Hello, this is Dr. Karin. Read my bio, learn more about me, and meet my five cheerful cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.
This is Zazzles. Zazzles is the most timid, quiet, and shy cat in our household, and it’s not uncommon for us to not see him for days at a time, except when he sneaks out to get something to eat. She is most often found hiding in my wardrobe.
This is also Zazzles. She loves to roll around on our bed and couch, meow until she goes wild, tickle her tummy, and scratch her back. She can often be found sprawled out on my bed or sunning herself on the window sill.
a turbulent past
Zazzles was taken to the veterinary hospital where my (now) husband and I work, and she was in pretty bad shape. She was very thin and covered in fleas and was in dire need of flea and deworming treatments and lots of TLC. She dragged one of her hind legs, but showed no signs of pain when her hind legs were manipulated. X-rays showed that the old fracture had healed improperly, causing the limb to become shorter. Amputation is a bit extreme because repairing old fractures is difficult and painful. So although she walks with a limp, she doesn’t slow down and can run and jump like any other cat.
The first 2-3 years she lived with us, we hardly saw Zazzles. She would emerge for meals and then return to her favorite hiding place, but would never emerge if there were visitors in the house.
Things started to change after we moved to Cornwall…
traffic jam
Not long after we moved across the country, I started seeing little Torti kittens often. It was rare at first, but we started seeing her sunbathing on the windowsill, spending time with the dog, and even sitting on our laps demanding a fuss. Ta. It was like a different cat!
One of the reasons for the reboot of her character is that our house in Cornwall is at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, so the only traffic noise we hear is from cars slowly pulling into the driveway. is. Back in Essex we lived on a fairly busy road and the sound of cars passing by was a constant soundtrack to our lives.
This led me to wonder if her previous injuries were from collisions with cars. That would certainly explain the broken femur and her timid nature in high traffic areas.
two personalities
Zazzles suddenly came out, became sociable, and enjoyed sleeping in guests’ laps, but she also remained fearful and timid. It’s as if she has two different personalities.
When she is confident and friendly, she Really Confident and friendly! We sometimes have to get her off our knees when she needs to stand up, and we even coined the term “troping” to describe her affectionate rubbing and rolling behavior. She will roll around and meow until you give her attention. It even meows to get Koda the shepherd to come visit.
A few hours later, a frightened Zazzles returned and, as if expecting to be hit, snuck away, hid in my wardrobe, and ran when I tried to pick her up. When in this mode, she treats even mealtimes with suspicion.
We were unable to identify a specific trigger for her regression or if there was anything in particular that boosted her confidence. Rather than her entire personality changing gradually, it’s as if both personalities exist alternately within this little cat.
I hope her confidence wins out in the end, but I’m so happy to love both Zazzles and Zazzles.
This article is part of Dr. Karin’s 5 Hilarious Cats series.
