Stepping into my first week at the SPCA of Tompkins County, I was excited, but a little unsure of myself. I haven’t had a cat in years, and while I love animals I’m not too sure about cat body language and interaction.

During training, we were instructed to interact with the kittens and FIV+ cats first. These were the cats most likely to catch diseases, so visiting them first ensures we aren’t spreading anything from other cats. After holding and talking to a kitten until she seemed to be becoming overstimulated, I headed back to check whether there were any FIV+ cats. To my surprise, there was a cat, Max, who had come in the day before. His recent arrival meant that there wasn’t much information available on him, so I wasn’t sure what to expect upon entering the room. He was initially sleeping, but when I stepped into the room he jumped up to meow at me. His tail stood straight up and he kept meowing at me, staring with huge eyes.

I immediately assumed he was angry that I was invading his space and decided to stand still and let him get used to me. He started rubbing against my legs and I quickly realized that he was asking for affection!

I petted and talked to Max for around 15 minutes, while he purred and rubbed his head against me. I think I will quickly learn how to read cat body language, but I don’t think I’ll adjust to how happy the cats make me! 

Max the Cat