Do you consider your cats to be your children?

catladyvettech

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My cats are definitely my children. I'm only 27 years old but I long ago made up my mind that I don't want to have kids. I'm going to go ahead and say my amazing cats Guillermo, Sniffles, Ingvild Solveig, Fernando, and Flower are my children and I'm proud to say so. Although when they're driving me crazy I sometimes refer to them as my annoying roommates. :)
 

raysmyheart

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I consider Speedy to be my closest companion.  
 I took care of my Dad for ten years because he suffered a bad stroke that caused disability and I know I took the  best care of him I possibly could.  I believe he sent Speedy to me and I know he would have loved her.  She has bright blue eyes like he did.  I get a lot of satisfaction taking the best care of her that I can and I almost see him smiling at us together.  In all honesty, she is everything to me. 
 
D

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My cat rarely sleeps in my bed, but when she does, I always end up scrunched at the head of my bed or practically falling off the side while she snoozes smack in the middle. I don't move because I'm afraid she'll leave amd I don't want her to.
Anyone else like me?
 
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joannekitty

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I have three cats, two young 1 years old and a new addition, a 13 year old stray. They sleep on my bed, follow me no matter where I go in the house. One of them, every night crawls under the covers and throws herself down against me. I then hug her. She use to sleep sprawled across my neck lol. I class them as family, not really 'my kids' but I would protect them all the same. The other one likes to ride around the house on my shoulders, wrapped around like a scarf

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padfootandmoony

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I have only had my cat since February and I was her mom the day after she came home to us. I like to kid that my kids have paws but I also don't think I want to have children as I just don't feel comfortable with young humans. I do see her as a familiar. She follows me but she is my baby and I will treat her as so. I refer to my boyfriend as her daddy and he doesn't seem to mind. He does say I can't have more than three at a time though lol. 
 

mservant

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Mouse is my companion but I am his responsible human so in that respect he is a bit like being my kid.  He did not choose to come live with me so I am responsible for making his life as rich and full and healthy as I can, just as I would for a child.  I see him as a member of my family, and my family although none cat lovers like me all refer to him as part of theirs.  I guess they know how important cats are in my life.  Sometimes I will call Mouse my baby, it is a term of affection, a fun way to refer to him and reflects how he will behave towards me at times which is very like how he would his birth mother - stalk her,  jump at her head and then run off looking back for her to chase him, or to look at him and offer praise when he has caught his first mouse.

We all have different families and relationships with the people and the world around us and what is right for one person is not going to be so for others, but this is what makes the world such a rich place.  Whether we see the cats we share our life with as our kids, our family, or other, what matters to me is that we respect them and show them kindness as living beings who share our planet.
 

meekocat

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I have never wanted to have children--I have a hard time being patient with kids when I have them for more than 2 hrs at a time.  (Probably why i didn't make it as a teacher!!) Anyway, I dote on my cat, both my old cat I lost in 2012 and my new kitty.  I do consider her my baby.  I find I have more patience with Melody than I would with kids.  I feel that I should be counted in Mother's day celebrations due to the fact that while my Mel may not be human, I still care and support and love her.  Isn't that what mothers do?  They care for their children.  They support their children.  They love their children.  I no longer have the ability to have kids and I never had the want anyway, but I feel that I give all the love that I could have given to a child, had I had/wanted one, goes to my kitty.
 

dejolane

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Both of my kids are grown and own their own. Bella is all I have left and I do think of her as a kid. I talk to her and pamper her alot.
 

amaraena

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I've thought a lot about this over the years that I've had my cat - especially recently as he's been getting up there in age. 

I'm in a serious relationship ( though thankfully with someone who understands many things about me, including my love for my cat ) but we don't have children. Maybe we will someday, who knows? 

My cat, my silly Doodle bug, has been with me since I was a teenager. I just turned 29. For literally half my life he's been my companion and my confidante. 

I suppose I consider him my child sometimes - but only when he's sick or hurt and in need of special attention. 
 

rubysmama

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My cat rarely sleeps in my bed, but when she does, I always end up scrunched at the head of my bed or practically falling off the side while she snoozes smack in the middle. I don't move because I'm afraid she'll leave amd I don't want her to.
Anyone else like me?
Sometimes I'm so close to the edge of the bed that I will gently move Ruby over a few inches.  Usually she'll go back to sleep. Other times she leaves in a huff and then I wish I had risked falling out of bed so she'd have stayed.  But eventually she crawls back under the covers with me.
 
D

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Lucky :|
The last time she was on my bed (of her own accord), it was for about 5 seconds, the time before that was about 5 months ago.
 

BonitaBaby

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Yes! I didn't understand this kind of mentality before I adopted my rescue cat ~8.5 months ago. My older sister has 3 cats (4 previously) and those are her cat kids. She and her husband don't want children and even drafted a will or something to leave their $$ to their cats.

Last year, I finally realized that I don't want to have kids anymore. I'm 39 and just feel too old (I'm on meds that make me tired and will be lifelong). When I came to that realization, I finally decided to adopt a cat. I don't even call her by her name (that was given to her at the shelter). I pretty much call her "baby!" now all the time or some variation. She is my little baby/little girl. Even though she is another species, she is still my little baby. I spend a fortune on her and love to spoil her. I know she has a cat mother out there somewhere that she'll never see again, but I am her human mommy! =D I take it very seriously that I adopted her. However, unlike a human child, there is unfortunately a limit to the medical costs that I will spend on her. I've already spent a lot. =/ I also talk about her way too much. A couple of my coworkers think I'm crazy for it and for spending a lot on her recent emergency hospitalizations & testing, but my cat baby is my world now. I just love spending time with her at home, especially when she snuggles up next to me to sleep. =)
 
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joannekitty

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I have only had my cat since February and I was her mom the day after she came home to us. I like to kid that my kids have paws but I also don't think I want to have children as I just don't feel comfortable with young humans. I do see her as a familiar. She follows me but she is my baby and I will treat her as so. I refer to my boyfriend as her daddy and he doesn't seem to mind. He does say I can't have more than three at a time though lol. 
Haha my partner says, 'No more than 3! Wasn't suppose to be more than 2!' I'm 28 soon, and still don't really feel the need for children as I have never been maternal or find babies 'cute'. Cats on the other hand (well all animals) I find very cute! I would be very happy to continue with just the furry family. 
 

stewball

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I'd like more furbabies but I don't think my two would be very happy and the 'scooper' would definitely not be happy. Sigh.
 

kittensoldier

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Oh definitely! If not children then at least as a big part of my family! Both of my cats are 4 years old and I got them from a friend of mine who could not maintain them and sadly was either going to take them to a shelter or something worse. I of course could not just wait and watch that happen! I became their new cats mom 
 They are both mischievous brothers who sleep with each other play fight and love to cuddle with me together
 I do not know where they would be or what might have happened but I am so very happy they became apart of my family!
 

ginny

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So far there have been yes answers and no answers.  I'm in-between sort of.  I also have no human children. 

Years ago after the death of my first pet Garfy, I was completely devastated.  So I signed on to one of those pet grief sites for support, and did so as Garfy's Mom, but I felt a bit funny doing that, but Garfy's Caretaker seemed a bit too aloof.   I never considered him to be my child nor me his mom.  Yet at the same time I considered him to be like  a child. But "like a child" and "child" are two different things, kind of. I guess it can be viewed as a subtle distinction.  

Most recently, I posted a tribute at that site and this one after losing my Gracie in July.  At the end of the post, I signed, your mama.  But again I felt funny doing that.  She wasn't my child, but she was definitely like a child to me.  She depended on me, I took care of her, I fed her, looked after her, and so on just like you would a child.  I've shed many tears since losing her and still miss her, and always will.  

All my pets are like children to me, but at the same time not children.  Does that make sense?
 

nansiludie

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So far there have been yes answers and no answers.  I'm in-between sort of.  I also have no human children. 

Years ago after the death of my first pet Garfy, I was completely devastated.  So I signed on to one of those pet grief sites for support, and did so as Garfy's Mom, but I felt a bit funny doing that, but Garfy's Caretaker seemed a bit too aloof.   I never considered him to be my child nor me his mom.  Yet at the same time I considered him to be like  a child. But "like a child" and "child" are two different things, kind of. I guess it can be viewed as a subtle distinction.  

Most recently, I posted a tribute at that site and this one after losing my Gracie in July.  At the end of the post, I signed, your mama.  But again I felt funny doing that.  She wasn't my child, but she was definitely like a child to me.  She depended on me, I took care of her, I fed her, looked after her, and so on just like you would a child.  I've shed many tears since losing her and still miss her, and always will.  

All my pets are like children to me, but at the same time not children.  Does that make sense?
I think it does, as ones own children grow up and move away, whereas the cats never grow up and leave as a human child would. I suppose they are a special different kind of child, if you'd think of them as your children. I do for my Friskies, I raised that boy and his sister from a two day old newborn, on a bottle, same as Mouse. I kept watch round the clock, wiped their bottoms, with them there is a special type of bond.
 
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