A Slightly Less Grumpy Cat

MW

When I first blogged about Jobie eighteen months ago, she had been relocated to the Tea-Room from her original space in the Double-Wide, and was finding life a bit less stressful (meaning, fewer other cats in her face!)  Though the winter months she hung around, generally at the top of the stairs; we had to give up leaving cat beds there, since she would refuse to leave the area, and just poo and pee where she pleased.  At coffee breaks she would occasionally venture onto someone’s knee, but she didn’t really want to be petted much – just admired! - and Grumpy Cat was very much present in her personality.

MW

With the following spring and summer, her confidence increased.  She relocated next to the back gate to New Aids, where she would scurry to the top of the highest cat-tree and oversee everything. Occasionally she would venture into the courtyard and explore a bit, but there was always too much feline competition for her, and she felt safer in her aerie. As the weather got colder, she needed to re-think her strategy; alone but cold was not a good option. 

MW

She popped up in a variety of different locations before settling on the Newcomers deck, across from the Tea-Room. To stay really warm, she would need to share a heat-lamp with other cats, or pop through the cat door into Newcomers, and neither was a really satisfactory prospect. One of the med staff set up a well-padded covered bed, labelling it as Jobie’s, and miraculously, the other cats seemed to get the idea, because it was largely left for her possession.

DW

Her confidence seemed to increase, and more frequently she was found in a bed in the breezeway where she could attract human attention, and demand a bit of fussing. The cranky girl of a year before was no longer quite so cranky, and though it is still necessary to read her body language carefully, petting Jobie, and occasionally grooming her has become pleasurable for both Jobie and her fans.  With the right person, her paws come up to your shoulder and she likes to bunt against your face – something we were all really wary about at one stage.

MW

I don’t think Jobie will ever be anyone’s idea of the ideal cat to adopt; she’s too easily stressed and her bathroom habits won’t ever make her a favourite.  But she’s found a home at the Sanctuary and seems to feel much more comfortable with us. And though she still doesn’t much like the other cats, she seems to be able to tune them out, and get on with living her life in her own way.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Debbie Wolanski & Michele Wright