We have been advised to never judge a book by its cover yet in the entertainment industry, looks matter a lot in landing a role. It is the gangster look that Robert LaSardo carries and the tattoos on his body that result in directors casting him as the villain, almost always. The same goes for actors like Danny Trejo, whose face holds a roughness that can best be utilized in bad guy roles hence the success of movies such as “Machete.”. Well, even animals possess certain traits that make us judge them, mostly wrongly. For instance, the new grumpy cat in town, Kitzia, has recently become an internet sensation all because she looks permanently angry. She joins the list of world-famous felines, and here is her story as well as how to tell if your cat is mad at you.
Becoming a social media celebrity
Viktoriia Otdielnova is a US citizen who is originally from Ukraine but settled in Florida six years ago. In 2018, the look her cat, Kitzia, forever has on her face prompted Viktoriia to share the feline’s pictures with the world. Therefore in 2018, Viktoriia, a photographer, used her skills in capturing perfect images of Kitzia and posted them on the Instagram account she created specifically for the pet. Kitzia’s human mom captioned the first photo she posted on social media that although Kitzia looked weird, she is very friendly.
That was two years ago, and now, Kitzia always makes her followers look forward to seeing her grumpy face. According to Malay Mail, one person commented that the Instagram page had become her new favorite cat page as more users kept complimenting the feline on her unique look. The number of fans has recently been growing exponentially; on June 6, 2020, her followers were around 50,000, but by June 23, 2020, they stood at 86.6k.
She reminds people of another grumpy cat
Kitzia may enjoy the celebrity status now, but before her, Tardar Sauce was the queen of the internet going by the title “The World’s Grumpiest Cat.” Tardar was born on April 4, 2012, with an underbite and feline dwarfism, which was concluded to be the reason behind her grumpy look. However, her owner, Tabitha, did not plan on making her famous. Instead, Tardar became popular after Tabitha’s brother took a photo of her and posted it on Reddit. Immediately, the cat’s image became widely used to express cynicism.
Tardar became not only a social media celebrity but also a rich feline as well. Besides playing a lead role in “Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever,” she also had her merchandise line that included toys, clothing, and fragrance. So popular was she that when one coffee company tried selling their iced coffee under the tag “Grumppuccinos,” they were slapped with a suit that cost them$750,000 in damages. According to The Atlantic, Tardar Sauce had accumulated over $100 million in two years.
Therefore the news of Tardar’s passing was met with heavy hearts as people bid goodbye to a cat that had given them so much fun in the five years she had become their constant online companion. Tabitha, however, had to have been hit the most, not just emotionally but financially too. When the cat’s image went viral, Tabitha quit her waitressing job to concentrate on Grumpy Cat’s career. When the feline died, that meant Tabitha’s income also came to an abrupt halt since even pet insurance could not pay any money for a pet influencer. All the insurance could cover was the amount that Tabitha would need to replace the cat, based on the current cost of that specific breed, or how much she paid to get Tardar.
Does grumpiness equate to anger?
IFL Science explained the reason behind Tardar’s grumpy look saying the grumpy facial expression was due to the cat suffering from feline dwarfism. The condition, whose scientific name is achondroplasia, is the result of the mutation of the fibroblast growth receptor. Since the gene is usually involved in the production of a protein responsible for normal development, when it mutates, felines end up with bowed legs, an underbite, and an abnormally large head. Some cats later develop arthritis, spinal issues, and obesity due to the condition.
While that article e blames feline dwarfism for some cats’ grumpiness, another expert believes the felines’ killer instinct could explain the unexpressive face. He reasoned that cats might live at home with humans, but that does not mean they are completely domesticated. As a result, cats cannot socialize and still need to continue hunting as they adhere to the instinct to fend for themselves. Therefore even if a cat looks grumpy, it does not mean it is sad or angry.
How to tell if your cat is angry at you
Since we cannot conclude that a cat is mad at us simply from the look they have on their face, Reader’s Digest gives us tips on how to tell when our furry friends are not happy with us. First of all, cats are said to be introverted creatures that want to be alone most of the time. However, you should know your pet well enough to notice when he is keeping his distance from you for far much longer, which could mean he cannot stand to be around you and needs his space to calm down.
Other cats are not the quiet type, and if you piss them off, be ready to hear the growl to express their displeasure. Just like you would do with humans, you should allow the cat to deal with his emotions by leaving him alone for a while. Later, you can slowly approach them to play with them as you watch their behavior towards you to see if they are responding positively. Of course, a few praises while at it will allow you to extend an olive branch to the feline, which hopefully they will accept.
