The Professor
Eccentric theorist who tests gravity and fluid mechanics at 3 a.m.—tipping water bowls, launching pens from countertops, and analyzing every clatter as fresh data for the grand experiment.
Summary
Professors are analytical experimenters, endlessly curious about the mechanics of their world. They conduct midnight investigations—tipping water bowls or testing gravity on lightweight objects. Their affection is brief and deliberate, reserved for moments when they choose to consult with you on their latest hypothesis. Play revolves around cause‑and‑effect toys and clattering experiments, repeated until the mystery is solved. They thrive in lab‑like setups of cardboard tunnels and treat tubes; without mental stimulation, they may exhibit compulsive object destruction.
Myers-Briggs Equivalent
Human INTPs are introverted, intuitive, thinking, and perceiving—private architects of ideas who chase truth through logic and endless questioning. The Professor mirrors each pole: I—small social bandwidth; N—spins abstract theories about faucet physics; T—chooses experiments over cuddles; P—embraces spontaneous discovery at midnight. Loyalty appears as an occasional consultative purr that asks, “Could you hold this beaker while I replicate the splash velocity?”
Often Confused With
Stress Watch
Escalating object destruction or obsessive water-tipping signals scientific frustration. Before the household becomes a full-scale field site, swap in a harder puzzle feeder, add a vertical maze, or schedule an extra midnight “lab block.”
Ideal Habitat
Turn a spare room into a feline research hub: stackable boxes as observation towers, cardboard tunnels for airflow studies, treat tubes for problem-solving, and multiple water features to satisfy fluid-dynamics inquiries. Rotate apparatus weekly to keep the syllabus fresh.
Play Style
Cause-and-effect reigns—domino lines of bottle caps, water bowls tipped to test splash radius, and puzzle boxes pried open until the retrieval algorithm is perfect. They’ll repeat a clatter experiment dozens of times to validate the data set.
Training Tip
Novelty prevents disengagement. Introduce bell-ringing, button-pressing, or light-switch tricks; vary rewards—freeze-dried shrimp one session, chasing a rolling kibble the next—to keep the curiosity curve rising.
Attachment Style
Secure-but-avoidant: they pad over for a quick nose tap, confirm you’re functional lab staff, then vanish behind the couch for independent research. Extended cuddles feel like unnecessary peer reviews; a brief chin scratch suffices before they file back into the night shift.
Friend Style
Socially aloof yet intellectually collaborative: if another cat uncovers a loose spring, The Professor appears instantly to co-investigate. Grooming sessions are rare; shared discoveries are how they bond.