There’s a special place in our hearts reserved for cats who have the good/bad luck of having a grumpy resting face. Over the years, we’ve featured some pretty amazing grumpy cats, from Koyuki and Loki to Meow Meow and Louis. Well, now we’ve got a brand new contender for that title: Barbara, previously known as Belle.
“Barbara’s priority in life is to be on me, wherever I am, and that includes the bathroom,” Sarah joked. “She takes time throughout the day to enjoy playing with cat toys (the cat dancer, a rainbow ball she’s decided is the only ball she will play fetch with) but she gets tired of games easily,” Barbara’s owner Sarah Borok told.
“Occasionally, she’ll obsess over a box or the laundry hamper and camp out there. Barbara’s character fluctuates between being profoundly disappointed in everything I do, to being an adoring ball of mush that I can manipulate into any position without resistance,” the owner told Bored Panda. “She is up for affection and smothering any time of day. If anyone else enters the house though, she basically threaten to murder them.”
Sarah said that Barbara “has a routine of falling asleep spooned into my arm and will follow me every single time I change position throughout the night. I don’t think Barbara is capable of sleeping in any position that is detached from my arm.”
“The internet has fallen in love with Barbara’s grumpy face but mostly as it completely contradicts the extreme smothering affection they see in her with me. It seems to give her more complexity, and also makes me the envy of, like, millions of women?” Sarah once again showed her sense of humor.
We were interested to know what could be done to help animals with unusual looks get adopted. In Sarah’s opinion, “ultimately there’s only natural chemistry that can really determine why one human gravitates to any particular cat, but being open to expanding your experience with cats who look all sorts of ways is key.”
“Social media accounts are extremely helpful in allowing viewers to build a broader pool, but visiting local shelters or adoption events, especially those that have interaction rooms is extremely important. I believe anyone who is looking to adopt an animal, should take their time, put in a lot of research, and be very ready to commit to the life they’re going to nurture,” Barbara’s owner told us.
Barbara, the perpetually-grumpy cat started pinging on people’s radar when the story of how she met her owner went viral online. When she was first adopted, she was aggressive and used to attack her new mom, Sarah.
However, she eventually grew to love her new owner and became a kitty-cat full of wholesome love (as well as a fondness for meowsome snuggles).
According to the ASPCA, feline aggression is a common problem and most owners will deal with it sooner or later. Sometimes, a cat hurting its owners might be related to underlying medical issues. Like ones that cause it to feel chronic pain. What’s more, issues with health are in part related to a cat’s diet.
But if your cat’s acting aggressively, you ought to speak with a veterinarian or another expert before making major changes in your pet’s life. Qualified professionals can create a personalized treatment plan for your cat which should improve its quality of life.
However, there may be other reasons behind aggressive behavior besides health issues. These include living in fear (a common reaction if the cat was abused in the past) and defending one’s rightfully claimed territory (which may include but is not limited to: your couch, your laptop, and the top of your head).
A quick and easy way to reduce your cat’s anxiety is to get it a scratching post and a cat condo so the animal has something stimulating to do. Also, if you’re knackered, you won’t have the energy to be mad at someone.
And remember to immediately stop playing with your cat if it starts acting aggressively—you don’t want to reward bad behavior with positive attention. Otherwise, your pet will think it’s okay not only to look grumpy but to be grumpy.
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