April Rules the Roost

April Rules the Roost - 8/13/2024

Watching a YouTube video about “The 6 Cat Personalities and how to identify them” – and trying to guess which one my cat fits into, I was flummoxed – she’s not on the list! The closest personality they described was called “dominance,” but they only related that aspect to other cats – as in cats bullying each other. April is definitely a dominant cat, and yes, it’s a one-cat household because it has to be.

But dominance for April doesn’t stop with other cats. When April wants something (or doesn’t) from her Hoomans, she’s not subtle at all.

I adopted April into our home about 4 years ago, when she was 2 years old. She had been a guest of the Contra Costa Humane Society, a place where I was volunteering on the front desk (phone calls, paperwork, etc.)

CCHS had tried placing April in the facility’s “Kitty Corner” – a “free-roam” cat playground – think really big living room with couches, fountains and cat condos. 90% of the cats the shelter took in went there and assimilated well – maybe after a skirmish or two – with everybody (cats). But April? Nope!

They wound up placing April where they place any cat who can’t be in the Kitty Corner due to illness, kittenhood, or, as in April’s case, maniacal dictatorial aggression. Such cats wind up in one of the admin offices with bed and blanket and bowls and litterbox. April landed herself in the Adoption Coordinator’s office.

Now don’t get me wrong here – April is a fantastic pet, great with people – even strangers, and absolutely starved for attention unless she’s sleeping. It’s just that our (and especially my) relationship with her is one of abject servitude. April well knows that hoomans are the most ungainly cats on the planet, and they really just can’t be allowed to fail their proper duties and place at the bottom of the totem pole.

I have scars to prove it.

But back to the ridiculously cute adoption story. Being at the front desk, I occasionally needed to visit one of several administrative folks. On this day, I needed to speak to the adoption coordinator, so into her office I went. There was a black cat in there, just lounging on its bed. I sat down on a chair to do my thing, and all of a sudden, there was a cat on my lap – where none had been before. My bottom had barely hit the chair before I had a furball in my face. Being as I really like cats this was no problem at all for either of us (me or the cat).

It was a done deal.

I couldn’t adopt her that very day because I had to check with my housemates for cat compatibility.

A few days later, after a favorable consensus was reached, a reasonable fee for services was paid (they take adoption quite seriously there), and a ride was offered by none other than the adoption coordinator, April was “installed” in our home.

She hit the ground running, as they say. She spent a few days inspecting the property (indoor only for this cat), then proceeded to declare exclusive ownership, and take full command of the domicile.

Litterbox? MINE. Check. Food and Water supply? MINE. Check. Bed of Hooman? MINE. Check. (ok, we can share).

So, what’s up with my “abject servitude” comment above? Well, to be fully honest here, it’s probably more about my personality than April’s. I simply live to serve April’s every whim. While I do get to actually have something resembling a life beyond that, April and I have a daily routine in which she gets all of her needs and most of her wants provided by me – and the other human residents as well. Being retired, and fully embedded in online socialization (much of that due to hearing issues mitigated by technology), on most days, April has me all to herself, and she clearly wouldn’t have it any other way. I long ago earned her complete trust and attachment by being her safe anchor and provider.

But one of the most beautiful things I love about April is her slightly more than average cat wild streak (maybe it’s black cat thing, I don’t know). Also long ago, she acquired the nickname (from me) of “Monster.” It’s both a term of endearment and a valid description of her general attitude. That attitude is a combination of wildness, profound trust and the housecat version of passion. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Thanks for reading.