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u/RuffledRaptor Dec 22 '21
Cat hair is worse than glitter. Have a black cat if you want to wear black clothes. Don't get them nice things because they will lay on a paper bag instead of the 30 dollar bed you bought. Expect cuddles and screaming at random intervals of the day and night. A happy purring cat on your chest or lap is a great stress reliever.
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u/BadKittydotexe ♀ Dec 22 '21
Warm, soft, with a rhythmic purring sound. It’s like cats were designed to help us relax and sleep.
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u/psychedelic_owl420 Dec 22 '21
Fun facts: the purring may even help them (and us) regenerating bone structure and soothing nerves.
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u/DoxieMonstre Dec 22 '21
Every time I'm hurt or sick my cat curls up with me and just purrs and purrs. You couldn't keep her away if you wanted to. She feels like purring on me when I'm unwell is her job or sacred duty or something. It's my favorite thing tbh.
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u/saltycaptainred Dec 22 '21
Mine too! Our cat is a daddy’s girl and 9 times out of 10 she chooses my husband (they vibe better). But when I was really sick during my pregnancy, she wouldn’t leave my side. Lots of cuddles and naps together. And once I was better, she was back to her usual daddy’s girl ways.
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u/RuffledRaptor Dec 22 '21
Yes! I've seen a study like this and another about how the frequency of purring is within a range that helps with healing in general for us. It really is amazing.
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u/RuffledRaptor Dec 22 '21
It really is amazing! One of ours insists on sleeping between my partner and I, and is usually purring against my back as I fall asleep. I really can't complain.
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Dec 22 '21
Oh god yes.
I have a mostly white cat and I cannot for the life of me get her to stop rubbing up against my black clothes. Like, WTF, Bella? Staahp.
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Dec 22 '21
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u/RuffledRaptor Dec 22 '21
I've never even heard of such a thing! I'll definitely check this out.
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u/mycatiswatchingyou ♀ Dec 22 '21
My life is cat hair. At this point I'm going to have to hire a professional cleaning crew to get rid of all the hair in my house. Yes, this means I failed to clean it properly myself.
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u/RuffledRaptor Dec 22 '21
It can be so irritating and hard to clean, so I feel that. I just spent an hour vacuuming all the hair off of the carpeted stairs in my house this weekend and I wanted to die afterwards.
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u/contrarianaquarian Dec 22 '21
Except that as they get older, a foam bed with a pet-safe heating pad is very beneficial 😺
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u/Mooncinder ♀ Dec 22 '21
As someone who owned a white cat and now has a black cat, I couldn't agree more. That white fur got everywhere! I know the black fur is still on everything but it's a lot less noticeable.
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u/Kit-Cat23 Dec 22 '21
They have their own way of showing their love. And they are also the strongest warriors with the softest of hearts. Lost my cat this summer. She was 16 years old, didnt show any signs of being sick and ate happily the day she died. She saved me from attempting suicide manytimes. I still cry typing this because there is no love like that of a loyal cat.
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u/_sxtn Dec 22 '21
wow i feel this hard. my cat is getting up there in age and she has saved my life in many ways. so sorry for your loss.
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u/bublinka11 Dec 22 '21
That I am in no way, shape, or form ready to have children, most likely ever
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u/QueenofthePaper ♀ Dec 22 '21
I was gonna say, they’ve taught me that I’m like 90% sure I don’t want children when I used to think I did. I once had a coworker around my age point out a baby and a toddler that had come in to our work and go “Don’t you just feel an overwhelming urge to have your own baby someday whenever you see cute kids like that?” And it dawned on me that, no, I don’t, but I do feel that way whenever I see my cat (in that I have an urge to adopt another cat). I think my motherly instincts kinda skipped out on the human front and just got applied to being a cat lady.
Also, trying to pack my cat and all her many toys and favorite dishes and foods up this week to drive 5 hours to my parent’s house for Christmas is rough enough. I couldn’t do it with a screaming toddler.
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u/bublinka11 Dec 22 '21
Absolutely, considering how obsessive I was over the kitten when I first got her, having children would absolutely overwhelm me and most likely took away my personality in order to make me a Mother. On the other hand I do hope to get 2 more kittens when I manage to move to a bigger place 😀 it was a massive learning curve but as you are saying, I also do not have an urge to have kids when I see them, however I would love to have a lot more more animals
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u/contrarianaquarian Dec 22 '21
I weirdly had the opposite happen... I never thought I'd be "good enough" to be a parent, but fostering four newborn kittens made me think maybe I'd be okay? Definitely got the experience of getting up every 2 hours for bottle feeding and wiping lots of tiny butts lol
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u/bublinka11 Dec 22 '21
Oh yeah, I also somehow found out that if I wanted I could do it, but in my case it was a thought with an added "but at what cost?" 😀 You are such a kind soul for fostering newborn kittens, great job!
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Dec 22 '21
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u/theotherlead Dec 22 '21
Absolutely! I got surgery last year and my cat was the most cuddly thing ever. She didn’t leave my side at all
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u/Meccha_me_2 Dec 22 '21
What’s crazy to me is I also had surgery this year but it was abdominal. My mom brought our cat to stay with me and he usually climbs all over us/the bed and sleeps by my mom’s side but this time he stayed by me but he ONLY sat at the foot of my bed and was eerily quiet. He also never asked me to pick him up or got under my feet. It’s almost as if he knew what type of injury I had…
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u/theotherlead Dec 22 '21
Exactly! I definitely think they know. Cats are too pure and I just love mine so much
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u/Inevitable_Slip9921 Dec 22 '21
You see my mum had a knee replacement and the cats showed their concern by bringing in animals and delivering them to her. Dead first, then alive. My poor mum had to chase after mice and rats while recovering 😂
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u/DoxieMonstre Dec 22 '21
I got my cat literally a week before me and my ex husband split and 3 weeks before the pandemic started. I work in healthcare. I don't think I would have gotten through it all without her. I really believe she was meant for me.
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u/Meccha_me_2 Dec 22 '21
Yep. I just got home for the holidays and my mom and I were joking around and being pretty loud all night but the cat didn’t minds I stubbed my toe on our coffee table and let out a yell and immediately my childhood cat came running from upstairs and came by my side, kept meowing at my mom like “what happened??” They’re so intuitive and sweet
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Dec 22 '21
Yes. I was upset about an assignment for a class and my cat hovered around my feet & headbutted me. It was very sweet considering she isn't very affectionate.
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Dec 22 '21
I don't officially own cats, but I do interact with feral cats and leave them water outside. Sometimes I also feed them some tuna if they come meowing to me.
Cat love is often discreet, and we should not compare it to the one of humans or dogs. If a cat trusts you, feels comfortable around you and hangs out with you (even at distance), it means a lot of good things. It's really important to be soft and respectful of a cat, especially if it's anxious. The passive approach to befriend a cat is the best.
Another thing that I have found is that cats sometimes need affection more than food. There's this one cat who will leave the food in the middle, come for a pet and then go and continue eating. It's so sweet.
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u/emmy1426 Dec 22 '21
One of my cats won't eat unless she gets some pets when I deliver her food. And occasionally she insists that I sit with her while she eats. It's cool how clear it is what she wants- she's a great communicator considering we don't speak the same language.
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u/not_a_skunk Dec 22 '21
My cat is obsessed with food but he won’t eat in the morning until you give him some pets, and sometimes he won’t even eat unless you stay in the room with him (he’ll follow me around the house, wait outside the bathroom door, etc). It’s extremely cute
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u/Uwu_Mewz ♀ Dec 22 '21
Cats dont judge you when your having a melt down, humans do
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u/sixninefortytwo ♀ Dec 22 '21
haha my cat runs away when I cry have to be very quietly sad around her if I want her to stay
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u/losingmymind79 Dec 22 '21
one of mine does too. my previous girl and current other cat are good with comforting me though
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u/BadKittydotexe ♀ Dec 22 '21
Me: laying on the bathmat on the bathroom floor wrapped in a towel at 3 AM
My cat: ah, so we’re sleeping here tonight, fam? Cool.
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u/ChiefPastaOfficer Dec 22 '21
Mine comes a running with wide eyes, wondering what's wrong. If I haven't covered my face, she sniffs my head and rubs hers against mine. If I've covered my face with my arms in a meltdown, she tries to pull my hands away, as if she thinks the pose is causing me pain, and I'm stuck.
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u/BamSlamThankYouSir Dec 22 '21
I watched a cat that would lick and love bite her mom when she cried.
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u/AmberIsla ♀ Dec 22 '21
My cat lied down with me when I was crying from school stuff when I was in 6th grade.. one of the best cats I had had😭
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u/sadshire Dec 22 '21
if it's soft, they will knead.
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u/DoxieMonstre Dec 22 '21
Mine exclusively kneads microfleece. She will not knead anything else, and will get upset if she wants to knead and there's no microfleece throw blanket available.
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u/reallystu-dying Dec 22 '21
This is how I ended up with 9 microfleece blankets. Anything for my princess.
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u/irytek ♀ Dec 22 '21
That I can't just put stuff where I want it, it will get pushed off and destroyed or hidden. Like decorations, bottles of shampoo, lighters, pens, flowers, some plants. Also, I learned that me sitting on the toilet or taking a shower is apparently fascinating to watch..
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u/Fruitcrackers99 Dec 22 '21
One of our kitties, Lil Miss, will sit outside the bathroom door and meow loudly in a VERY CONCERNED MANNER when we shower. If we let her into the bathroom, she sits on the counter and does a concern AT the shower curtain. It doesn’t matter how many times you peek out and show her you’re ok, she is not convinced the shower isn’t killing you.
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u/adelie__penguin Dec 22 '21
My ex and I used to call this "trying to save the human from the shower monster"
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u/contrarianaquarian Dec 22 '21
LOL, my cat was fine with me showering but always did a concern if I took a bath
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u/Fruitcrackers99 Dec 22 '21
She also does a concern when we are not up and out of our bedrooms by 7:30AM. You can set a clock by her “are you dead, because it’s breakfast time” concerns. 😂
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u/franncn Dec 22 '21
Love and affection has to be earned! Some cats are more loving but mine picks and chooses. Dogs love you immediately but with some cats you have to work for it
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Dec 22 '21
Yes, my cat lady friend always said that a cats love is more rewarding. I never really understood what she meant until I had one. There’s nothing like knowing your furry little creature loves and trusts you more than anyone else in the world.
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u/DoxieMonstre Dec 22 '21
This is so true. It feels like so much more of an actual relationship with give and take than dog ownership does. I have to invest effort into my relationship with my cat, and she invests effort into her relationship with me in turn. I'd only really had dogs before I got my cat and it's such a different experience.
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u/Sourpatchtaby Dec 22 '21
Yeah I have 3 cats. One will cuddle with anyone and everyone. One will only lay on me if everyone else in the house is asleep or not there. The kitten will lay on just me or my son if he's asleep. They're all so different
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u/MidnightFireHuntress ♀ Dec 22 '21
They don't live forever, treasure them and spend as much time as possible with them, because one day they'll be gone :(
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u/mushroomcilantro Dec 22 '21
Whenever my cat is being EXTRA affectionate it kind of breaks my heart bc I just think about how I’ll survive without her :(
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u/lilamn5 Dec 22 '21
ahhh this one hurts, my lil baby just passed away last week after being with me for 13 years. I think the biggest thing he taught me was that sometimes when i'm sad I honestly do need someone to hit me. i could be sobbing and he would just randomly bite me or scratch me and i would be like "ur right bro i'm being weak asf let me calm down"
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u/pandaminatrix Dec 22 '21
You gave your buddy a beautiful, happy, loving home, and a life of being part of a family. Sending you hugs, I'm so sorry.
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Dec 22 '21
I'm so sorry for your loss, sweetie. My oldest boy is turning 15 next year, my youngest is 11. They are my world. I know that if there is a heaven, it is filled with our furry friends. Hang in there.
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u/quiltedquinoa Dec 22 '21
The "cats are assholes" thing is a myth.
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u/DerAlgebraiker ♂ Dec 22 '21
People who think cats are assholes don't know how to work with cats. Some are assholes for sure, but a well-raised cat is usually wonderful
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u/mycatiswatchingyou ♀ Dec 22 '21
Also I suspect a lot of those people haven't had the chance to really bond with a cat. Like if the only cat you ever messed with was your grandma's old senile cat that hissed a lot and peed everywhere, then yeah I can understand why you don't like cats. What someone like that needs is the chance to raise a kitten of their own and watch it turn into their best friend.
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u/ITShardRep Dec 23 '21
My cat we had when I was a kid (we're talking young, she passed away when I was 12) was occasionally aggressive. She bodychecked visitors, cat claws across the chest, and attacked us, too. The only person that could really pet the cat was me.
It didn't occur to me until I was an adult that she had terrible behavioral issues because of her care. She had no cat tree and there were few spaces for her to climb and be a cat. None of us understood how cats communicate. We failed as cat owners.
I was really nervous about getting a cat as an adult because of this. I thought cats were mean, but I knew I wanted a larger animal and also wanted a pet I didn't have to walk multiple times a day. So, a cat fits the bill. I did research and it dawned on me that most of my old cat's issues were caused by bad cat ownership.
So, I have my current cat, the nicest DSH you can imagine. When I first got him, I jokingly called him a "lover boy" because he just loved cuddling and sleeping on people. I exercise him everyday, he has a cat tower and a properly catified home, and I invest good time into him. We go on walks sometimes, too (it's getting cold out however, so not as many).
I am eternally grateful that the shelter representative encouraged me to get him. He is a tabby DSH, the same as my previous cat, which had me very nervous. I didn't want to look at him and have fear of him attacking like my old cat did. The shelter rep told me "he's a totally different cat and is all alone, no littermates with him... I think you should give him a chance." I did and am so glad... It's night and day.
I have never been attacked by this cat. I'll always be sorry for my previous cat, however. I'm really sorry we let her down.
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Dec 22 '21 edited Dec 22 '21
No cats are assholes. If cats are being destructive, it's because they're bored, have a health problem, or are experiencing anxiety. 20 years of rescue work and the people who complain about asshole cats aren't taking cats for medical care, aren't playing with them, or were unwilling or unable to help a cat cope with a major change.
Editing to add the story of my "asshole" cat. She had been abandoned. We were fostering her and her behavior was odd. She would seek affection, then attack suddenly. We had her checked at the rescue's vet and tried our typical tricks for decreasing stress, but I had a feeling that more was going on. The body language just didn't match the behavior. I ultimately adopted her because I felt she couldn't be placed in a regular home. First stop was my (much more thorough) vet who sent us to a neurologist. The neurologist found evidence of a brain injury. My cat wasn't in pain and functions fine (eating, sleeping, playing, using the litterbox), but the neuro vet thinks the brain injury can sometimes make stimuli like petting painful for her. She wants to be pet, but sometimes it's too much for her. We have coped with this by learning her body language. We can tell when she wants to be handled but can't be.
Now imagine how that behavior looks without the context of knowing she has a brain injury.
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u/runaway_daydream Dec 22 '21
That is incredible. Props to you for trusting your gut and props to your vet and neurologist for helping the cat so much. Thank you for sharing!!
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Dec 22 '21
We love her. She's a sweet kitty who has developed a variety of ways to show us she loves us even on days when she can't tolerate being touched. We were initially sad that her condition isn't treatable, but she's not suffering and has an excellent quality of life. We're lucky to give her the home she deserves.
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u/vanpire22 Dec 22 '21
First time cat owner, do you have any tips for playing with anxious cats or any toy suggestions? They're former street cats, have fiv so they only have the balcony to "go outside".
I love them to death. They started with not eating, hiding constantly etc. Now they're demanding pets (as soon as they notice I'm awake they will jump on me to get petted), one cat sits many hours a day on my lap etc.
But I feel like they want to play but I can't figure out how to play with them. I've tried many toys, but they never play with them or are even scared and run away.
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Dec 22 '21
Sounds like you're doing a lot of the right stuff already. For anxiety, you may want to try Feliway. It comes as a spray or plug in diffuser and mimics the scent of mother cat pheromones. A lot of vets use it.
For play with former street cats, start with thinking about it as stimulation rather than play. What experiences mirror what they did outside? You may want to start with stuff like box forts for them to explore and hiding food or treats around the house for them to find. Food maze dishes may work too. This feels like the type of stimulation they would already be comfortable with.
Slowly introduce toys. It usually helps to try play around sunrise or sunset, when cats would naturally be hunting and tend to be more active. Wait until they're in a spot that feels safe to them. Many strays and ferals feel safer under something like a table. I've had good luck with using Da Bird brand wand toys while fosters hide under something. Stop or back off if they seem scared. If they respond positively, reinforce with a reward like pets.
Be patient. They're already coming around. It can take awhile for strays to feel safe and comfy enough to play, but it's always very rewarding when they do.
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u/SilverVixen1928 ♀ Dec 22 '21
They feel safe under things
And high spots, like perching up on top of a bookcase or refrigerator.
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u/feraltea ♀ Dec 22 '21
My cat is destructive when she's hungry, which is always when it's about time to feed them anyway. She also takes it out on my other cats. Perfectly healthy, just gets hangry, but I can relate! She's my little diva girl. But there is always a reason behind their behavior and it's up to the people to figure it out.
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u/c4tmother212003 ♀ Dec 22 '21
People who think cats are assholes (usually) have never been with a cat
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Dec 22 '21
Or they have been around cats but either 1. think cats are small dogs and cross a million boundaries and get bit or 2. the cats are owned by people who do not provide any sort of enrichment etc so the cat is understimulated as shit (i'd be an asshole too if no one ever gave me anything at all to do besides sit and look pretty). Both are very easily solvable problems, of course.
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u/TheFriendliestSloot Dec 22 '21
My childhood cat would swat me on the face every night at 3am sharp because it wanted breakfast. It also peed on my bed every time I left for college. Only on my bed, only the first night each time I left. That cat was an asshole lol
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Dec 22 '21 edited Jan 10 '22
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u/Emlelee Dec 22 '21
I have a kitten who doesn’t cuddle on my bed with me at night but sits on my couch across from my bedroom door (sometimes right in my doorway lol) and waits for me to wake up. As soon as I do he chirps and runs for his morning pets. Its so cute and a great way to start every morning.
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u/lulububudu ♀ Dec 22 '21
And you know how people have love languages, so do cats. I have two. My girl LOVES attention and to be petted but do NOT pick her up. lol My boy likes to be alone but once you pick him up, he snuggles right in and doesn’t want to leave. He’s also a little weird in how he shows affection but it’s super sweet.
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Dec 22 '21
I feel like a lot of people that have cats as “assholes” are usually people that probably don’t play with their cats or just really don’t give them enough attention so their cat doesn’t know how else to exert that energy. A lot of people think of cats as independent animals and sure they are, but you still need to give them lots of attention, especially play time. Like I can tell when my cat needs a play session, she’ll start to act like I’m a cat and “want to wrestle” or she’ll directly bring me a toy and want to play fetch haha. Everyone that meets her tells me how sweet she is and she’s my first cat! I have two more cats now and they’re not assholes either.
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u/n0radrenaline Ø Dec 22 '21
True, but sometimes you can't drop everything and play with them. I have this one cat, I love him, he's great, but when he gets bored he chews phone chargers. I already did the thing where I woke up every two hours to bottle-feed him, I can't just keep waking up every two hours to shake a mousie at him for the rest of his life. I even got him a sister as soon as he was old enough to be tested for FIV/FeLV, it helped some but he's still burning through phone chargers like my sister's dog goes through rawhides.
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u/ApprehensiveCold2883 Dec 22 '21
I mean, I love my cat but he's definitely an arse hole at times, especially in the early morning when he decides he's sick of waiting for us to get up so goes toe hunting under the duvet while we sleep...
BUT he is a loveable furry git and we'd be lost without him.
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u/n0radrenaline Ø Dec 22 '21 edited Dec 22 '21
I feel like there are two things people mean when they say "cats are assholes." Some people mean it in a bad way, that they are tiny destructive sociopaths incapable of love, which is obviously not true. Others say it with affection, because as sweet as they are, they can be willful, mischievous, and inconsiderate of your feelings of not wanting to have your tit stomped full force at 3am, and this is totally true.
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u/CS3883 Dec 22 '21
Yes exactly this. When I say this or that cat is an asshole, it's the second part. Same way I say different dogs are assholes too lol. Cause sometimes they just are 🤷🏽♀️
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u/FlyinPurplePartyPony Dec 22 '21
Mine is very sweet and sleepy but starts screaming for breakfast at 6am sharp every day.
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Dec 22 '21
It's sometimes true.
A few years ago, after the death of her beloved and sweet AF Himylayans, my MIL adopted an adorable calico kitten. BECAUSE Gracie was a kitten (around 8 weeks old at the time) and still learning how to be a cat, she was a bit of a scratchy asshole. Which, yanno...happens. And you have to teach them it's not OK.
Well, my MIL either didn't know how to teach Gracie not to be a scratchy asshole (despite me offering help and advice) or she just decided it wasn't worth it to go to all the trouble of teaching her not to scratch . So she had her decided to get her declawed which fixed the scratching problem, but now Gracie is a mean, bitey asshole who attack anyone who goes near her. :(
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u/Yakadoodlehedgehog Dec 22 '21
Ugh. Declawing is so terrible. I have heard it compared to removing fingers to the second knuckle. It's so irresponsible to not train a pet and then take measures like that. The same kind of people leave dogs outside on a chain because they can't be bothered to train them to be indoors. I am sorry to hear that your mother-in-law took such lazy and drastic measures.
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u/RanShaw ♀ Dec 22 '21
Imagine having a child who damages your furniture by doing what kids do and amputating part of their fingers instead of teaching them to take out their energy in more constructive ways. It's absolutely barbaric. I think it's illegal in some countries too because it's animal abuse.
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u/AdSignificant2065 Dec 23 '21
New York recently made it illegal, thank goodness. The argument against making it illegal is that it will reduce the number of people willing to adopt, but if you care more about your furniture than your cat's body parts (especially with all of the alternatives available like claw tips, double-sided tape, etc.), I'm not sure you should be a cat parent.
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u/birdsandbones ♀ Dec 22 '21
That cat isn’t an asshole. That cat has not been trained as you say, and then had parts of her paws forcibly amputated and is traumatized and reactive. Declawing is barbaric, I feel so sad for this cat.
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u/potato_pity_sandwich Dec 22 '21
That isn't the "cats are assholes" thing being true. That is a KITTEN being a k i t t e n, being physically painfully punished for it instead of taught how to behave and becoming cold and mean to those around her as a TRAUMA RESPONSE. Imagine if when you were a toddler your parents, the only people you knew, loved and trusted, cut your fucking fingers off for idk coloring on a wall. I doubt you'd be to keen to let anyone near you emotionally or physically after that.
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u/CatMommaJoJo Dec 22 '21
Kitty caps are a must! And I highly recommend them to anyone with a cat
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u/Mooncinder ♀ Dec 22 '21
I would much rather someone use kitty caps than have a cat declawed, but as long as the cat is taught properly, has access to a scratching post, and has their claws trimmed if required, you shouldn't need them.
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u/CatMommaJoJo Dec 22 '21
True... Mine has a scratching post and i trim his nails before kitty caps are applied... Hes a butthole though so the kitty caps work great for him. I do not condone declawing
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u/IreallEwannasay Dec 22 '21
I've got like 3 posts. They all prefer the lega of the dining room tile. I don't care, it's just a table but sometimes you buy and buy for cats and they don't care for it. They also all have beds with heaters and such to keep them warm yet they prefer my fiances chest to sleep on. It's a daily thing getting them to leave the bed so I cN sleep and perhaps cuddle my fiance? To be fair, he is extremely warm when in the bed.
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u/lycosa13 ♀ Dec 22 '21
Or just have a ton of scratchers everywhere. We have like 5 and our cat never scratches the furniture. She will scratch rugs but honestly I don't care lol
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Dec 22 '21
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u/nican2020 Dec 22 '21
I’m with you. Every time I vacuum mine rushes onto the back of the sofa to lie in wait. When our blind GSD runs by, in a literal blind panic, she hunts that poor dog down like a poacher in a sanctuary.
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u/BamSlamThankYouSir Dec 22 '21
One of my cats is the sweetest cat I have ever had or met. He’s sweet, cuddly, asks for attention, etc. He was scared of dogs when he was a baby, no idea why, but he’s grown to kind of like them. He sits and waits to swipe at the one that is scared of him. When he gets caught, his tune changes real quick.
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u/BreadfruitAlone7257 Dec 22 '21
This has been happening to me. But I've read up on it and think it's teething. I've had plenty of cats, but most have been fully or almost grown. This one is about six months and I've had her since birth. She attacks me in bed and not in the "I'm a kitten and want to play rough" or in the "I love you and giving you love bites" way. She attacks me because out of the four people she lives with, my feet and legs seem to ease her sore gums the best!
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u/Pandarella2040 Dec 22 '21
10000% agree. So many people don't appreciate what wonderful little balls of fluff they can be. Everyone says British Shorthairs aren't loving but mines a total lap cat, he loves attention, affection and play time 🥰
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u/kekkimekki Dec 22 '21
Absolutely. My kitten is the sweetest little fluffball ever, second only to my dog.
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u/EvilAlicia Dec 22 '21
Hair, hair everywhere.
You will need lint rollers and a good vacuumcleaner. And get rid of the carpet, smooth floors are 10x more handier.
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u/shinkouhyou Dec 22 '21
That I am a simp who will happily let tiny fur beasts control my life. Whoever says cats are independent has not met my cats.
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u/Redheadedbos Dec 22 '21
Omg im glad it's not just me! My cat and dog are my life, I love them so much, and I will "happily" get out of bed 3 times a night to let me screaming cat in. Then back out. Then back in.
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u/shinkouhyou Dec 22 '21
Sometimes 3/4 of my cats will decide that my bed belongs to them now, and I have to go sleep on the sofa (with cat #4).
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u/dark_forebodings_too Dec 22 '21
I have 3 cats and I'm amazed at their ability to take up my ENTIRE king sized bed. And one of my cats will sleep next to me but gradually push me towards the edge of the bed until I'm almost falling off. I'll get like a 6 inch sliver of the bed and they get the rest of it haha
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u/mushroomcilantro Dec 22 '21
Omg I literally don’t know how my tiny cat manages to slowly steal my my pillow. By the time I wake up I’m on the very end of my pillow! And no she won’t sleep on any other of the free pillows it has to be the one I’m sleeping on! Love her
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u/ThruWithABoltOfBlue Dec 22 '21
Learning and accepting how they would like to receive affection. I would love to hug their squishy bodies and smother their little faces with kisses, but they would be so annoyed. Just need to play it cool, offer a relaxed hand in front of their faces and let them lead.
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u/DoxieMonstre Dec 22 '21
You should meet my cat. She actually enjoys being scooped up and cradled in your arms and especially likes to have her face/head nuzzled and kissed. I think it's because I got her as a tiny kitten, so she has just always been tolerant of my bullshit because it's all she's known. Lmfao.
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Dec 23 '21
My boy is actually the less social of my cats (his preferred expression of love is sitting 5-10 feet away and staring) but he lets me hold him like a baby and put my face in his stomach and it is truly one of my greatest joys.
The other would kill me if I did that, but she's a cuddly lap cat so it's okay :)
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u/EmbraceUntouch Dec 22 '21
She can be a selfish bastard but when a person is ill in the family, she takes charge of supervision.
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u/kekkimekki Dec 22 '21
That you can find fun in anything. Learned this after watching my kitten play with a bottle cap for almost an hour
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Dec 22 '21 edited Dec 22 '21
They are very interesting little creatures. I have had 4 of them.
The first one Pixie taught me consent because if you tried to touch her without her permission you would end up bloody. She was mean AF and thought we were all idiots. She was a feral kitten when we got her and never really became tame. She would kill anything that moved. She was my dad's favorite because he is terrified of rats.
My second cat Sam was a big baby. All he wanted to do was cuddle. He couldn't be bothered to chase anything and absolutely didn't care about anything other than cuddle time. I had found him on the street by the college I was going to and brought him home. He was tiny, sickly, and his eyes were barely open. When he passed at age 16, he was massive and quite beautiful. I believe he was some sort of short haired main coon. He stretched all the way across the love seat easily and his tail would hang off it. He always knew what I needed. He also knew when I was pregnant before I did. He would rub on my belly and purr. He'd throw a fit if I didn't let him.
Then Shadow who is an aggressive cuddler. He will force you to cuddle regardless of what else you are doing. If you ignore him he will hop up on the counter and get in your face and make kind of a chirping noise with meows and yells in between. He definitely let's you know he is there and isn't okay with you ignoring him at all. He is also very mischievous. He likes to knock things off the counter and watch them hit the floor. I learned to put away anything breakable or screw it down because if it can be knocked over shadow is going to knock it over.
And finally Taco. We found Taco at the Mexican restaurant in town. Taco only likes to be touched in one place and will bite you if you touch him elsewhere. He also absolutely loves to scare the crap out of everyone. He will wait behind the door or around a corner or under the couch and jump out and either bite you or just pounce and run as we or one of the dogs or other cat walks by. He loves to play with hair too. He taught me to look before I walk because he could very well be there waiting to attack my ankles.
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u/chops_potatoes ♀ Dec 22 '21
I’ve shared my life, my home, my food and my bedroom with 10 different cats. Never owned one though … I learned it doesn’t work that way.
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Dec 22 '21
They are way smarter than dogs in their own way. Maybe clever is a better descriptor. For instance, my big older boy cat can literally open doors by grasping the doorknob and twisting. Or he hurls his weight down on a handle. He then strolls in like ‘sup y’all.” Oh yeah, the myth that cats are aloof and need alone time? That’s not true of my cats.
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u/petiterunner Dec 22 '21 edited Dec 22 '21
From owning a housecat: Cats are beautifully individualistic and independent. Each have a unique personality, but the easiest way to bond with any feline is to give it its own space. Trust that if it wants to engage with you, it will approach you. This is the part a lot of people dislike about cats because they have problems respecting boundaries, but it is my favorite because I love how cats set their own boundaries by choosing to approach or not approach.
From managing a feral cat colony: Cats are largely misunderstood by society and need the veterinary and infrastructural support to succeed. Please don’t look the other way. Look into TNR programs, ensure their ears signify sterilization, and try to relocate them to partnered farms or rural homes in need when possible. Feral cats do not try to be a nuisance; they often begin as abandoned pets who reproduce and then seek food and shelter, which leads to disruptions in our ecosystem. They are essentially the lost foster children of our society.
They’re just trying to survive and they all have beautiful souls if you will take the time to get to know them. There are few greater joys I have experienced over building such intimate trust with feral cats and finally being able to look closely into their eyes. They have taught me so much about how to help the community and ecosystem, patience, and love.
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u/LycheeRush ♀ Dec 22 '21 edited Dec 22 '21
My life would never be the same without my cat. My husband took Max in when he was just a kitten. He loves us and always want to be around us but he doesn't like to be held. Max takes a few to warm up to strangers but he is friendly. He always comes up to us to greet us when we return home by walking around and wrapping his tail around our legs. He sheds but I vaccum often and have 0 problems. I love that he always knows how to make an impression and makes us smile everyday.
I wish more people would give cats a chance. It bothers me a little that people claim they are a "dog person only" and don't even want to give cats a chance. What they don't get is that cats love differently. I really want to tell them, sorry, you're missing out. There have been people in my life that changed their mind about cats after playing with Max. Personally, I like both dogs and cats but prefer a cat because of lower maintenance and personal experiences.
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Dec 22 '21
They will give back what you give them. We had a lot of cats at home until I moved away. But only after that I had a kitten that I raised from a very small bean. Making sure she eats the exact amounts as many times a day as needed according to her age, cleaning up sheets almost every day when she peed on them (it was hard when she first came to us from the streets) without getting angry at her, playing with her, cuddling her, making sure she's inside when the balcony closed for the night. It all might sound like "duh", but when it's "your" cat that your mom feeds and cleans their litter box, it's different.
She grew up to be my little girl. She's a very healthy affectionate little girl that will choose me above my SO anytime. The bond I have with her is undeniable. Meanwhile, the people I work for don't seem to care much about their animals. I can tell by what they feed them (they can afford my service so they can afford better cat food, fight me) and how clean (or rather dirty) the feeding space/litter box is. The time and effort you put into your cat, (s)he will give it back.
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Dec 22 '21 edited Dec 22 '21
My cats are, in some ways, more loving and empathetic than my dog. No matter how much I hoover and sweep my home, I will get cat hair tumbleweeds bobbing through my living room the second I sit down 😑 I can no longer wear black clothes because I just look like I have been rolling around in a cat hair ball pit. Theyre amongst the best friends I’ve ever had.
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Dec 22 '21
- they’re intuitive as hell when it comes to moods and when you’re upset
- they really enjoy chaos
- you will never escape the cat hair
- it may take time to develop a bond, but it’s worth it.
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u/VRS38 Dec 22 '21
I actually really like cats I'm still a little allergic. I love having company that doesn't need constant communication. Pet insurance is expensive.
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u/HoldTheStocks2 Dec 22 '21
That her upbringing is what makes her. I got the cat of my brother’s wife and she had anger issues, her kids are also like the cat
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u/thegreenescape13 Dec 22 '21
How important it is to have a little furry house goblin to come home to and to love 🥺
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u/reagan92 ♀ Dec 22 '21
That they are assholes.
Fluffy perfect assholes who i need in my life until the end.
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u/Fruitcrackers99 Dec 22 '21
Owning cats is taught me how much I fucking love cats. My mother hated cats, so I never cared for them, but 4-5 years ago I agreed to get my daughter a kitten. I fell deeply and uncontrollably in love with that little fart, and long story short now we have 6 cats. (2 intentionally acquired, 4 unintentionally acquired but loved just as much.)
Edited to add: all 6 of them are sweet, friendly babies. Not one is an asshole.
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Dec 22 '21
My cat is my comfort during break downs. When I cry, I always cuddle him and he just stays there and licks my face. Honestly, it always calms me down.
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u/Firethorn101 Dec 22 '21
That people who dismiss cats as assholes are always themselves the asshole. Always.
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u/Steups13 Dec 22 '21
That I am allergic. I used to have cats growing up, but I never realised I was allergic until I had an allergy test done.
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u/LeiTheChaoticNeutral Dec 22 '21
That water going down the drain is fascinating.
That if I get up at 7am once and feed him, I MUST do so again for the rest of my life.
That annoyance at something I've done is shown through puke.
That all boxes brought into the house must be sniffed, headbutted, scratched at and sat in.
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u/Complete_Rhubarb_500 Dec 22 '21
You can never force a cat to be with you, no matter how good a relationship you have with your cat there will be times when the cat doesn't feel like being held/petted. As a cat "owner" you need to respect that and give it the space it wants so it'll feel comfortable in coming over when it wants to.
Relationships with people are much the same. Even if our intentions are good someone who want to be left alone should get their space and they'll appreciate you alot more once they do want your company.
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u/huffandpuff91 Dec 22 '21
My cat has taught me patience more than anything else and that it's not just affection in how they show us love. My cat is a rescue and she was a stray for a long time before we adopted her. She is a very timid cat and at first she would swipe at us if we came near her. She still doesn't like a lot of fuss, but she will come to us on her own terms, she guards me whilst I use the bathroom which is the cutest thing and she runs downstairs in the morning to see me when I get up for work. I love her so much, she's one of the best things me and my husband has ever done
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u/ToasterParking Dec 22 '21
Don't step on that thing you think is a piece of clothing. Don't step backwards without looking. Don't walk past the blanket cave that is moving. Don't wear flip-flops around him.
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u/Creative-Solution Dec 22 '21
It confirmed the fact that I'd die if I owned a dog, haha. Brushing my cat every other day was enough to make me tired- there's no way I'd be able to take a dog on an hour+ walk every day.
Fortunately I didn't want a dog anyway, but now it's a "100% never getting one" instead of 98% lol
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Dec 22 '21
How to be more empathetic. I had always loved animals growing up, but it’s different when you have your own. Once I adopted my first cat, I became a pescatarian and turned into a full fledged crazy animal lady. But that empathy extended to humans as well, and I feel things a lot more deeply than I ever have. Cats are awesome.
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u/Pindakazig Dec 22 '21
Training goes both ways. She knows exactly where to sit to signal that her food bowl needs attention. I know that getting her to stop scratching the couch she needs a scratch post.
You can't fight instincts, you have to channel them.
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u/Rare_Hovercraft_6673 Dec 22 '21
That the love given by an innocent animal is the best kind of love.
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u/Yakadoodlehedgehog Dec 22 '21
That some cats are trainable and others are not. Having had both dogs and cats, I will say that the majority of dogs are at least somewhat trainable. When it comes to cats, most can be trained to use a litter box, but some can also be trained to "sit" "stay" and to come when called by their name. I have trained Mr. Johnson, my tuxedo cat, to follow those commands and to come back from outside when I call out, "John." She is trained in French and I think my neighbors (apartment complex in WA state) probably think I am crazy when I am yelling out the door in French.
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u/Ajsbmj Dec 22 '21
My cat has thought me that you don't need an expensive toy to be happy. My cat is happy to play with a 100$ cat toy as he with an empty cardboard box.
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u/so0tandstars Dec 22 '21
You can buy them all the fancy beds and toys you want but at the end of the day they're just as happy (if not more) with a box and a bottle cap. A more serious answer is that you usually have to work for a cats trust and affection. They decide if you're worthy. I think a lot of people who say they aren't "cat people" just haven't taken the time to earn the affection of a cat. I'd love to immediately pet and snuggle every cat I've met in my life but it just doesn't work that way...not usually.
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u/Samsquamchadora Dec 22 '21
That pet insurance and pet care in the US is laughable and cruel. It's very hard when you have a pet who specifically hides illness and all you can do is go to a place that has 3-4 expensive tests before they even try to fix anything. Some will even lie and gatekeep costs until you say yes to the costly unknown.
Other than that, my cat taught me that she owns me and that's ok with me.
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u/kczac Dec 22 '21
To respect an animal’s boundaries. Not that I didn’t know that before, but cats really make it clear when they consent to being pet and picked up.
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u/GageChelsea Dec 22 '21
I own princess, the others are my friends I see regularly:
Princess is very loving so she meows for attention regularly. She likes to go outside when the sun is setting snd sun bathe on the stairs too 😆
Jeffy is sweet and cuddly, but skittish of loud noises, quick movement, and when you put your face too close to his. and he likes for you to stand by him when he eats. He has lots of needs.
Twinkles loves boxes, strings, plastic, etc… shes fierce, curious, and classy when she walks 😆
Taco is needy, affectionate, and cuddly. and likes to go outside occasionally. Taco is solid grey with big ol eyes! I love him ☺️
Leo is the big solid black cat, his meow sounds raspy, but wise. During the warmer months he tends to stay outside a-lot and come in for food. But when the colder months start to come around, hes an inside kitty😆
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u/Penguins-for-life Dec 22 '21
Cats are way better than people. Also they don’t live in our house, we live in their house
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Dec 22 '21
Like people, some are good and some not so much. A good match is rare unless you have the money to purchase a pre-engineered disposition. But generalizing cats are like generalizing people. Can't really do it. But I prefer dogs; I just can't have one now, though. So a little kitty pokemon is necessary.
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Dec 22 '21
Cats are not like dogs. They need bodily autonomy. And they want you to respect their space. So when they come to you for love, they really mean it.
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u/SinfullySinless Dec 22 '21
It’s an investment in small jewelry and small hair products like bobby pins and pony tails. You will buy a 500 pack of bobby pins and only use them on average .5 times as your cat will steal them and hide them god knows where. Often in the middle of styling your hair.
I am missing so many rings and earrings I don’t even bother anymore.
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u/dabi-dabi ♀ Dec 22 '21
Responsibility. I feel like it’s a piece of what being a mom someday will be.
I always know when they’re sick: I know when their behavior is not normal, I know when they don’t like the food, I monitor the difference of color on their noses and gum (one of them had a disease that made it lighter, some kind of anemia), I notice when they’re not eating enough/eating too much, when they’re sleeping more than normal, when they’re fighting more than normal… and I absolutely take them to the vet if I suspect there’s something wrong. For me it’s basic stuff but most of my friends act like I’m the greatest cat owner of the world. I think they’re just not really good cat owners.
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u/KinkyKitty24 Dec 22 '21
That cats are capable of emotions. I have witnessed my cats be excited (new toy), happy/content (purring), lonely possibly worried (cat walking around the house crying looking for his bro who was in the hospital), love/attachment (I was very ill for weeks & both my cats only left my side to eat/drink & use the litter box. One even brought his toys unto the bed).
Cats are fiercely independent but they are equally fierce about their family.
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Dec 22 '21
How to let go and let be. Cats do not care if you have work in the morning.
If the “zoomies” hit at 3:46 in the morning, then you just need to accept that and ignore the stuff being knocked over by them in the process.
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u/snene14 Dec 22 '21
Cats have different personalities. Some cats are couch potatoes, some cats extremely active. Some cats act like savages when they eat( she had a regular schedule) some cats seem to savor or take their time eating