Q:  Missy is a seven year old Himalayan seal point. She hates all men, other cats and dogs. When a woman comes to the door, she promptly rubs her legs and then goes back to her rug on the patio and goes to sleep. Why does she sleep all day and then raise havoc with the inside of the house at night? Missy loves to be massaged on her spine and in her front leg-pits. Every morning whn she gets up it is hair brushing time and the last thing to do before I go to bed. I have had many cats but none that didn't like human contact only with her permission. The only time I get attention is when I am ill and then she won't get away from me. Evidently she loves me, but how do I make her more unsociable? I am 73 years old and can't walk very well, and maybe she realizes this and lets me be the advancer.

NMC, Florida

A:   Missy is just being herself. Just like us humans, cats' personalities vary, and much depends on their background as well as genetics. Missy's day-sleeping and night-carousing is also totally normal. Cats are by nature nocturnal creatures, and she's acting the only way she knows to act. You might want to get a wand-type toy and give her a vigorous workout with it at night before you go to bed, followed by a little snack and her hair brushing. Enjoy the bonding time she allows you and try to accept that she may never be a "lap cat."

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