> PET PSYCHE PIPPIN THE ‘DESTRUCTIVE’ CAT IS AN ARTIST
Most adoring pet owners would do anything for their cherished companions, but could they speak for their furry or feathered or finned friends and tell us what they are thinking? To find out, we’re putting pet owners to the test with the personality questionnaire made famous by French novelist Marcel Proust. Meet Catherine Reidt and Pippin.
If there’s one cat whose good side you want to be on, it’s Pippin. Once he sets his sights on a project — shredding the living room furniture, for example — any attempt to dissuade him is met with claws and teeth. “He’s even been red-flagged at the vet for drawing blood,” Reidt admits.
Fortunately for Pippin, Reidt and her husband have shared their home with several other cats over the years. “If he had been our first cat, he likely would have been our last,” Reidt reveals, citing his “challenging and often destructive nature” as the main reason. But she credits an infinite amount of patience (on her part) during the last nine years, along with insightful tips like how to “cat-ify” your home from Jackson Galaxy’s show, My Cat from Hell, on Animal Planet for the relatively peaceful coexistence they enjoy today.
If there’s an upside to Pippin’s destructive behaviour, “it’s his artwork,” Reidt says. His most popular piece is a section of wallpaper he destroyed and which remarkably resembles a cat. Aptly titled “Self-Portrait,” it is framed and prominently displayed on the kitchen wall.
Pippin has also taken to curling up inside the family’s grand piano, which Reidt good-humouredly chalks up to his creative side. “When you’re in the arts, you’re in the arts!”
What is Pippin’s idea of perfect happiness?
Having his human staff respond to his every need without imposing any expectations.
Which living person does Pippin most admire?
No one! He believes that everyone wants to be like him. Everyone is a mere mortal deserving only his pity. Although if he did have to pick some- one it would be his vet, Dr. Paul, for being brave enough to continue to treat him despite almost needing stitches.
What does Pippin consider
the most overrated virtue?
Based on his behaviour, he has no time for obedience, compliance or conformity. Which talent would Pippin most like to have?
He would like to be invisible so that when his humans hear the sound of scratching, they will not know from where it comes. What is Pippin’s most marked characteristic? His volatility. Who is Pippin’s hero of fiction?
He admires Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde so much so that he emulates them/him as much as possible.
What is Pippin’s motto?
It is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. If you think you know what your animal companion is thinking, email
and tell us why they should be profiled. petpsyche@gmail.com