One Cat Two Souls: Ophelia vs. Angela

We adopted Ophelia before Eric and I were married. I was volunteering at a no-kill animal shelter in Portales, NM . While in the cat room she would approach me, reach up my leg and meow until I would pick her up. Once in my arms she would roll on her back and let me carry her like an infant. She would use her little kitty paws to pull my face to her, jealous if I gave attention to another.


Poor Eric didn't know what he was getting into when he told me that I could pursue his landlady and see if she would let him have a pet. I couldn't have one as I was living in the dorms (a cold chill runs down my spine as I recall the horrors of dorm living). So, I relentlessly pursued his landlady and was able to charm her into letting Eric adopt sweet Miss Ophelia.

When Eric picked her up I was not able to go with him. He picked me up from work that day and she was in her carrier. I pulled her out and immediately submitted to her eternal dark powers. That first evening we got the first taste of the two sides of this cat. She has dual personalities and we have learned to accept it.



Let me explain. There is Ophelia, also known as Loaf. She is fat, greedy, demanding, rude, cranky, and generally unpleasant. She will hiss if you enter her personal bubble. She can alpha roll Bumblebee. She eats all of the food. She flops her jelly rolls wherever she pleases and lets us know when we can or cannot approach.

Then there is the other personality; we call her Angela. She comes to us in the night with a gentle meow, a little kitty kiss, and endless purring. She loves and wants to sit in your lap, she affectionately grooms her sister Mia. She will tolerate Bumblebee. She coos and cuddles, rolls and plays like a kitten.


So, naturally we were initially a bit disturbed by these sudden shifts in personality. We never know which cat we would be dealt. Over the years we have learned to quickly react to whichever cat we are dealing with. Should we back off or dive in? Both Ophelia and Angela have their charms and too much of either has us missing the other personality. Will we be loved or snubbed? Maybe we are gluttons for punishment, but I suppose that is really the best part of this adoption, we received a two-for-one at the shelter.