Success Lessons from a Reluctant Cat Owner – Part 4: Listening to Experts is Important

(Note: this is part 4 of a 5 part series laying out lessons I learned from my first month owning two cats. Click here for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. A new part will be posted each day this week. Subscribe via RSS or email to make sure you don’t miss one!)

One of the cats is insane. Maybe not clinically. I can’t say for sure, we haven’t taken her to see a catherapist (do such things even exist)?

But I’ll tell you this about her: she does not like people to touch her or be near her, unless it’s on her terms. And she really doesn’t like to be picked up.

My girlfriend, who has had this cat her whole life (the cat’s whole life, not my girlfriend’s. That would either make it a very old cat or a very young girlfriend…),  pointed this out to me.

“When you pick her up, you have to hold her at arms length because she starts to wriggle around and scratch.”

Damned cats.

She even demonstrated this to me by picking the little sucker up and holding her at arms length. There are few things in the world that look as pathetic as a cat that does not want to be picked up being picked up. I wish I had a picture…

Then it was my turn. I get close enough to the cat and start petting her, just to lull her into a false sense of security. Then I reach down, grab her, and pick her up.

Then I make a slight error in judgment.

In order to support the cat and make both my life easier and her more comfortable, I place my right arm under her bottom. This should make everyone happy right?

Wrong. Very, very wrong.

After about 2 seconds in this position, the hell-spawn – er, I mean “lovely, cuddly, cat” –  begins to squirm. With her claws extended. With my arm directly under her feet.

Yup, she extended, scratched my arm, and I dropped her. The scaredy cat ran off and hid somewhere, no doubt reveling in the havoc she caused, like some crazy James Bond villain. I was left to tend to my scratched up arm.

Damned cats.

Innocent looking, right? But if you try to pick her up, she will claw you - TO DEATH!

As much as I’d like to, I can’t really blame the cat, can I? I mean, she’s just an animal. And when God makes you to be an irrational, ridiculous creature that flips out when the person who’s been feeding and taking care of you tries to pick you up, well that’s just the way it’s going to be.

More relevantly, my girlfriend did warn me (a fact she reminds me off anytime I mentioned the scratching incident).

And therein lies an important lesson: when an expert gives you advice about something which they know a great deal and you know very little, it’s a smart idea to listen to them. 

Until you’ve had some experience and practice, you’re much better off doing this the prescribed way. Sounds obvious, but how many times do you go out and try something new and modify it before you’ve even tried it the recommended way?

No need for you to shed your own blood, sweat, and tears if someone’s already done it for you. Learn from them, do it there way, and hold off on the tweaking until you know what you’re doing.

Reminder: This was part 3 of a 5 part series laying out lessons. Read the rest of the series here: 

Part 1: Short Term Discomfort Leads to Long Term Success
Part 2: Don’t Make Things Worse Than They Are
Part 3: Everyone (and Every Cat) is Different
Part 5: Communication Matters

Subscribe via RSS or email to make sure you don’t miss the last part!

Have your own “crazy cats” story (whether you learned anything from it or not)? Share it in the comments below!

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By Avish Parashar. As the world's only Motivational Improviser, Avish uses techniques from the world of improv comedy to engage, entertain, and educate audiences on ideas around change, creativity, and motivation. Connect with Avish on Google+

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