Now that Duchess has settled in and made herself at home, her little personality quirks are showing up. Never known a cat without them. Some of them are quirks I haven’t seen in any of my previous cats.
She sleeps on her back.
Not all the time, but sometimes she’ll just flip over and doze with her little paws crossed over her chest. Sometimes she’ll stretch her arms up over her head.
She likes me to pet her face.
Most cats I’ve known like to be scritched on the cheek or chin, or above the eyes, but usually they really hate you to put your entire palm over their face. Duchess loves it; she’ll press her little face up into your hand. She likes you to stroke her entire head, from nose to skull, with your whole hand.
She bites her nails.
If you’re not familiar with cats, their claws periodically shed the top layer. This helps them stay sharp and useful; one reason cats scratch carpets or trees is to help the process along.
Duchess will lie next to me, fastidiously cleaning her lovely white forepaws, and she’ll grab each claw between her teeth and tug on it repeatedly to remove the loose sheath of keratin.
I love that cats are quirky. And I love that our cat is feeling comfortable and relaxed enough to be her quirky little self.