When company walks through our front door Ares and Chaos are there to greet whomever it may be with lots of excitement, licks and waggles. Little O will slink around to check them out, go through their personal belongings as they set them down and introduce himself as the resident cat-dog. But Miss Piper is not a greeter.
Sure, if she knows you pretty well she might not take off like she’s on fire but she is never the welcoming type. While the dogs can barely contain themselves vying for attention from the guests and Little O is weaving through legs, Piper is either out of sight underneath the bed or tucked behind my clothes in the closet. If you do happen to be a frequent guest the best you will get from her, at least upon your initial arrival, is a glance from her perch on the barstool or the cat tree.
The boys have always been very social and love having more people to fawn over them. Piper has always been much more reserved. She likes to take her time to warm up to the presence of people she isn’t familiar with and come assess the situation on her own time. She’s not going to attack anyone if they try to come see her, she just likes to be the one to come to you.
In the human world we would label Ares, Chaos and O as outgoing and friendly and Piper as anti-social, shy or awkward. But to animals these traits don’t exist, they just are the way they are. The boys respect Piper’s space (for the most part) but feel free to invade each other’s at any time. The dogs and the cat-dog seek attention and affection from everyone whenever it’s available while Piper chooses who she will cozy up to and when it’s to her liking.
Before Little O joined the family people would say Piper’s behavior was just her feline nature. Now that we have O, who is clearly more of the mind to play greeter when the door opens, it has dispelled some of that thinking. If you recall, I’m sure you have walked into people’s homes or yards with dogs or cats who may regard you tentatively, unsure about you being there. That could last your entire visit or just until they’ve given you a once over and decided you pose no threat. And I’m sure you’ve also experienced being jumped up on by exuberant dogs, so happy to have you come see them or tried not to trip on kitties who immediately take to rubbing against your legs.
Pets have distinctive personalities that can vastly differ from one another just like people. My dogs and cat-dog happen to be enthusiastic about having people over. Piper decides on her reaction based on who it is and her current mood. How do your pets treat guests in your home?
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