Caturday: Contradictions - Feral Furies & Vet-Time Flops 🐈💥😼
Ever had a domesticated darling go full feral in a flash? Or a streetwise bruiser melt into a trembling puffball at the vet, making you look like a drama queen for warning “He’s a killer”?
Welcome to the feline paradox.
🔹 Triggers for the feral flip
Even the most pampered housecat can channel her inner alley warrior when:
- Cornered or restrained (especially by unfamiliar hands)
- Overstimulated (petting that goes one stroke too far)
- Startled by scent or sound (new animals, vet smells, vacuum cleaners)
- Pain or illness (cats mask discomfort until they can’t)
It’s not betrayal—it’s survival. Cats are wired to react first, apologize never.
🔹 Why ferals flop at the vet
My beautiful, untouchable at the time, Sophia, a Sokoke (those last remaining remnants of the wild cat-converted-to-domesticity breeds), generally untouchable and out of reach, terroized me when I carriered her for her first vet visit after rescuing her. Oh, my! What would she do to the vet?
Ha! She turned me into a liar! She sat primly still and attentive, and purred when touched. What?!
Why?
- Sensory overload: sterile smells, barking dogs, fluorescent lights—too much input can short-circuit fight mode.
- Freeze response: when flight isn’t an option, freeze is the fallback.
- Learned helplessness: some cats have been through this rodeo enough to know resistance is futile.
So yes, I did tell the truth. Sopha was a feral menace. Just not that day--and not ever because we have finally domesticated her and she likes it here.
Happy Caturday from the land of feline contradictions—where survival instincts meet stage fright, and every hiss has a backstory. 🐾
Learn more about cats. See our many Caturday posts.
Be entertained. See all our posts about cats.
Be inspired. See posts by and about Sula, parish cat, and her books.
Have a chuckle. Read posts by and about Jeremy Feig's award-winning book (book of the year finalist, Kops-Fetherling Lagacy Award for Humor), How My Cat Made Me a Better Man.
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