Sometimes kindness brings no rewards

My mother has a cat that is aptly named Spooky. This is the cat that doesn't like anyone besides my mom to pet her, touch her, or look at her. One time she was behind a couch and I made the mistake of looking back there. She crouched, staring up at me, and then exploded toward my face with a sudden leap. I still don't know how I got out of that one alive. Good reflexes, I guess, because there was no time to think.

Anyway, Spooky is getting old and spends most of her time now lying around the house. She used to run away when I would visit, but lately she hasn't seemed to mind me being in the same room. I've made a point to talk kindly to her and not make sudden movements. I've even tried putting my hand out toward her, carefully, and she will sometimes sniff it. (One time I accidentally gave her a static-electricity shock and almost got clawed, but that was months ago.)

So today I was at my mom's and Spooky was lying there looking pitiful and old. I thought, "Surely all my kindness is paying off." I put my hand out for her to sniff. She sniffed at it in a slow, old-cat kind of way. Then she bared her teeth, hissed, and slashed my hand with her claws, all in one lightning-fast moment. I jumped away, and the next moment she had her head down again, dozing in the sun.

It's all an act, I tell you. Her reflexes are as fast as ever, and no matter how old she gets, she's never, never going to like me. I think from now on our relationship is going to be one of carefully ignoring each other when we're in the same room.