Missy, our cat, or what we called her Miss Miss, was another level of pet. How did we even get Missy? She found us is more like it. Let me clear the air by saying that Missy did not belong to I and my mom but my cousins and I - since I temporarily lived there.
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Missy came into our house. She was something else. At first, she came for the abundance of mice and we let her be. She was doing us a favour. A skilled huntress, she never left without food.
However, one time, Missy came and we happened to be sitting on the porch. This cat leisurely strolled to where we were seated and just laid down. After staring at us for a few seconds — we stared back of course — she rolled over and gave us her belly, paws in the air. I literally 'awwed'. That was how a Cat adopted us.
Following weeks, Missy became brave. Following us everywhere and eating meals from our plate (the plate that finally became hers). She would occasionally hop onto the couch to lay with us and purr heavily as we pet her. Something to really behold. However, she had her sassy side.
My cousin, David, was quite rough with her but never enough to hurt her. He would engage her in demanding activities that would make her hiss and act all pissed but then at the end of it, she would still go to curl around him. I once wondered if she had masochistic tendencies because there was no other explanation.
One day, as usual, David fit Missy inside a sock leaving her head outside and then left her on the rug. I moved to free her but he said to give him a minute. Missy's death glare was almost comical. We (Missy included) watched him go inside, towards the kitchen, and come out with cooked fish. The transformation from angry cat to hungry cat made us laugh. Her eyes widened and turned to balls instead of their usual felineness.
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Missy began to struggle to get out of the socks, looking like a packet of moving burritos. It was hilarious. Then she began to make progress, slowly crawling and throughout those moments she crawled and struggled, she was glaring. Hissing even.
I wonder now, if Missy could talk then, what would she have said? I bet she would cuss us out for having fun at her expense. I am also sure that Missy would have totally obliterated us with words if she could. Because her facial expression then was way too feral for a cat. So pissed!
When she was finally let out of the socks and given the fish, she purred while eating. When she was satisfied, and saw that we wouldn't be able to blackmail her with food, she gave David a taste of her claws before running out of the living room to which David yelled, "Better not think of sleeping here tonight."
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He was a softie. She slept inside and beside him too. Anyway, I would really want to be able to understand cats. Their attitude is somewhat admirable. Nonchalant when they want to be and they have sass! Have you come in contact with a cat that doesn't want to be touched? They can be lethal! Their claws are not playing. I can bet that their words would be no different. So cats would do it for me. Need to hear those sass queens speak.