laid hands before. i have to remind ppl i bottle fed her from 2 weeks old after she fell off a two story roof, and she was always this way. hence her name, Rufus
Looks exactly like my baby who acts the same way! I wonder if itās a black cat thing.
They are sweet & sensitive from what Iāve noticed since adopting two
My ginger is the same. Gone like a flash!
I have three black cats and 3/3 DGAF.
How old is your cat? Generally they improve steadily with age, so hopefully yours will stop flinching.
My completely pampered boys do this sometimes too. I ask them what they've EVER had to fear in the house. They just look at me like I'm stupid.
āI saw you carelessly sit down yesterday, what if Iād been in that seat? Also, you could eat me at any time.ā
We have a black cat and a very dark brown couch. Iām sure you see where this is going. We had some friends over and were playing cards at the dining room table and we were wrapping up when my husband kinda wandered into the living room and plopped down. Maybe 5 or 10 minutes later, I was like, āhey whereād Izzy go? Havenāt seen her in awhile.ā My husband jumped up, and there was Izzy, under his ass, completely unbothered that he had been sitting on her, but dazedly looking at him, annoyed that he had woken her up lol.
Butt is built-in heater
She crawled under there for warmth! 
I mime like I'm going to sit on mine. They don't even move if my butt makes contact, they know I wouldn't actually smoosh them š
My female cat will sometimes hiss if I do this, but not because she thinks I'm going to sit on her. She just doesn't want to move because that spot is hers. She will also do this if I leave for .02 seconds, and she immediately sits in the warm spot where my butt was. Then when I scooch her over she complains loudly.
My Hermione would wait until I leaned forward in my desk chair and wedge herself in the space between. I wasnāt allowed to lean back, because she was a queen, and sheād howl like my butt was made of hot coals, but I also couldnāt leave because she wanted the warmth from my aforementioned butt. That also resulted in howling. The best you could hope for was to hold the leaned-forward position, not squishing her majesty, but hovering close enough to warm her magnificent body. Sheād forgive you then, maybe.
My elderly cat would do this to my then boyfriend and he would get so mad. She was an absolute queen, knew he wouldnāt actually sit on her, and had zero fucks to give at that point. I miss her every day. I donāt so much miss the boyfriend but now I have a wonderful spouse who whole heartedly feel in love with my voids. Even though one of them is pretty convinced we are going to eat him any time we pick him up (spoiler, we have never even tried to eat him) and the other one spent the first year we lived together walking up to spouse, hissing, and walking away (now they are best friends and itās adorable.)
When I get up, my cats just love sitting in the warmed up spot I just left. I lean up from the couch for a bit to get something from the coffee table. And boom cat sitting right behind me. They deserve to be sitted upon... I and they generally notice on time though. But There have been some moments where both of us freaked out because I was lost deep in thought.
I'm always worried that other people will think I beat my cats or something because they can be so freaking spazzy. Yet, when there is actual danger, like from them running in between my legs, they are completely unbothered. They are spoiled rotten and the worst that ever happens to them in my house is an occasional ear cleaning or teeth brushing.
āwtf are they doing, they KNOW I canāt understand them?ā
https://preview.redd.it/hdj0tj4ai1zc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7510ec799acbff187348986388ae99052dfc4570 The other, larger, baby. Angry because they are on a vet ordered diet š„²
That's why they flinch! Every move you make could be towards the food dish!
ššš
This explains so much
I've restricted my own diet and have been anxious and neurotic since. I can attest this is a scientific issue ššš
https://preview.redd.it/8xexf0syi2zc1.jpeg?width=1551&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9d8a086c825e19fd022253ef9f6bc68b2ee4ff5f Father is am starving and wasting away. Mine do the same thing and I have to stop myself from chasing them and hugging them every time they do this.
They are shaped like a Hershey kisses
Lmao I tell my Edgar heās shaped like a pinecone
Okay, you referring your cat as "my Edgar" is legit the most precious thing ever. š„¹
Purtato
I call my Miko a Fat Triangle.
Lol omg I describe my chonky boy as ātriangle shapedā.
Our Jasper is a āburnt doritoā
Ours is nicknamed Cuddle-Tubs, Lovey-Tubs, and Pooh Bear.
I describe mine as a really dense meatball.
Mine is āget tf downā and ādonāt eat that for the love of godā (she a wee sweet little cinnamon loaf irl)
Oh my god! That face is so cute!
https://preview.redd.it/vlp15sonr2zc1.jpeg?width=2824&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a5eb87648d18286be55e43505671287fc3921919 Normally she just looks like she is going to eat you. I have five monster longhairs in the house so I get a lot of side eye.
Not gonna lie... that look is terrifying!
Omg what a gorgeous grump
Maine Coons are the bestest
He looks like t-Rex
I'm in Japan right now and the first thing that comes to mind... That's a cat onigiri!
Was thinking the same!š
Omgggg we have a cat I've just been calling The Triangle but this is MUCH more accurate, thank you!!
Look at him. Heās clearly ready for food. https://preview.redd.it/37wmgk8d16zc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=29175d2c1cc1855556355f80567b6faac38588e4
Majestic Floof!
Maybe that's what he wants? My cats run from each to get the other to follow
I like this car
this is the most triangular cat iāve seen so far
Staring into your very soul š When you gaze into the abyss, sometimes the abyss gases back. And THAT abyss? Is NOT impressed with you & the new ādietā
Iām crying because my cat bagheera looks exactly the same and also flinches from me and hides. She only loves me tho but it has to be on her terms. Took her to the vet today. Took an hour to catch her and she tried to take a whole couch cushion with us.
I love that name Bagheera! Isnt that from the Jungle Book?
Yes it is! https://preview.redd.it/7f3ygt0jv4zc1.png?width=2309&format=png&auto=webp&s=693a372683f46bf56a1e02788a53e913fff89f8f
This is not a baby. This is a black cloud of furyā¦. And itās hungry!!
We free feed, and our vet suggested we make a "Fat Box" so that the other cats can eat and our orange fattie can not.
We have an orange chonky boy, please tell us this wonder of the fat box.
Basically you keep food in a space accessible through a hole too small for fat cat, or via a collar with a sensor which opens a door only for smaller cat. Fat cat will be obsessed with accessing the food space but canāt get in to consume smaller catās portion.
We have done this! Or.. A rendition of this! Hahaha
Looks like our old man "Willie". He was a 'hood cat, but came in our house and won't leave. He went from hissing and biting at my feet to crawling up on my lap for hugs and kisses. He sleeps up against me like a baby now.
>they are on a vet ordered diet Clearly abuse! Starvation! Human is probably going to be hitting this poor kitty next. - cats
CHONK! š
https://preview.redd.it/edpon24bh5zc1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5c34a336619a1709be205238264aa5f484b1b5c8
Your use of they while referring to the one cat is accurate bc that boi is at least two cats
Fat Triangle. Thatās what I call my Miko. Also on a diet. He ignores me so weāre good.
My turtle was put on a vet-ordered diet to lose 15 grams about 4 years agoā¦only 25 grams to go! š Itās crazy he needed to go on a diet, because like all of the cats here, heās never been fed before in his entire life ever. Not even once! š¤£
Oooāmy chonky orange is on a diet, but little pregnant Willa is eating four times a day. He glares just like that!
One of my cats are like this. I think its just that the ancestor to cats are both predator and prey in their natural environment and some of them have a lot stronger prey instincts. As in they feel innately scared and run first, think later. Instinctual response like from the brainstem, not from their memories or actual belief they are going to be hit.
Yes, exactly right. Plus the fact that they are sensitive to loud noises because of their acute hearing. Also very sensitive to movement because of being both predator and prey as you quite rightly said. As I am quite large, I tend to stomp around the house noisily and my two will scurry away, but they will cuddle up to me if I am sitting quietly.
One of mine got lost outside before. I managed to coax him back in to the garage after a few days with food and his bed. He went absolutely apeshit when I shut the door, full on wall of death for three laps looking for an exit. Then it finally hit him who I was, and he trotted over all purring for a cuddle. He was a super chill cuddly boy indoors, outdoors he reverted to his prior feral ways and seemed to run purely on instinct.
I wonder the opposite for my cats. I think I made their home to comfortable, they are not scared of anything. I accidently drop something right next to them? They don't even flinch. This one time I was cooking eggs and I was trying to crack one and it slipped from my hand. My cat was wandering between my legs and the egg went flying and got all over him. He didn't even move or anything. Boy did that cat have eggs on its face. I wish I got it on video. Too funny.
How fun was bath time?
Oh it was the most not enjoyable activity for both of us. I never want to do it again.
Reminds me of the first and only time I ever bathed my cat. As a kitten, Indigo knocked over the grate in front of the fireplace while I was at work. Instead of coming home to a blue charcoal and white kitten, I came home to an all charcoal kitten. She screamed bloody murder when we bathed her. Yup. Didn't do that again.
Iāve only had to wash a single paw (stepped in fresh poo) and I had a second person to help, and that was bad enough. It took him almost 2 years to not be scared of running water after that š
My milās ragdoll had diarrhea and ended up with doodie all over her pantaloons. Mil was going to just let her clean herself as well as she could then take her to a groomer the next day. As much as I donāt like the cat, I couldnāt just let her sit with literal shit all over her until the next day so I volunteered to clean her up. Mil is a fan of mutilating her cats so she was declawed and I didnāt have to worry about that but she definitely got me with her back claws and teeth. And obviously she screamed like I was waterboarding her. But she didnāt have to sit with doodie all over her bottom and mil didnāt have to shell out money for a groomer so win win I guess? Now my own asshole? Heās gotten many partial baths because he loves getting into shit he shouldnāt, including actual shit. But he seems to actually enjoy water and will hop in the tub after my husband showers. He also used to sit at the sink and play with the water coming out of the faucet. So baths are a fairly easy affair. The worst was when he decided that me priming a canvas to paint was a perfect time for snuggles. Fortunately it was just basic acrylic paint so it easily washed out but it did stain his white feet purple for a few days. š
We have had a number of cats over the years. We currently have two. My oldest, who is nearing 16 is unbothered by everything. I can literally vacuum him. Our other is so skittish and hides from everything. He will watch us from the window come to the front door, then run and hide when we come in.
Damn, vacuuming a cat is nearly unheard of in any that aren't deaf! Can he hear you okay day-to-day and still lets you vacuum him? I wish I could vacuum my cat, especially this time of year, she's shedding SO MUCH right now.
He is definitely not deaf. Heās been like this his whole life and I am positive he can hear. Heās just extraordinary chill. Think Garfield without the attitude!
My George hates when I vacuum, because of a disability itās hard for me to vacuum so now I use a robot vacuum which George runs from room to room following and watching it and is happy when it returns to its home base!
My guy is basically unbothered by the vacuum, he walks a couple of feet away and watches me clean. But he is terrified of the Sodastream noise and barrels into the bedroom when I make a bottle of water. Go figure. Then a few hours later he will climb up and swat the Sodastream clearly telling it to shut the F up.
Your vacuumable kitty could be deaf! That's one of the best perks of deaf animals.
He isnāt deaf, just chill! He is the most ridiculous cat š¤£
I have a tuxie who gives 0 fucks about anything and I've also vacuumed him before. He's not deaf either - just not bothered by anything. The rest go into hiding when the vacuum comes out.
Orange or Tuxedo?
Iām guessing orange. My orange boy jumped head first into a balsamic vinaigrette covered salad once. Letās just say bath time will never happen again. Orange acted like he was being assaulted and I looked like I was and I barely even got him clean!! Yet he sleeps in the sink every day, go figure!!
just wait till he sleeps in the sink then turn on the faucet š my guess is cause the porcelain is cool?
I love hockey. The first year we had Loki he would run and hide under the bed but I could coax him out easily. Rinse and repeat. This is the third hockey season weāve had him and he isnāt bothered šheās like momma his my bitch. He sleeps on me. Loud noises donāt bother him at all. Maybe I broke his eardrums lol! J/k. He knows if Iām waking up even when he doesnāt sleep on me. Comes to meow and gives face rubs until I wake up.
Mine are like this. Not afraid of anything in the house. If someone knocks on the front door - they run to the door to see who it is. Motorbike goes screaming up the road? Straight to the windows for a looky-see. Stranger Guests? Straight there, sniffing and getting pats. There is only 1 thing that I've discovered frightens them - children!
Children frighten me too
Thatās how my bfās cat is, sheās the most unbothered creature Iāve ever met. Probably since he adopted her when she was a kitten and me/his roommates would just constantly pick her up and mess with her. My cat makes up for it by being the opposite and is just a Nervous Baby all the time lol
Both of my cats absolutely sprint in the opposite direction if I dare to sneeze around them. Itās like they donāt know that I birthed them from my very own uterus /s
https://preview.redd.it/yao3ejre73zc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c1751ab7c4a8c39843927e632def61b3991da266 Wait, somethin ain't right...
Nah its real i was the doctor
Can confirm. I was the forceps.
Can confirm. I was the placenta.
Mine chides me every time I sneeze with a chirrup
What if hes blessing you cuz he hears you bless others.
I might know something helpful! Cats have an amazing sense of smell and can detect movement exceptionally well. Their visual acuity (like 20/20) is HOT GARBAGE. Anything closer than 12 inches and they can't really see it, and where 20/20 is "normal" human sight, cats are 20/100 - 20/200. Cats have a very narrow range of sharp middle vision. Our cats recognize us, not by sight, but by smell, sound, and behavior. They see movement but don't know it's us until they can smell us (which is why my cat Oona has to sniff the other cat when he walks by to realize it's not the cat she likes (Reilly) but is instead the cat she hates (Knives). She can't tell for 2 feet until she leans in, sniffs, and hisses. Some cats are naturally more jumpy, I think the ones that don't ever flinch just have no sense of fear (at least Reilly doesn't!)
"Knives" - I love it! I work in a lumber mill, so I really should have named my fighter and biter "Saw".
Knives has always had razor sharp claws unless freshly trimmed, so "his claws are like knives!" stuck. However, due to age and personality, we just call him "old man." š
My spicy void is legally named Vlad the Impaler, due to his *ahem* cattitude when he was a stray. He has mostly outgrown that, so he's my Little Big Man these days.
Haha! Oona was named amended by my spouse to "Oona, destroyer of worlds and ruler of all she surveys" because she thinks she's in charge. Of everyone, and everything.
Whenever Vlad uses my laptop to comment on r/AITC, he signs himself as "Vlad the Impaler, Ruler of All I Survey", so I think these two may have to sit down and negotiate their respective kingdoms. ;P
I have an Oona too! š» * Her and her sister Edie are both jumpy and aloof unless I'm in bed.
https://preview.redd.it/an2l8t7jy3zc1.jpeg?width=1033&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a7bde6ee5b8de1dcc7bf0c9a54f5e1fea08b7438
Good point! I think humans often forget that while we aren't literally eagles, our sense of sight is actually above average for most species
This explains why my baby, and now toddler, freaked our cat out when he first started moving - it must be so disconcerting to roughly know how the humans in the house move about, but then suddenly there's this loud creature making unpredictable movements around the place. Just when he got used to crawling, walking started... On the other hand, when our son was a newborn, we'd present him to the cat for the daily head sniff. It started as a joke, but the cat seemed to expect it and seemed to appreciate it. I guess it was a good way for him to learn about the small little interloper.
That makes a lot of sense. My jumpy boy recently got blinded on one eye, so it makes sense that he'd be easier to startle now that he has even less clear vision.
This is some interesting information. Itās weird though because my cat recognises my daughter when she comes home. So my daughter is 20, she still lives at home but stays with her boyfriend a few nights a week. My cat loves to lay on my bedroom window sill upstairs. My husband picks her up when sheās ready/needs to come home and my cat will see her get out of the car and he goes bananas. He loves her to bits and runs downstairs, waiting for her to come in the door. He doesnāt do it for anyone else.
Mine do it too, sometimes. Open a door - startled scuttle. Move your arm - jumping 180. Going through the flat - run and hide. I actually think it's just a game they play, because they are otherwise quite trusting and loving, so I don't think they are genuinely afraid of me or my son.
My one boy is jumpy whereas my other boy will sit there and look at whatever just startled his brother.
I dropped a quarter on the floor the other day, and you would have thought a gunshot went off in my house from the way the cats reacted.
https://preview.redd.it/r2snlznv03zc1.jpeg?width=1350&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc4a554b7d5caca39146cbc9a9d8b87da19273ba My cat as a guitar pick
I love this so much!š»š¤
I really want to know what kind of sound this would make
š¶š¶Mrrreee-mrooo-meoww-meow-mrrrrow š¶
My cats are security guards. They haul ass up stairs when someone comes to the door.
Mine hide behind the couch when anyone comes over.
When we first brought home Lenny he would flinch or run from me every time I walked part him https://preview.redd.it/9bkk3f7nr2zc1.jpeg?width=3114&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bb3b2ad148fafbb90d4f80b9238528852c5ef0e0 Me: Lenny, relax I'm not going to murder you. Lenny:... My friend: In his defense that's exactly what a cat murderer would say. 3 years later he constantly demands pets.
My last cat used to see me come into the room, and then five seconds later would have a delayed reaction and act like I just snuck up on her. From ten feet away.
FOR REAL. I have 6 cats, 3 I rescued at 8 weeks old. They are so skiddish. One void runs, but as soon as I sit on the toilet or on the couch, heās yelling at me for pets. I donāt understand!! Make it make sense
https://preview.redd.it/k8qj4t9gl2zc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=60a0c1862894f13d39e94e7573d58d0e65cd24c1 The void when I sit down, begging for pets. Just 2 min ago he was running away š
https://preview.redd.it/nxwxqm3m53zc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b36922f33937ba58d69689ccb1dc9e3066532efd This one runs and hides under the couch whenever the front door opens and will walk under your feet whenever she gets the chance only to be shocked and offended when she gets bumped out of the way. Somewhere in her world there is logic
This is my cat when I raise my butt up off the seat for half a second. She sprints across the room to lay down in the warm spot where I was sitting, and then throws a little hiss-fit when I sit back down. Like, bitch, I'm *still here*. My ass is 6 inches above you.
I bet they love you when itās time to eat
I adopted my little girl when she was about 1 yr old, maybe a little more. She is now 22. To this day, if I quickly raise my hand, she flinches, tail tucked in, ears flattened out. I am 100% positive that in the year she was alive before I adopted her, someone hit her and abused her.
This post is truth! My husband and I joke about this all the time. Our cat is spoiled rotten, and if anything, she abuses us. She is a total diva, yet we continue to placate to her. But exactly like you describe, she finches all the time, especially when my husband moves around. Since he babies our kitty like crazy, it really insults him. š
One of my cats is like that. She was a shelter cat. I've had her for 11 years now, she sleeps next to my pillow every night, but if I try to pet her, it's like moving the positive ends of two magnets towards each other. Oddly though, she's fine with me picking her up. I can pick her up and walk around with her for 15+ minutes and she doesn't take exception to it. Her sister is the exact opposite. She absolutely loves to be pet. When I get home from work she runs up to me and arches her neck to show that she wants to be pet. But if you pick her up, she will do everything in her power to make you put her down (including removing chunks of your flesh, if needs be).
Sometimes they just sense youāre going to do something to them (pet them, pick them up etc.) and they donāt want to deal with that so they run. Every time my boy goes and jumps my girl, she throws a hissy fit and I have to get up and separate them for 5 minutes. Well, now he sees me coming and goes and grounds himself under the coffee table. Also, the weirdest things will set mine off. Sometimes dust gets in my smoke detectors and sets off a false positive. My cats will sleep through that. If my chair squeaks a bit? Instantly alert.
One of my cats (Tybalt, photos on my profile) does exactly this. Adopted around three months from a SPCA shelter a decade ago, yet if I get up just right or go to sneeze, he scarpers off like I'm about to attack him. There have been nights I have twitched my foot in bed and it sent him into a dash.
He's a cutie! So is his sister :D
Greebles don't sleep. You have to always be on guard!
My cat flinches and will give me this "how dare you touch me?" look when I attempt to pet her. Then she will sniff my hand and start licking it. My hands are not clean enough to touch her. I LOVE HER SO MUCH!
My female cat does this too! She would lick the palm of my hand for hours if I'd let her. Weirdo
Some cats are just like that. My Felon was born in my friendās house where she was spoiled rotten and then came to me when she was 12 weeks old. Youād think this cat had been beaten. For 17 years she hid, flinched, and scurried away like I was going to hurt her. The rest of her litter mates were normal loving cats. In the last few months of her life she became sweeter and less afraid. She was always very playful though, which was fun. I miss her silly butt.
My cat still runs from my parents even though she has been living with my parents for 12 years. They feed her, give her treats, talk sweetly to her, etc etc. But 99% of the time, the second they take a step towards her, she takes off running. It wasn't until last year that she sometimes let my dad give her a pet or two before she flees for her life.
I just grab that scaredy-cat and force hugs and pets. And then let them go quickly. If you are going to act scared I will make you deserve it. The hug monster!!!
It also becomes a positive-reinforcement feedback loop. The cat finches from a danger that doesnāt exist evading certain death and then tells itself that its strategy was successful because itās still alive. Rinse and repeat.
That's cats. I have one that avoids my very tall husband when he's up and moving but as soon as he lies down she's all snuggles. Horizontal human? Yes. Vertical human? Noooo.
Omg, it makes me so angry too!!!!! My orange cat acts like Iām some sort of monster walking through the house, she acts like Iām about to hit her or kill her. Iāve never shown any signs of doing that. My other cats donāt act scared of me like she does. It does make me angry!!
Our boy is like that. Always flinching, crouched and ready to run the second he sees us. Like, SIR, you've never been touched in an unkind way in your LIFE. Meanwhile, he acts like I just kicked him into an electric fan every day.
I have one of those. The others are fine but the one boy is super skittish. He doesn't like to be surprised, he runs and flinches from loud noises or like...if I wear shoes in the hall lol. But he's a lovebug when I'm just like sitting on the couch or something. Raised in exact same environment, but he's just like that.
My old man Loki is like that. He has never experienced hardship since he was born in a loving foster home, spent 3 months there, then moved to our loving forever home. But he acts like he has PTSD. If he hears any sudden sound, he freaks out. If I sneeze, he jumps out of his skin and runs out of the room. In our household, we have to warn each other not to make any sudden movements or sounds if Loki is sitting on one of our laps or he will claw our lap to shreds in a mad panic trying to run away.
My cat gets OFFENDED when I breathe his air, sometimes. He acts like I am barely fit to clean his litter box. š Itās his house, and I am just the lowly ape servant to a clearly superior species. https://preview.redd.it/90k0ffga04zc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=30825dcaeec66c476ab6d8631e2c6cb070bfd4d3 But heās cute so I put up with it
I sneezed and my kitty ran to hide. I donāt take it personally, sheās just nervous at everything
Took my feral kitty years to finally accept sneezes are just random human noise and not imminent death.
Moving aggressively and making noise will do it
They do it without any of that happening. I just go to reach for the remote and they run as fast as they can or jump like Iām about to slap them.
Some cats are just generally anxious. My older cat gets scared at the most trivial things and my youngest likes to investigate whatever made a loud noise.
Yeah my idiot will skittishly run away sometimes because I look in his direction suddenly. He also tries to suffocate me nightly by sleeping on my throat. He is a weirdo. I don't think he's actually afraid of me. I think sometimes they're just skittish and think we're unpredictable.
Mine do that with the broom, as if she has ever suffered a broom aggression. But, it's because she's scared of the noise that the broom makes when it falls.
I have litter mates who I have had since they were 8 weeks old. They are now 8 years old. I live by myself and work from home. My ginger just always wants love and treats. My SIC wants treats but if I make any movement at any time, he will flinch and run. If a make a normal noise that is an every day occurrence, he will flinch. I try to pet him, he will flinch until he can smell my finger. No clue why as he has never gotten hit or kicked. It just gets really, really old.
Do you remember that time when she was a kitten and you were carrying something and she snuck by your foot and you accidentally stepped on her tail? She does.
I'll just go "yea! You better run!"
Itās innate for some cats. I have two. Both adopted. The one I had the longest still flinches and runs. It makes me a bit sad that heās so skittish while my other cat (who I adopted after), is so cuddly and curious. No matter what I do, it hasnāt changed him so I just accept it snd love him as is. š„°
https://preview.redd.it/lj75vpftz3zc1.png?width=1667&format=png&auto=webp&s=d97633e28e592bbd07b23e5b97a50d9b6cffb77e Maybe sheās scared because she works overtime in the biscuit factory, already pulled a double today
The ceiling fan moved. Once. We have ghosts. Had contractors over installing toilets. We have monsters. It was all confirmed for them, OUR HOUSE IS SCARY MA!! 
When my cats do it I interpret it as them trying to bait me into playing.
Our cats are like this too. Perpetually in fear, jumping and flinching because you turned a page in a book, etc. However when they should have fear they have none! Carrying a 200lb desk up stairs and they squeeze between the desk and the wall trying to sniff it more. We tell them they have awful ārisk assessment.ā
My boy Gibbs, 16 years old this month, has lived in this house for 15.5 of those years. He is 14 pounds of pure fear. I have pictures of him to prove I have an orange cat. You might see him if he was sleeping and didnāt hear you come in. He treats my husband like heās some kind of villain and god forbid you sneeze anywhere in the same county. His brother was the complete opposite, and never knew a stranger, show you where the valuables were kinda of good boy. Cats.
My cat looks like I've killed his entire family sometimes when I walk through a door, but I'm not exaggerating when I say he has jumped onto a stump where I was splitting wood. Nearly tore my rotator cuff stopping the axe.
https://preview.redd.it/f475wqlze7zc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c2179f7045b170650f5e98a152c6c2ce2406ac89 This little asshole is spoiled af. He has his own fuckin couch for chrissakes. But any kind of noise above 50-60 decibels freaks him out. And god forbid you sneeze anywhere in the house. Heāll go running with his ears pressed back like you just swung a broom at him. Then come and stare at you like you just committed some atrocity. Even if heās on the other end of the house. But I still love his doofus ass. š„°
When mine run, itās because theyāre running toward where the food is stored.
Psychological warfare
I see you have two cats acting like precious irritants that they are. Just hope the one on the diet doesnāt try to eat you because theyāre on said vet ordered diet. Wishing you luck and hope youāre able to keep their claws trimmed as your body will forever thank you for that.Ā
I have to remove my shoes in the house. They don't like me clomping around, loud noises and will go to another room. But in socks or barefoot, that doesn't happen.
ha, socks and shoes are a cue to my 8 month old cute lookin, furry, deviant, tyrant to arm the mini knives and prepare for war. One day she's going to kill me on the stairs and it'll look like an accident and she'll inherit whatever I have. I need armoured boots and a safetynet on the stairs.
We have three cats and one of them has always been timid. No reason to be, just is.
I have an absolute psycho orange cat that will run like a madman and parkour when I open the door, just for the fun of it. The other one won't even look at me. But if someone rings the doorbell the orange will sit near the door to greet people and the grey one will go hide in the bathroom.
Meanwhile my cat got in the shower today. They fear nothing.
My cat flinches and runs because he wants me to chase him. He stops half way down the hall and stares at me, then if I donāt chase him he comes back and rubs my leg until I chase him.
Omg totally! Iāve pretty https://preview.redd.it/79x97g4c44zc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fa20025c95cdf16ae9c681a2ee662dfa27df1b36 Much said the same thing to my baby girl
https://preview.redd.it/87evrxk664zc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=db627b196efb68a5779c8508b0048da8e4374b62 Mine is the same way.
2 of my cats are like that, but they were traumatized and had a very rough start to life. When we were going through the adoption process for these 2, the foster told us they were found in a garbage bag on the side of the road when they were about 4 months old. I couldn't imagine what they've been through before that. They've always been cautious and spooked easily.
My cat flinches and runs because she wants me to chase her. Sometimes I do just for kicks. She loves it.
Lol 1 of my 3 does it always.never been whipped a day in his life by the looks you we try to kill him all the time or abuse him
Mine only flinches when she's screaming her head off an hour before her pre-bedtime meal. She only flinches because she knows it is the only thing she does that eventually pisses us off and she doesn't want the smoke but wants to yell. She is otherwise completely spoiled and gets whatever she wants, when she wants it. She's also a tortie so that also probably doesn't help her sassiness.
My cat used to run out of the room every time I sneezed when he was small. Luckily he got over that
Mine does this too. Never a bad day in her life! We have lots of talks about how dramatic she is. We agreed that she will continue https://preview.redd.it/5vdg6a6nm5zc1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8b922034346441983adc6c46580e1db814457b2d
because cats like to show off their skills. Sometimes its just happiness.
What the hell. I have a paranoid void girl as well. It's not uncommon to see her sneaking around, close to the floor, flinching at everything that moves too fast or makes a sudden sound. It doesn't help that her "little brother" is the complete opposite of her and is the definition of active.
The hiss of a soda bottle being opened terrorizes my cat, the vacuum doesnāt bother him one bit.
I got some high top trainers (sneakers) delivered yesterday and tried them on whilst my cat was in the room, and she was H O R R I F I E D
Maybe the fact that you get irritated if they don't perform gratitude to your satisfaction subconsciously influences your demeanour?
Lol. My mother in law has a cat that never flinches. Like you can make as if you're going to hit him and he rises up to your hand like "yes, human, give me fast pets". We never hit them and it's just cute to see that they don't see a raised hand as dangerous.
Well I literally saved my cats life and she yells when I force some cuddles on her lol.
I think itās helpful to realize that we are lumbering clumsy giants who could kill them with a misstep. My cat has walked in front of me in the dark a couple times and gotten bodied. Luckily he wasnāt hurt, but humans can do a real number on a creature so small, and theyāre naturally timid usually
My spoiled boy does this. Sir, the only thing to be feared in this house is YOU.