People judge me and my cats

I could really use some support and understanding.

The short story is that I rescued a cat, kitten and adopted another kitten, so I have three cats altogether.

I have never had more than three cats, and that is the number I can't imagine ever going beyond.

I adopted them when I was unemployed and living below poverty line.

I was living all alone with no family of my own to take care of, and also missed the therapeutic aspect of cat companionship (I have PTSD and depression). One day I saw them and my heart decided that I will do all I can to keep them safe and loved.

They have been well taken care of so far, and are very happy. 

I get upset with people who play the old "don't adopt if you can't afford" card. My understanding is that, so long as you have the space and the heart, it is great to take care of an animal that would otherwise have lived out his life at shelters, overburdened as they are with unwanted pets. It's a win-win situation. (But of course, there are always exceptions to any rule, and I'm aware of that.)

People don't understand this and are very hard on me. My family sees them as just "cats", not as how sacred they are to me, and chide me.

This reinforces the guilt I secretly feel inside - that perhaps I've lost touch with reality, or am going through middle age crisis, or that this is just a very bad sign altogether.

I just wanted to know whether I really am insane, and/or if anyone can relate.

Nope - not insane in the least. In fact, you are very much aligned with most of us here on the site who love and cherish cat's and NEED them in our lives. Being a caretaker to them is something extremely rewarding and good for our hearts. I completely understand your thoughts. For years, I have always told family/friends that I have less cats than I really have. I have six, the most I have ever had indoors. My husband's side of the family are definitely not cat people and I have always had to lie about the cats. Hubby slipped at the last family gathering at his niece's house saying our "six" cats. My SIL almost fell out of her chair. She said I was borderline crazy cat lady now but the fact that I was hiding the amount of cats I really had showed that I had some sort of embarrassment. WELL - you know what - she was dead wrong - it is not embarrassment - IT IS BEING JUDGED. For me, anyway, I decided NOT to fib about the cats anymore and just be proud of who I have become and the kitties that I have rescued and saved from a life of God knows what. SO - mid-life crisis or not - be proud of your three kitties and your need/want to have them in your life and how well you are caring for them. True friends/family will always be on your side and have your back. Not always the case though and as for my SIL. Well - no more pizza nights or get-togethers with her. :rasp: :lol3:

Oh, honey. We have six of them. We went from having one cat for a good ten years or so to taking in a couple kitties. One was pregnant and the rest is history. 

I can tell you that those cats have been troublesome and worrisome. They've scratched the carpet, they've scratched the furniture, heck, Mollipop even scratched the paint on our bedroom walls. They had their problems from time to time and have peed where they shouldn't. They've thrown up in the worst places.

But I cannot imagine the house without those kibblekrunchers. I cannot imagine coming home to a house where there are no cats waiting for me at the door. I can't imagine going to bed at night without Molli sleeping up at my head or nestled in my arms and Muffin sleeping next to me with her head tucked in under my chin. I can't imagine taking a shower and not seeing Molli sitting in the corner of the bathtub with her head poking around the shower curtain. I can't imagine not ever watching Tabby who has to pee so badly that she gets in the litter box while I'm scooping it out; she knows there are six litter boxes in the house, but she wants that one. So I stop scooping and let her pee, then scoop that out, too.

When we've lost a kitty (and it happens as they get older), the loss has broken our hearts. Some have been gone for years now and we still think about them every single day. I still shed a few tears for our ones at the Bridge because I miss them so much. 

You're not insane, not even close. You've joined the ranks of cat parents. Welcome!

My parents and sisters don't get that we are "crazy cat lovers" either. All our cats we have and have had are well loved, fed and looked after and they certainly don't get that we've spent somewhere in the vicinity of $4000 on one of my cats that isn't even 2 years old yet! We have had very nasty remarks from some people(not my family thankfully) and they hurt but I try let them roll off my back.

Only you personally know the true value of your kitties for you and your own well-being.

I have five cats, and like @Winchester , I can't imagine coming home and not having Spice sitting in the front window, or having them snuggled against me when I sleep, or watching Sugar and Spice play full-contact tag from one end of the house to the other.

If people can't accept that I am content with the ladies, they can go play in traffic.

Firebird said:

I get upset with people who play the old "don't adopt if you can't afford" card. 

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It depends. Generalizing is always a silly thing to do, and if anyone generalizes like that, you can safely ignore them. Can't afford... what? Can't afford premium food? Who cares. Lots of cats live long happy life on a variety of food. There is no "good" vs "bad" food, as long as your cats will eat them and it's not a documented toxin, like onions or booze.

Can't afford vet bills? To a certain extent, yes. Caring for cats means caring for their health too, and that may include certain vet bills. On the extreme side, I'm sure you'll agree that if a owner merely puts a cat in an empty room and put down food twice a day, that's being cruel to the cat. Not bringing a cat to the vet when it is clearly showing signs of extreme illness is cruel. If a family member falls over and have a heart attack, I would call the emergency hospital without thinking about whether I can afford it or not. I would do the same for my cat.

One day I saw them and my heart decided that I will do all I can to keep them safe and loved.

They have been well taken care of so far, and are very happy. 

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You're a good person, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise or try to bring you down. People feel the need to impose their own opinions on someone else. If you feel you can provide quality care, even if "quality" may not match what people think, then your cats are lucky to have found you. And you, them. Whether or not you can "afford" it, you are the only person who can decide that.

People will judge. People who judge do so because deep down, they are insecure and may even have inferiority complex. This is their way of compensating for that, by putting others down. Hold your head high, and don't let negative people crush your spirits.

Mark Twain said "sanity and happiness are an impossible combination"

You do have to be careful what you say in case there are pet limits in your town or your family has power over your money/living situation. But otherwise, let your freak flag fly! Now that I don't live in town anymore (limit 5 pets), I can say, yep, I have 26 cats, deal with it! :tongue2:

You are not insane, you have a big heart don't let anyone ever make you feel guilty about that. A kitty with lots of love and a roof over its head that has to eat cat chow and miss it vaccines because you can't afford them will survive many many many times longer than one left on the street. This is what matters, many people see this as unimportant. I'm not one of those and neither are you be proud of your big heart!!!!

Bless you for rescuing.  It is hard to tell what life would be like for these cats without you.  Other people shouldn't try to dictate what makes you happy.  If there were more people who concentrated on helping animals than some of the other things folks get themselves into, the world would be a better place.

My family doesn't understand how much cat's mean to me

You're a diamond,

Dear,

They can't break you.

Cats are awesome. No, more awesome than words can describe.

Let you love for kitties live on! Let them call you what they want! They don't know. Anything.

catspaw66 said:

I have five cats, and like @Winchester
, I can't imagine coming home and not having Spice sitting in the front window, or having them snuggled against me
when I sleep, or watching Sugar and Spice play full-contact tag from one end of the house to the other.

If people can't accept that I am content with the ladies, they can go play in traffic.

Click to expand...

Well said.LOL

I don't know about America but I do know that in England there are many people who live on the streets with their very healthy cats and dogs. If they can manage you certainly can so ignore what people and family have to say. You're a life saver.

If you're crazy then we are all crazy. I, too, can't imagine my life without my kitties - we have 3. We have 3 that are now at Rainbow Bridge and still missthem terribly and talk about them all the time. People think we're crazy, but who cares. I love my kitties enormously and can't imagine life without them. They are our best friends and never let us down.

Firebird said:

 
I could really use some support and understanding.

The short story is that I rescued a cat, kitten and adopted another kitten, so I have three cats altogether.

I have never had more than three cats, and that is the number I can't imagine ever going beyond.

I adopted them when I was unemployed and living below poverty line.

I was living all alone with no family of my own to take care of, and also missed the therapeutic aspect of cat companionship (I have PTSD and depression). One day I saw them and my heart decided that I will do all I can to keep them safe and loved.

They have been well taken care of so far, and are very happy. 

I get upset with people who play the old "don't adopt if you can't afford" card. My understanding is that, so long as you have the space and the heart, it is great to take care of an animal that would otherwise have lived out his life at shelters, overburdened as they are with unwanted pets. It's a win-win situation. (But of course, there are always exceptions to any rule, and I'm aware of that.)

People don't understand this and are very hard on me. My family sees them as just "cats", not as how sacred they are to me, and chide me.

This reinforces the guilt I secretly feel inside - that perhaps I've lost touch with reality, or am going through middle age crisis, or that this is just a very bad sign altogether.

I just wanted to know whether I really am insane, and/or if anyone can relate.

Click to expand...

You are not crazy.I have 4 of them and barely manage to pay all the vet bills. However like Winchester, I couldn't possible imagine my life without cat's. They have comforted me when I've been at my lowest, when no one else was there. As to people who "judge" , you, just tell them I don't care what you think about it. End of story. They aren't paying the bills anyways so it's none of their business. Enjoy your beautiful cat's and ignore the ignorant people who couldn't begin to see the unconditional love that a cat can bring into your life. As long as you can provide a quality of life where they are not suffering, then it's ok to have them.