Cat Mom? And Other References.

[Mari333]

When people refer to me as "cat mom" it doesn't bother me much but I've come to understand that folks use that term literally. I'm not one of them. But yet I say things to my cats like "mommy is here" and my husband says "daddy is home" and they both come running! Having said that animals are not akin to certain people which I have a different and special bond with. Some people feel if there's a fire they'll rescue their pets beyond a person. As much as I love my cats I don't think that way.

I also don't fancy addressing as sweetie, hun etc. I don't lose sleep over any of it mind you. But I once told my husband stop calling x hon. But it caught up with him when he went somewhere and referred to the the women at the car dealership as hon and she asked to use her name instead of "hon" learned. Lesson learned.

But again the thing with cats is now when people use those terms like "cat mom". It's still no big deal but I don't know if they mean it literally and if they do it's slightly cringe worthy because of the connotation behind it. I just don't follow a specific ideology that seems prevalent these days.

 

[Elphaba09]

I guess I do not see the connection between "cat mom" and "hon." One is patronizing, and the other is just a term for someone with a close connection with their cats. I have a resting "B" face, apparently, and come across as stand-offish and mean, so I guess people do not want to take the chance of calling me that. (I would not blow up under most circumstances, but I am sure they would get a look that would make them stop.)

I am a cat mom. I have a bumper sticker of a three-headed GoT style cat that says "Mother of Cats." My husband has the same with "Father of Cats." My cats are my babies. My husband will "only" ever be a step-dad and a cat dad. My children are 25 and 18. if there was a fire and they were home, I am sure they could get themselves out.

The whole saving the pets before a person depends on who the person is. If they can get out on their own, they do not really need much assistance. If it is someone who is incapable of saving themselves, I cannot imagine anyone letting that person die in a fire, unless there was some sort of hate between them. (If my ex-husband were to come to my house and a fire broke out, he better hope he could get out on his own. Even if all my cats and spider were out safely, I would walk away and never feel bad about it.)

In our house, we have a plan in case of a fire or tornado to try and ensure the safety of our cats and spider. That is not to say that it will work, but it is something we have discussed and gone over, especially after our neighbor's daughter's house caught on fire. She lost three dogs and two cats. They thought they had lost three, but they found one a couple days later not far from the wreckage. She was badly burned and still suffers mentally, but is doing better.

 

[marmoset]

I don't refer to myself as a cat mom. I've gotten mother's day cards from people that said "Happy mother's day from the cats" and I thought it was cute and thoughtful. I don't have kids of my own so I think it's a sweet gesture from family members.

I don't even call my animals furbabies. I have no real problem with it because I know that terms like furmom, cat mom, furbaby are all coming from a place of adoration or acknowledgement of the animal-human bond. I think that's a good direction for us to go in culturally. We take pet ownership much more seriously now, spending more on vet care, staying on top of wellness visits and caring about our animals' diets.

As far as animals vs people. I've been asked this because I do cat rescue, TnR and work at a no kill shelter. Some people don't understand- if I'm not making millions- if I'm choosing to live a life where money is always somewhat of an issue just so I could follow up on a passion- why am I not out there helping babies, sick children or those with mental disabilities or the elderly.

Fact is I love all those people. But I feel a calling to work with animals. I expect others are called to work with groups of humans who also need fundraising, caring and rehabilitation and they are the ones who should be doing it. They are the ones best suited. I'm best suited to work for animals. A good society would have people helping in all those areas. So I don't like being judged for my calling.

That said if there was a three year old kid and a puppy in the street and I could only save one I'd have to save the three year old person. I don't think I'd hesitate at all.