Member-only story
Cats get lonely too
Just like introverts, they can crave affection
Cats and introverts. Two often misunderstood creatures. Often quiet, often powerful.
I have a cat. I never thought I wanted one but then I got one. The cat before this one, actually.
I’ve always been more of a dog person. I crave affection, you see, even though I’m an introvert. I need touch. Human touch is nice, but cuddling with a pet also works.
I used to go hiking with my dogs all over the Blue Ridge, and then up in Michigan and Ohio. I never considered getting a cat even though I liked them. They seemed very self-contained. When I visited people with cats, sometimes one might deign to let me pet it, like royalty granting an audience.
There was a kitten I once adopted that gave me hints of something different. I heard it mewing in a convenience store. It had been abandoned and sounded so sad, so I brought it home and gave it some milk. I didn’t know at the time that milk is not something you’re supposed to feed cats, as it can give them diarrhea. On the other hand, this was a kitten, so…
She was surprisingly wise. She would bat at my fingers with claws extended, but when she wandered up to explore my face, she was so gentle and careful, her paw delicately touching my cheek. Thus she wove herself into…
