We took in a black cat that was hanging around one bitterly cold Winter. I rang the Cats Protection League, but they didn't want to know so in she came. We named her Clio, later re-named 'That Black Ba*****' by Himself. She was totally unpredictable. She could be purring and rubbing her head against you & in a second spitting & scramming (scratching to you Engalanders). She'd growl and hiss as soon as Himself entered the house & getting her to bed at night was a nightmare sometimes. She adored Meg and shadowed her everywhere. We took her to the vet to have her checked over in case there was some underlying problem but the vet (wearing gauntlets) said she seemed in good health & there was nothing obvious. We kept her for just over a year hoping she'd change, but she didn't. I drove her to the Cats Protect League and they took her in this time.
Our Elsie was banned from the local Vets in the U.K. after attacking 2 different vets and a couple of the nurses. She was very small with a sort of screwed up face which made her look permanently disgusted with life, just like my elderly Aunt Elsie, hence her name. We had gone to the Cat's protection to get a kitten to keep our other adopted cat company. Our Catherine, the fanatical Newcastle supporter directed us to get a black and white kitten (to be called Keegan) and several were paraded for us in the manner of supermodels on a (literal) catwalk.The whole time, a rather ugly, scrawny tabby was hurling herself against the bars of her cage yelling 'take me, take me'. " Oh, that's just Cecily" said the cat person "she's about 2 years old, been here most of her life, no-one has ever shown an interest". Sam and I looked at each other and 10 minutes later, she was ours. She was wild, obstinate, and not exactly people-friendly. If she liked you, she was all sweetness and light, if she took a dislike - Lawd help you, and there was no rhyme or reason to it.She could start a fight in an empty room. Fortunately, she liked me and the 3rd vet we tried. She was also very fond of Sam's disabled father so we left her with him when we moved here as his cat had died the previous year and we doubted she would adapt to life here. FIL was confined to a wheelchair and had limited movement.She used to jump onto his knee in the living room and direct him to drive his electric chair into the kitchen and drop her off next to her food. She would certainly have taken Mr. Biggles on and our Chassis...
It's a great pity the right of free speech isn't based on the obligation to say something sensible.
Our Elsie was banned from the local Vets in the U.K. after attacking 2 different vets and a couple of the nurses. She was very small with a sort of screwed up face which made her look permanently disgusted with life, just like my elderly Aunt Elsie, hence her name.
I must have been lucky. I've never owned a bad tempered cat in my life. Nearest I got was Mowgli. You just couldn't push your luck with her. She was fine but if she warned you to back off then back off you must or she would lash out.
None of the cats we had as kids were bad tempered either but there were about 16 of the buggers at one point so I suppose they just fought amongst themselves. My grandmother did have a grumpy long haired white cat. It never scratched or bit me but it put me right off white cats lol.
Osca was fine with people. She just didn't like other cats much. Jo-Jo was a complete pudding.
And both Alfie and Harvey are more gentle than I could imagine cats being. Alfie scratched me a couple of times and hissed at me once. Harvey has caught me with a claw once or twice but that's it. Neither one has ever bitten me. Alfie was the most docile of the two. I like docile cats I've decided.