good one!
make that frozen and thawed mice
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
"Crazy Cat Lady?"
- Thread starter musicalcats
- Start Date
make that frozen and thawed mice
I think it has a lot to do with the general lack of education about pet health and needs, honestly. There are a lot of animal owners out there who honestly don't know or recognize when their pet has emotional or behavioral issues and even when they do, they anthropomorphise it into their pet being "naughty" or "spiteful" or "mean". It's a sad state of affairs but until animals are seen as anything other than disposable family members in mainstream culture, I suppose that "crazy cat ladies" will be a niche for responsible cat owners for some time to come. It doesn't help that cats still have that reputation for being aloof, independent animals--a stereotype, of course. I've met many an independent cat but I have yet to meet one who is truly aloof. I think a lot of non-cat people have a tendency to handle cats too roughly and become upset when the cat doesn't act like a dog and often actively removes itself from a situation it doesn't feel comfortable with or worse, makes its displeasure known.
My cats have always been friendly and happy to greet friends and family at the door, but none of them have ever really been comfortable around kids and will hide. Connor was remarkably tolerant of my young cousin trying to carry him in a manner he really didn't like--he did swat at her, but did not use his claws, and he left the room as soon as he could. And this from a cantankerous older cat who could and would smack the glasses right off your face if he was having a flare up and not feeling up to interaction with anyone. If anything, I find it amazing that most cats seem to be like this, rather than being aggressive. I suppose kids who don't grow up with cats and have this sort of experience can easily grow up with a negative opinion of cats and then continue passing that belief on, perpetuating the cycle. So then they encounter those of us who are cat people and it's like meeting an alien, lol. If anything, I kind of feel bad for them actually because they're missing out on the unique type of affection that comes from being chosen. If being responsible and actively caring about my companion animal's health and happiness makes me crazy, well that's a title I'll gladly hold.
My cats have always been friendly and happy to greet friends and family at the door, but none of them have ever really been comfortable around kids and will hide. Connor was remarkably tolerant of my young cousin trying to carry him in a manner he really didn't like--he did swat at her, but did not use his claws, and he left the room as soon as he could. And this from a cantankerous older cat who could and would smack the glasses right off your face if he was having a flare up and not feeling up to interaction with anyone. If anything, I find it amazing that most cats seem to be like this, rather than being aggressive. I suppose kids who don't grow up with cats and have this sort of experience can easily grow up with a negative opinion of cats and then continue passing that belief on, perpetuating the cycle. So then they encounter those of us who are cat people and it's like meeting an alien, lol. If anything, I kind of feel bad for them actually because they're missing out on the unique type of affection that comes from being chosen. If being responsible and actively caring about my companion animal's health and happiness makes me crazy, well that's a title I'll gladly hold.
