Pets are amazing. They are all so in tune to the ones that love them. And their love is unconditional. All they want is a hug, a walk and a treat. Except cats. Cats are a tricky bunch. You can't often trust them. They are way too smart and they know it. But cats bring joy... for a certain pet type. Some people love a woof and others love a meow. And all those meows speak volumes.
Redditor u/beachmargs wanted the kitty people out there to tell us all the stories they had about their little ones by asking.... What did having a cat teach you?My Stories....
GiphyOne of mine would meet me at the door and start walking to the kitchen, making sure I was following him, because dammit, he was hungry and it was my job to feed him. Other times, he would be looking outside at the sunset and wouldn't even acknowledge me. It was like, "Don't bother me; I'm watching my show."
Boops....
I have one very outgoing and friendly cat and one very skittish cat who likes hiding. Everyone assumes he doesn't like people and isn't affectionate, but damn if every single time I sneeze he doesn't come running to my side from anywhere in the house, meowing up a storm to (I assume) make sure I'm ok with head boops. That's love.
Or just weird cat behavior. Who knows.
A Special Palette....
My first cat developed a taste for both canned vegetables and soup. I would have to let him sniff it to assure him I was not eating tuna (I always gave him the drained water from the can of tuna (and made sure to buy the type stored in water)). Eventually he decided to taste the contents of these not-tuna cans, and he liked them.
He mostly would just lick the canned veg (assuming he liked the salt).
What's worse is I let him do this because he would be at my mercy for a good petting session, which he normally wouldn't do.
Cat Talk.
GiphyYou gotta speak the cat language and they will open up a lot more. I think many people think their cat is aloof just because they don't interact with their cat in cat language. Then the cat thinks you are just oblivious.
This!
I cannot force someone to love me. :(
This! When I was younger I was so excited to have a cat that I chased him all over the house trying to pick him up and cuddle him, and he absolutely HATED it. Was always biting/scratching and running away.
Now that we're both a little older and wiser (he's 14, I'm finishing up my masters degree). I'm happy to live and let live, and now he follows me the house around waiting for me to sit down and so he can beg for cuddles and attention. Cats are contrary creatures but I love my little guy so much.
Sensory Gifts....
GiphyDespite how crappy your day is and how non-affectionate the cat is on a daily basis, they will always sense when you're sad and then they decide to snuggle up against you.
At least from my experience.
Tatiana....
I communicate with my cat Tatiana the way cats expect communication. My fiancé does not. She always runs from him when he picks her up, but she's literally laying on my feet right now purring. Okay, she runs away when I pick her up more often than not, she doesn't like to be manhandled. But I realize that, and I let her come to me, he doesn't.
I communicate with my cats so effectively, I could tell when my last cat (who was hit by a car, sadly) wanted her food wet down. He thinks I have a psychic connection with cats, but I put a lot of research into understanding cat psychology, and then even more work into communicating with my cats, learning their boundaries, preferences, and cultivating their trust and respect.
Goodnight kisses....
Realizing how cats show they like you was a game changer for me. Slow blinks and hanging out around you is basically a declaration of undying love. My cat was cool around me, and I was cool around him. It was like having a roommate that never did dishes, but was a lot of fun to watch movies with.
Then my husband entered the scene and now several years of forced affection later we have a cat that won't settle down at night unless he gets his Goodnight kisses.
Dog Folk.
GiphyI'm a cat guy and love dogs too it's just (some) dog people that rub me the wrong way. Like they're weirded out by the fact that not everyone loves dogs or an establishment says dogs (or any pets) aren't allowed. Then you have the women of tinder who will never love you as much as their pup 💁♀️.
All the Reasons...
- That they really do love you and understand you if you do the same for them.
- That it's very lonely without one
- How much it hurts to lose them :( EatTh3rich
Where are you?
GiphyThey're not always so aloof and uncaring as you think. Mine would wait in the window for me to come home and run to the door when I came in.
Assignments foe all....
My cats seem to have assigned jobs to themselves depending on what I need. They aren't the most cuddly by any means, but when I'm feeling physically or mentally ill, they'll cuddle up on me depending on which it is. One cat generally handles physical ailments, the other mental.
I spend more time with my cats, but one of them is particularly sweet on my husband. She has a little routine she'll follow each day that revolves around what he's doing at any given time. When he leaves, she'll sit by the door for at least 5-10 minutes and when she hears his footsteps outside she runs to the door. It's really cute.
"yeah, this is my house now"
My cat was originally my great aunt's cat. The problem is my great aunt spent 9-10 months thinking she'd be able to go home. Bouncing back and forth between hospitals, rehab centers and nursing homes before finally being told she's gonna be living in the home for the rest of her life. So for those 9-10 months, the only human contact that cat had was my cousin showing up every few days to clean the box put some food out. They barely even saw her most of the time.
So anyway, they get the news she's not coming home, ask me to take in the cat. No problem, my roommate just left, and the landlady said I could have a cat (perfect timing). She took right to the place. As soon as I took her out of the carrier, she looked around, flopped down and was like "yeah, this is my house now".
I'm pretty sure because of that she's got abandonment issues. If she's alone in the other room, she'll yowl until you acknowledge her. If I don't pet her and tell her I'll see her tonight before I go to work, she will be right at the door when I get home.
Bolt!
Mine sits across the room from me but one time a really bad thunder shook the house and she initially bolted to the bathroom but then came back and stood at the door meowing at me. I like to think she was telling me it wasn't safe and we should bolt lol.
She eventually realized there was no danger and hesitantly hopped back on her window perch.
The Food Serenade....
GiphyDon't even think of using a can opener if it's not close to feeding time.
Yes. I had to move the Nespresso machine to a table in the living room because I'm working from home now and every time I'd go for another coffee it was like leading the kitty parade to the promised land of food with a meow serenade.
Everything is NOT Mine!
I used to think if I spent 100+ hours hand-crocheting blankets, those blankets were mine by right. My cats have educated me and I see now that my assumption was deeply selfish.
Same with furniture. That recliner you bought and want to relax in after work? It's the cat's now, when she wakes up you may sit on it. The scratch marks show ownership.
Love is Love....
Love isn't taken, it's given.
Respect, give space, be patient.
Never push someone's boundaries
Wake up everyday knowing what you want and demand it.
Love can be shown in many different ways.
cat-to-cat communication....
That you can imitate cat-to-cat communication, and that cats will respond to said imitations (e.g. higher pitched greeting, slow blinking, moving slowly, petting (reminds them of grooming),etc).
Cat language is surprisingly easy to pick up! They're VERY communicative, and have their phrases. Also you musn't forget to learn body language, too. They tell you so much with their tails and faces.
4 AM Call!
The line between cute and deadly is often blurred. But they're so cute, I'll take three of those tiny little murderers. Also, 4am is the perfect time to practice how loud as hell you can really get.
A few things...
A few things, actually!
Cats are more active at night, by nature, so more prone to kicking around when you aren't using the place.
If you are the sort with an open bedroom door policy for kitty, they might know that this sometimes gets the door open and a reaction. We keep the bedroom door closed - she is dramatic for a few minutes at most, but also will try to usher us into the bedroom if we are up 'too late' now, and cut into her time.
Sometimes they just miss you and, per the above, it could get a reaction from you. Attention is usually what they are after, whether it's good or bad.
Personal theory is that birds and small animals start to wake up before sunrise in some areas, so maybe kitty is hearing those and getting worked up.
The Hacker.
GiphyThat nothing will wake you up and get you out of bed faster than the sound of your cat hacking up something.
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