Conversion therapy with the clutch: Turning cat haters into cat lovers

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Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn, read my bio to learn more about me and meet my five delightful cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda and Zazzles.

If there’s one thing Clutch can’t stand, it’s the dislike of cats, and he seems to be on a mission to turn even the biggest cat hater into a cat lover.¹ He doesn’t take “no” for an answer. This handsome boy has such incredible powers that he even cured a family member of his cat allergy! How did he achieve such a feat? My Star Wars theory.

Star Wars Theory

In the good old days, when Star Wars only had three great movies, Episodes IV, V, and VI, I used to get into arguments with people who claimed to “hate” Star Wars, and it went something like this:

they: I hate Star Wars
myself: Have you seen it?
they: no.
myself： *blank face*
they: I don’t like those types of movies.
myself: But… but you’ve never actually seen it. How do you know?

Now, you may be wondering what on earth this has to do with clutches. Basically, my analogy is that cats are science fiction movies and clutches are Return of the JediStill confused? Let me explain.

Many people have based their opinions of Star Wars on the fact that they don’t like the sci-fi genre, but as fans can attest, Episodes IV through VI appeal to a much wider audience because they are more character-driven and less hardcore sci-fi. Episode VI, Return of the Jedi in particular, had something for everyone: sci-fi, romance, adventure, and (love it or hate it) the Ewoks.

People who have never had a good experience with cats often assume that they don’t like cats.

Cats = Sci-Fi movies
Friendly Cat = Star Wars
Clutch = Return of the Jedi

Brother-in-law James: I never liked cats, but now I have two.

Wait, what?

Well, maybe that was a bit of a complicated way of explaining that Clutch is a cat that even cat haters love, but it was a fun distraction!

Over the past decade, Clutch has attracted scared kids, cynics, and manly men alike. Of course, there are people who just don’t like animals at all, but we try to keep them out of our homes and social circles.

You may have heard that cats are often attracted to humans who aren’t huge cat lovers, as they tend to display traits that most cats find endearing: squinting, walking away, and leaving the cat alone. In cat terms, this shows trust and respect, and draws the cat to the less-than-happy human. But Clutch isn’t fazed by more overt cat-hating behavior. Push him away, keep him off your lap, or move him elsewhere, and this affectionate boy isn’t fazed; they’re simply challenges to be overcome. With his fierce determination, Clutch gets people to acknowledge his irresistible charm, and that maybe cats aren’t so terrible after all.

Dogs and cats

Clutch has always loved being with dogs.

Clutch often jokes that she identifies as a dog, due to her calm nature and preference for the company of other dogs. This is often noticed by dog lovers who hate cats. One of the traits of cats that people find repulsive is that they are unpredictable and easily startled. One wrong move and they’ll run away in an instant or turn their sharp teeth and claws on you. While this is certainly true of some cats, it doesn’t fairly or accurately represent all cats. But it takes a lot of convincing to shake off this prejudice. Enter Clutch.

Clutch is far from being a pouncer or biter, is difficult to immobilize once settled, is not easily startled, and has never become aggressive due to fear or anger. His calm demeanor and strong desire to be loved seem to reassure people, especially those who appreciate the lovable nature of dogs.

Allergies? Allergies to what?

My mother-in-law loves cats. Unfortunately, her immune system has not been very friendly to them. In the past, contact with cat dander would give her watery eyes, an itchy throat, and a runny nose, so she would always take copious amounts of antihistamines before any of them came over to our house.

Clutch takes care of mother-in-law's allergies — Clutch takes care of mother-in-law’s allergies

Clutch stuck to poor Trish as usual, snuggling up to her chest, accompanying her to her meals, sleeping on her clothes, and making sure her and her belongings got plenty of white fur. As the months went by, she noticed that her symptoms lessened and she no longer needed to take antihistamines beforehand, which was not entirely unheard of. Allergies tend to get worse or better with exposure, and Trish seemed to fall into the latter category.

People can have allergic reactions to some cats, but not all of them, but she had been allergic to other cats at home before Clutch came along, so Clutch’s intense affection appears to have had a kind of desensitizing effect on her.

Conversion with a warning

I can confidently say that nearly everyone who had the chance to meet Clutch has had a vastly improved opinion of cats in general. Not everyone rushed out and got a cat right away, but some realized that cats weren’t “all bad” and eventually caved to family pressure. I’m proud that Clutch has converted so many former cat haters, but I don’t want people to be under the illusion that all cats are like Clutch.