Yeah, what she said...Originally Posted by Yosemite
Caring for a pet and caring for a child are miles apart. The responsibility is, of course, the same, but the care is totally different.
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Am I preparing myself for real kids?
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I never had children but I understand the responsibility involved. I agree with you about the care of a dog. I have always been a cat person in my adult years and never had a dog until now. My husband loves dogs so we got him a 1 year old untrained basset hound because it's previous owners never did anything with him. This dog is like dealing with a 3 year old child and he is driving me crazyOriginally Posted by GingersMom
IMO as a parent of a human child, I believe that caring for dogs is much closer to caring for human children than caring for cats is.
Dogs can't be left alone the same way cats can, they require much more attention, walks, they need you more emotionally than the cats do.
I'm not discounting the responsibility we have to our cats AT ALL, just saying that dog owners, again, IMO, have a much higher level of responsibility and hands on, involved care than do we cat owners.
I'd rather have 25 cats to take care of than one more human child, LOL. And the only reason I don't have a dog is because I don't want that level of responsibility.
I like my kitties.
Every time I turn my back he is into something he shouldn't be. I think the topping on the cake was when he was on the stairs munching on a cat turd he fished out of the litter box.
Ha! I've had and cared for cats my whole life... including Frankie who I rescued as a bottle baby at a few days old and hand raised. Including feeding every 3 hours (even in the middle of the night) and wiping her to make her go potty... the whole 9 yards! That said I'm sue to have a skin kid in 2 months and when I stop and think about it... I'm terrified! It's not the idea of labor and delivery that scare me... but what we do after he's here. There's this whole little person depending on me to care for him and shape his life. Heavy! I know when he's here we'll all be fine so I try not to think about it too much.
Not even. I did my fair share of babysitting as a girl & teen, often having more than five kids to watch at one time.. so I also have my fair share of horror stories.
Cats are so much easier than kids. They don't talk back (well, sort of), they eat their food without complaining (almost all of the time) and they come when they are called (at least mine do). Sure, they both get into trouble.. but the havoc wreaked by a cat is preferable to me. My Mom calls my pets her 'grandkids' anyway.
Gotta get away from this 'kid' thread.. it's giving me cramps.
Cats are so much easier than kids. They don't talk back (well, sort of), they eat their food without complaining (almost all of the time) and they come when they are called (at least mine do). Sure, they both get into trouble.. but the havoc wreaked by a cat is preferable to me. My Mom calls my pets her 'grandkids' anyway.
Gotta get away from this 'kid' thread.. it's giving me cramps.
Originally Posted by kittybernard
Gotta get away from this 'kid' thread.. it's giving me cramps.
Sorry, nothing to add. Some of this is just cracking me up!!
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Of course I'm paranoid about my kitties. I want nothing but the best for them.
Both of them have suffered enough. I just want to make sure they never suffer again.
Both of them have suffered enough. I just want to make sure they never suffer again.
I've had 'em all! Kids, dogs, kitties......even a duck (which was an awesome pet btw)Originally Posted by GingersMom
IMO as a parent of a human child, I believe that caring for dogs is much closer to caring for human children than caring for cats is.
Dogs can't be left alone the same way cats can, they require much more attention, walks, they need you more emotionally than the cats do.
I'm not discounting the responsibility we have to our cats AT ALL, just saying that dog owners, again, IMO, have a much higher level of responsibility and hands on, involved care than do we cat owners.
I'd rather have 25 cats to take care of than one more human child, LOL. And the only reason I don't have a dog is because I don't want that level of responsibility.
I like my kitties.
GingersMom is so right about kids being closer to dogs. As far as time spent. Just like kids you can't go overnight anywhere without someone watching them.
We had dogs when the kids were little and it worked out just fine. Now it's just us and we don't have the time to give a dog what it needs, time wise. We work long hours.
My DH would love to have a dog...but there's no-one here during the day to give a dog the attention that it needs.
Cat's are much easier that way. They are freakin' spoiled rotten, I might add!
I am speechless..........
Except for one thing I have to say, you WILL go to jail if you lock your child in a cage, for any reason........
I'm sorry but someone has to recognize this......
Except for one thing I have to say, you WILL go to jail if you lock your child in a cage, for any reason........
I'm sorry but someone has to recognize this......
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I have always said the BIG difference between pets and kids is you can leave the pets home alone without legal issue... I agree with Gingersmom on the dog thing .... I do not HAVE nor WANT skin kids , but have dealt with enough to say I could care one easier than my current dog ...lol.. I have raised a parent( many will know what I mean) and dealt with chronically ill cat and dogs . I found the animals to take the same work as the parent
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Don't we do that already to babies, we just call it a "play pen" rather than cage
This is what I'm talking about
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So..... handcuffs and shackles instead then?
ETA: I just wanted to comment further on those who say I'm paranoid about my kittens. Is that really a bad thing? Their health and well-being is important to me because:
1) I love them
2) It is MY responsibility
3) They probably view me as a parent-figure and - so, I need to fill that role to ensure their physical and emotional well-being.
I don't see anything wrong with my "paranoia". I'm sure over time, I'll learn to recognize what is a big deal and what isn't. I'm still learning as I go along here.
I'm not saying that I'm offended by those who say I'm paranoid..... I'm just replying to those comments.
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Cats recognize their humans as other cats
They don't recognize them as parent figures as much as it might seem that way to us.
I don't know about being paranoid, it's not good or bad. It's just an observation....Some people may be relaxed and still do a fine job at caring for their pet and others do it while worrying...
I don't know about being paranoid, it's not good or bad. It's just an observation....Some people may be relaxed and still do a fine job at caring for their pet and others do it while worrying...
You shouldn't feel paranoid about questioning your care and health of your kittens.......I apologize if I made you feel that way. Many of us completely feel that our fur babies are our children...There is a difference in what you should know and what you better know already when it comes to caring for the life of a beloved kitty and the life of a human being.......Originally Posted by ut0pia
Cats recognize their humans as other catsThey don't recognize them as parent figures as much as it might seem that way to us.
I don't know about being paranoid, it's not good or bad. It's just an observation....Some people may be relaxed and still do a fine job at caring for their pet and others do it while worrying...
I just came across this and had to laugh!
I am super parnoid too, just look at my thread about Cody's tounge. Sometimes I just need to chill, but it is so hard when you love them SO much.
To answer the question, I am not sure about you but I know that I am probably using my fur kids as a substitute for real kids. But when I have real kids, I know for a fact that I will still be a worry wart with the cats. Guess I didn't answer the question? lol.
I am super parnoid too, just look at my thread about Cody's tounge. Sometimes I just need to chill, but it is so hard when you love them SO much.
To answer the question, I am not sure about you but I know that I am probably using my fur kids as a substitute for real kids. But when I have real kids, I know for a fact that I will still be a worry wart with the cats. Guess I didn't answer the question? lol.
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I think there are a lot of children out there who would be blessed to be as cared for as my cats.
My cats ARE my kids. I do not have nor have I ever wanted human children. At all.
Not even the slightest desire. I am more than happy with my kitties and luckily Dana agrees. I had a very large hand in raising my younger brothers and just have never really been able to relate to children in any way. Now kitties are another story. I don't know what I'd do without them.
My cats are my kids too, forgot to say that.
