The first cat I adopted didn’t really change when I brought him home from the shelter. He was snuggly from day one, and he was snuggly until the day he died. Until I adopted my second cat, I didn’t realize that this was not the norm.
My little orange guy was terrified of my fiance and I when we brought him home. He hid under the couch for a day and a half before tentatively exploring. Then the next minute, realizing he was safe, he was in my arms purring like a diesel engine. Even though he was still spooked by us standing up and walking around, he would crawl in our lap when he needed attention.
Now, almost four months later, he has completely transformed. He no longer cares what kind of bullshit my fiance and I like to pull, including picking him up and making an Opie sandwich where he gets to be in the middle of a hug. In fact, he got so comfortable that he was quite defensive of his territory when we brought home a new cat, Coco.
We knew we wanted another cat when we got married, but we couldn’t wait when we found her in a PetSmart while we were buying food for Opie because she is everything we wanted. She is a small black cat that likes to cuddle and is good with other cats. When we first brought her back to my house, she was timid and hid under my dresser only occasionally coming out for pets just like Opie did when we first got him.
When we tried to introduce them, he was not happy with a new cat invading his space. It reminded me how much he changed by going from timid to protective. Slowly, he started to calm down when we gave them both treats in the same room. But by then, Coco was terrified of him, and Opie was frustrated because now that he was over his aggression, he wanted to play.
When I got a screen door, everything changed. As well as eating treats together, they started playing through the mesh divider between rooms until one day I realized I didn’t need to separate them anymore.
I adopted a timid black cat who is still a little skittish, but now loves to start fights with her new best friend. I thought she would just be sweet and snuggly, but turns out she is a Grade-A goofball who’s in cahoots with my other Grade-A goofball.
I love being surprised everyday by how much these little critters in my house change. It’s comforting to know that humans aren’t the only creatures that thrive with stability, love, and the occasional treat.

Kate DeHaan started Calvin as an engineering major and graduated (’22) with a bachelor’s in writing. She is currently working as an executive assistant for Mercer University’s student affairs. She also writes her own blog (LosingKate.com), practices martial arts, and takes full advantage of her apartment’s pool.
Maybe we’re all just cats in search sod stability, love, and little treats
I think that’s pretty accurate LOL
Oops it won’t let me edit haha I meant *some* stability,…