Do you think they know?

[kaylacat]

I think that Molly (who came to us as a stray kitten...around 12 weeks old or so) and Buddy (who I rescued as a feral kitten around 8-9 weeks old) know. I think that when they have been through alot and not had a good home and people to love them they are definately more thankful.

The cats I have that I have had since birth I am not too sure....they are spoiled and have never known any other way.

I have noticed with the semi feral that is indoor/outdoor is very thankful over the simple things like just having a comfy place to lay.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Echoing your sentiments, cococat! and enjoying your icon AND your quotes...

 

[quill_luv]

Oh yes, Quill knows! But he doesn't admit it that he likes being spoiled.

 

[kittkatt]

Yes, I believe that our cats "know" how good they have it - even if they weren't abused or mistreated. But I think the ones who were abused, are especially grateful!

Take Spencer, for example: he was abused horribly, before my b/f brought him home from work, and you can tell, just by the way he acts towards us, that he's happy & grateful to be w/ us. And Winchester, who was thrown out of car window,

is happy & grateful, too: you notice the "love" in his eyes every time he looks at you, or when he walks by and rubs up against you...even in spite of all the meds we've had to force down his throat for his FIP! And as crazy as it sounds, even though he hates it, I think he realizes we do it for his own good, and loves us for it.

Geronimo always manages to give us a dirty look when he has to take his meds, but even so, I think he knows it's done out of love for him, and he appreciates it, too!

Almost all of my cats were adopted from the Humane Society, and I believe they were all grateful to be rescued - even the ones who weren't abused. I don't know for sure how many were actually abused, but I have an idea. You can usually tell just by the way they act towards you when you first adopt them, but if given enough time & love, they eventully realize they have it good, and will show their gratitude in their own individual way. Even they strays whom I've fed over the years realize they've got a good thing, and show it when you earn their trust - otherwise, they wouldn' keep coming back!

Regarding the black cat thing: I've never understood how black cats got such a "bad" rep, either!

I've had more black cats than any other, and I've found that they usually have the most sweetest & loving dispositions of them all!

They usually have the coolest 'purr'-sonalities, too!

Maverick, for example, was one of those "second chance" cats, who no one wanted to adopt from the shelter, b/c he was black.

I remember when I went there to take a look at him (he was the "pet of the week", and his pic was in the newspaper), and I took him out of his cage. He just laid in my arms, purring away like he didn't have a care in the world, and I remember thinking, "Why doesn't anyone want you??!!" He was so sweet & loving, and it didn't make any sense to me that he had been there for as long as he was!

I asked the lady at the shelter why no one had adopted him yet, and she told me it was b/c he was black.

What fools!! But their loss was my gain!

Anyways, Maverick, Geronimo, & Spencer are all black cats, and so were Foxy & Shadow. I love ALL cats, regardless of color or breed, but I especially love the black ones!

Cats know when they have it made - they're too smart NOT to know!!

KittKatt

 

[jenc511]

I don't get the black cat thing, either. I've always thought black cats were so pretty. Every day, I comment on how gorgeous my little Lucy is.

As for whether or not she appreciates how good she has it...she has adopted the spoiled princess attitude very readily.

With the addition of the new Siamese (even behind closed doors), she has become very clingy again. She seems to get that she's not the only princess in town, so she's very demanding of our attention these past few days. She's just a very sweet cat, and Dave has taken to his little princess very well (and she takes full advantage of it - she is spoiled rotten). He was hesitant about getting a non-Siamese, but her personality is just fantastic. He loves how talkative she is. There's not a timid bone in her body, so she fit right in as soon as she stepped out of the carrier.

The Siamese (I apologize for her lack of a name) seems to be more "grateful" for her current situation. She spent eight years in a home (came from a breeder, according to the previous owner) and landed in a shelter for a month and a half when she couldn't handle the owner's kids (born after the cat arrived). Lucy was young, bold, and easy-going enough that being in the shelter, while not quite as fantastic as a real home, wasn't something that visibly upset her. She was very friendly and outgoing in the shelter. The Siamese was miserable, and she seems delighted to once again be in a real home environment with relatively quiet people (i.e. no young kids).