Ever since I returned from a four day break in Portland, my cat Trouble has been particularly affectionate and noisy. The day I returned, he meowed through the night right next to me bed. I felt really guilty for making him so lonely, but eventually, he returned to normal.

Or so I thought. Lately, he’s been climbing high places, pointing his tail straight up and then twitching it like a big furry vibrator while he meows at me pleadingly. I pet him, I stroke him, I feed him treats, but nothing placates his strange new behavior.

I searched for twitching tails online and some sites suggest that he’s “offering a friendly, cheerful greeting” except for the twitching, which is associated with either being intensely annoyed or intensely happy. Is he still pissed off at me for leaving him alone so long? Or is he happy that haven’t left again?

Maybe I should just get him a little kitten to pick on while I’m gone.