Grumpy Cat Needs a New Name

On sunday, something amazing happened. Out of nowhere, Grumpy Cat walked over to me, vigorously head-bumped for several minutes to mark me as his own, asked for petting, and then in a flash flipped upside down in my lap and curled into a happy little ball, contented and dazed with the neck-scratching.  He's solid black, except for one very cute tuft of white on his belly which I had never noticed before... reminds me of my first dog as a child, named Star because she was all black with one small white spot on her forehead.

Grumpy Cat frequently exposes his belly to me now... a sign of trust and submission in most mammals.

Why is this amazing? When we first moved in, 6 months and 8 days ago, Grumpy Cat would flee the backyard as quickly as possible any time we would so much as open the back door. There was no collar, and he obviously spent most of his time in the backyard (in particular under the Zen bench), but he looked pretty well-fed. Over a few months of pretending like he didn't matter or even exist (which, I've learned, is a good way to get the neighbors' cats to take a sudden and excruciatingly desperate interest in me), he began warily tolerating my presence. Eventually I began leaving bits of tuna out for him which made him not so wary, and eventually he began almost not flinching as I petted his head once or twice while he ate. He still wouldn't eat if my husband put one foot out the back door.

Earlier this week I had a friend over, and we went out into the backyard... Grumpy Cat turned into your stereotypical Halloween cat, arching his back, raising hair, hissing and showing fang very pointedly at the new intruder to the backyard. While I hadn't ever seen that reaction from him, it wasn't at all unexpected. Then yesterday was the next time I saw him, and he very suddenly decided that he likes me. A lot. Even without food. I had won the battle of wills! I came into the house laughing and elated and danced with my husband in the kitchen... whew, I need a cuddly pet more than I'll admit.

Grumpy Cat will have none of that camera nonsense.

I have some hesitations about the cat:
- I don't want to “steal” a stray cat if it's someone else's pet, or make it too dependent on me by feeding it too often which makes it less likely to visit its real home. To feed, or not to feed...
- It is not a good idea to fall so deeply in love with the cat so that it is too hard to leave him behind when we move (which may be in a year, maybe 5 years).  It may be too late.
- Was the violent reaction to the visiting friend the catalyst for this loving change in behavior?  And how?  Is this an emotionally unpredictable kitty?

Grumpy Cat still looks evil... and less fluffy.

Ahem.  I just looked up how to tell cat sexes apart, lifted a tail, and figured out that he is really a she! Got to love the internet.

I have never, ever met such a resistant feline. But now I'm awash in endorphins from bonding with her. It might be love.  I'm in too deep. I'm thinking up actual pet names.


Do you have any cat advice to give me?
Thus far, my pet expertise is only in the area of reptiles, amphibians, fish, dogs, and rodents.

__________

Other posts related to the tale of Grumpy Cat:

Feeding The Cat  7/19/10
Getting Medieval  7/5/10
There's A Creature Lurking In The Garden!  6/25/10