Grey Cat seems glad to live a solitary existence outside. Before someone new arrived into the neighborhood, she didn’t rely on anyone for anything.
The stray then made the decision to integrate herself into the family and spend as much time as she can grooming people, as if to express her gratitude.
“I say she is not my cat, but she has clearly chosen me as her person,” Jessica Heidelberg, Grey Cat’s new mom, told The Dodo. “She is very sweet and cuddly but does not like staying inside all the time, so I give her the freedom to choose.”
The former stray no longer visits the neighbors’ houses — and for a very specific reason.
Heidelberg said, “She plainly likes to chew my hair. She also enjoys sleeping, standing, or lying on my chest. She occasionally gives my face a gentle kiss of affection. But every time I sit in my favorite recliner, she loves to “fix” my hair.
There are several reasons why cats groom, including reflexes they picked up as kittens, stress relief, or to “share” the family’s fragrance.
The near-daily grooming began a year ago when Heidelberg moved into the area.
“She just kinda showed up, very hungry and very friendly,” Heidelberg said. “Originally, I would feed her outside because she liked to bully my three spoiled cats and guard their food bowl from them.”
Heidelberg hadn’t given it much attention until her 6-year-old daughter started sneaking the cat in on a daily basis. The cunning cat made the family her own, settling in to call them her own.
Grey Cat rushes through any open door, dashes for food, and then acts as like she owns the place, according to Heidelberg.
Previously living outside means that Grey Cat isn’t content staying fully inside or outside. So, Heidelberg made a compromise.
“I let her in when it gets cold or rains, or just whenever she decides she needs a free meal,” she said. “I let her out when she’s had enough, or if she pleases. I allow her to nap, play hair stylist or play with my cats’ mouse toys, which they take for granted.”
Grey Cat now has the best of both worlds — and a new family.
“We just started calling her Grey Cat so I didn’t get attached,” she said. “But [Grey Cat] had other plans. This is her home now.”
