Human Attributes to felines?

Sooooooo

Hubby informs me today that I give Human Attributes to my cats, or project onto them huh lol

Does anyone else see this as odd. I mean they are my babies, and he means things like saying smokie is cold, smokie is hungry, smokie is sad, bandit wants daddy to kiss him........

Smokie needs mommy... etc he says they aren't human kids

My dad tells me that I treat my cats that way because it's maternal instinct.   Silly dad! 

I think our cats do feel some of our human emotions. After all we are animals too so we should have lots in common, right? 

I know I treat my cats like they're my children.. and I tell my parents that they're the only form of grandchildren they're getting from me lol

I treat my kitty like my child (at least, I feel like I do, I have no human children  ) but I give him human attributes. Riley is hungry, sleepy, cranky, etc. The BF just rolls his eye sometimes. 

Draco said:

I know I treat my cats like they're my children.. and I tell my parents that they're the only form of grandchildren they're getting from me lol

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I'm going home to visit my mom next weekend and when I was speaking with her the other day she said "Ohhh I hope you're bringing my grandson home with you" ... she has no human grandchildren so she treats my kitty like one. She even spoiled him to Christmas. lol 

They are my babies, that's just it. I send my parents pictures of their grand cats every year. They roll their eyes and don't like it

However, they get included, and if my cats aren't welcome, I;'m not welcome.

I should add... My dad treats his dog like he is his baby too. He understands why I treat my cats the same way. My parents are always buying stuff for them too.

DH and I treat our animals this way!! When Leo was 3 weeks old DH would ask 'Do you think he's ready for a bottle?' lol they have always been our babies and always will be, after suffering through a miscarriage at the beginning of December DH and I decided to just have fur-children!! We often spend more on them then we do on us on payday  We enjoy it and they don't seem to mind it!! My youngest dog has a severe allergy to most foods, it's been a lifelong battle to find something that he can eat without having a reaction to it. I've spent all night awake with him, making sure he doesn't get dehydrated and that he's not getting sick. In wal-mart one day, a woman who knew me commented "you look really tired' I replied "yeah I was up with the baby all night"(he is my baby) She looked surpirsed and stated that she didn't know I had a baby! I replied that 'he was a year old and had been so sick the night before he would't even chew his bones' lol I guess she figured it out, but the look on her face was priceless!!!

They are our babies, and I know a lot of people don't understand that for one reason or another...I say to each their own!

I do the same thing but its more because I know that they are more similar to human than what many people would like to beleive and if you've grown up with cats or lived closely with them for most of your life or any good length of time you see this.   Cats talk to people and people who are close to them know what they are saying both in physical and verbal form. It comes quite natural to a person, for me its second nature since I've literally been raised with cats. My family had cats when I was born and through my entire life and like growing up with someone who speaks a foreign language, you grow up learning both or at least being able to understand both.

People can also pick up traits from their cats, my dad and I are both guilty of this.  My dad was born and raised on a farm that had 40+ cats and he spent many nights sleeping under the stars with them. Now his ears tend to act much like a cat. When he's mad or irritated or in a trouble making mood, his ears lay back closer to his head. He doesn't realize he does this, it just happens naturally. For myself, I have a tendency to knead, I even do with with my toes. I'm totally asleep when this happens but my boyfriend has notified me of my "quirks."    I have also been told that I make squeaks and chirps when I'm lightly disturbed in my sleep like some cats that you decide to pet when they're sleeping. When I'm sleeping I also tend the stretch the same as a sleeping cat might.  It seems like all my cat like tendencies come out when I'm sleeping but I guess that's because my brain isn't awake to be concious of what I'm doing.   Strange huh

I have two children and I treat our cat as our third child haha! When I was growing up I was taught that animals are a part of the family and that's how I've always seen it. I've always believed that cats have feelings, maybe they don't see things like we do or reason like we do but I can definitely tell if Gracie is hungry, tired, cold, annoyed, excited, etc. I don't mind being called a crazy cat lady :lol3:

How is being hungry, sleepy or cold a human attribute? Don't all living creatures get hungry or sleepy at some point? Believe me, come to my house around 6 pm and there will be 4 dogs that make it VERY clear they are hungry!   I mean come on, even plants get thirsty and we can tell, if we care. To me, it's just taking care of creatures that are under our protection, whether they have 4 legs or 2. 

Ha! When people tell me my cats don't understand English, I reply - Of course they do! What language do you think I've been speaking to them for all these years?

Nebula said:

Sooooooo

Hubby informs me today that I give Human Attributes to my cats, or project onto them huh lol

Does anyone else see this as odd. I mean they are my babies, and he means things like saying smokie is cold, smokie is hungry, smokie is sad, bandit wants daddy to kiss him........

Smokie needs mommy... etc he says they aren't human kids

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Nebula, we all do this.  I don't know anyone that does not do it to some extent.  This is a double edged sword for many of us and our pets.  My pets are family and I treat them as such. I pamper and spoil them like they are little children. What I have to remember always is that they are animals and do not have the ability to reason like humans do.   I cringe when I hear ignorant remarks from people that apply dangerous attributes to their animals or someone else's.  A prime example of that would be, "Look at that dumb dog in the middle of the street. He should know he is going to get hit"... Seriously, how is the dog going to know it is dangerous to walk in the street?  Do these people think the animal has the ability to reason as humans do? Well they don't.  In this regard it can be dangerous.  On the other hand, as long as we understand they are animals and we do our best to protect them, I see nothing wrong with giving them human attributes

DH and I both do this, there is nothing wrong with it. We care so deeply for our pets, it's just natural to talk to them and bond with them. Pets aren't utilitarian creatures, we have them for company and enjoyment so why wouldn't I talk to them?

calico2222 said:

How is being hungry, sleepy or cold a human attribute? Don't all living creatures get hungry or sleepy at some point? Believe me, come to my house around 6 pm and there will be 4 dogs that make it VERY clear they are hungry! :lol3:  I mean come on, even plants get thirsty and we can tell, if we care. To me, it's just taking care of creatures that are under our protection, whether they have 4 legs or 2. 

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Very well said!!

My cats are my children too. They do read something about me, emotions or whatever. They know what mood I am in when I walk in the door after work. They try to heal me when I am sick. Give me a back message to tuck me in at night when I am weary. They give as much they get. People who say cats have no feelings for their humans don't know anything. They are lost souls. For they will never know the enrichment of cat companionship

I don't see it as strange I do the same thing I refer to my kittys as the boys or the kids I say things like Booboo looks chilly then I cover him with his blanket lol I ring up when at work and ask the hubby how are our boys and he tells me what they have been upto there our babys nothing wrong with that my hubby called Bazi a cat the other day and I got very upset I don't think of them as animals to me there just little fury people who love me to bits so as far as I'm concerned it's normal but haveing said that my hole family call's me the crazy cat lady lol

If you're hubby thinks that's odd, he would think both me and DH were off our rockers if we heard how we talk to / about our kitties.