“He’ll Cry And Complain For Hours”: 18-Year-Old Cat Cries If His Sweater Is Taken Off

For folks who've never owned one, it may seem that all cats are somewhat the same and, overall, have a pretty similar character. However, everyone who's ever lived with a kitty knows how unique and distinct of a personality each of them has. For instance, let's talk about Steve—an 18-year-old cat who's recently gone viral on Imgur. One of the most interesting and one-of-a-kind things about this little guy is that he wholeheartedly enjoys wearing sweaters. Yep.

More info: Instagram | Imgur

Bored Panda contacted Steve's human-mom in order to find out a bit more about him. "I’ve had Steve since he was about 8 weeks old. I was 12 at the time and my family was living in Phoenix, AZ," the owner shared with us. "A family friend’s cat had kittens and my parents took my little sister to pick one out since he was supposed to be hers. The last part didn’t work out so well—he was kept in a separate room for the first bit so he and our older cat could get acclimated to each other. He cried constantly and I would sneak in to comfort him because I felt bad."

It feels like the two were simply meant to be. "Long story short, he got attached to me—much to my sister’s initial dismay (though we later got a dog and she was thrilled since she likes dogs much more than cats.) I actually have an old 'contract' drawn with markers that she gave me for my birthday a few years later saying that he was 'officially' mine. Steve and I have had 18 wonderful years together since," Steve's mom told us.

We were extremely curious to find out a bit more about Steve's personality. Here's what the owner told us: "He’s got personality in spades. He’s hugely affectionate. He loves to come up when I’m laying down and cuddle into my chest and arms so I can hold him while we nap or while I read. He constantly tries to groom me too, particularly around my forehead and the sides/back of my neck."

Turns out, Steve has a bit of separation anxiety. "He has been on Prozac before to help manage it while I’ve been away on internships since otherwise, he stops eating," the owner shared with Bored Panda. "At the same time, he’s a demanding prima donna that isn’t afraid to scream at me if he’s the least bit displeased."

"He’s pretty chatty overall—he likes to talk back to me when he wants something if I say anything to him. He’s also the biggest weirdo—he’s graceless and rolls off the bed when stretching, will eat any plant he can get access to, tries to roll in bleach, likes to try to lick deodorant and paint, and drools from happy when you scratch just the right spot behind his ears," the owner told us.

Now, let's address the elephant in the room and talk a bit more about the whole sweater obsession thingie. "I found out he liked wearing sweaters during the move from Phoenix to New Jersey," the owner told us. "I went out about a month ahead of him with the furniture (in January 2019) while he continued to live with my parents so I could get things settled/unpacked and so he wouldn’t go through the stress of a cross-country drive. Since he was going to be flying out in early February with my best friend, I picked up the sweater before I left to make sure he’d be warm during the flight and in his carrier until he got to my apartment."

At first, Steve wasn't much of a fan. "He didn’t like it at first, but by the time he landed, he was happy to wear it. He’s an arthritic old desert cat, so I’m sure it feels good on his creaky bones. I don’t keep him in it during the warmer months, but it’s his third favorite thing (behind his heated bed and my heated blanket) as soon as temperatures drop," the owner explained.

And if you take a sweater off of him, you have to put it right back on! "He’s fine with someone taking it off initially (as in he won’t claw or bite) but if it doesn’t go right back on, he’ll cry and complain incessantly for hours. The moment it goes back on, he’ll quiet down immediately and snuggle up to sleep," Steve's mom told us.

The owner made a few Imgur posts featuring her little guy, which immediately received thousands of views, likes, and comments. "I’m thrilled that people have liked seeing him! He’s my best boy, so reading all the comments about the people that love him has been amazing," the owner expressed her joy. "The internet has been so sweet, too. Several people offered to knit him new sweaters and @miniwatercolourwonders on Imgur/Instagram actually painted him! The attention is kind of funny since I don’t really have any social media presence myself, but if he makes people happy, then I’m happy to provide as many pictures as the internet wants."

If you enjoy looking at Steve as much as we do, you should definitely check out his new Instagram profile @the_daily_bood.