Am I a bad critter mama? (Sorry, kinda long)

I disagree about how some people treat cats- but you sound like a normal cat momma to me-

My cats that are socialized properly (not all of mine are) act like dogs, they ask for attention and they enjoy human company- my cats are also trained to sit/stay - and 'up- (beg) ...

most people don't bother properly socializing/training cats (kittens) so that's another thing altogether.
 
You sound like a normal cat owner... a good one at that! Most people would just give in and let their cats get too fat just to get them to shut up! I have 2 cats and 2 dogs.... the older cat has always been more standoffish. Cassie definitely has a preferance with who she wants attention from... DH, DD1, Ozzie(cat), DD2 and DD3 are tied, Max (dog), then me, then Lily(dog) LOL. Ozzie is more like a velcro dog... we are usually peeling him off of us anytime we are still for more than 1 minute... but he's an in-bred weirdo cat so he gets the papmering that he wants. I treat the dogs differently too... it's all based on their personality. Lily needs more active, hands-on interaction, where Max likes to chill out on the floor on top of our feet. If I tried to play fetch with him, he'd do it about 3 times then look at me like "Dang woman! I'm not going to keep getting it for you if you can't hold on to it!"

I think a good pet owner adjusts how they interact with their animals based on what each individual animal needs.
 
I have two cats because I know that I'm not willing to invest as much time playing with a kitten as they deserve. Bad mama? I don't think so.

I'm the center of my dog's world. To the point that it's sometimes tiring! Good thing she's crate trained!
To my cats I'm just a warm lap to sit on, the dispenser of the food (the one who can use the can opener!) and the evil one who applies Advantage to their necks. As the PP said, to my cats I'm STAFF. lol
 
Quote:
Maybe we need to trade places for a month. We'll call it the Great Step-mom Swap of 2010. If it's alright with you let's wait to make the switch until after y'all's winter is over, 'k?

I'm relieved to see that the consensus is that cats don't give a flying monkey's behind whether we like their attitudes or not. Just needed a little reassurance.
hugs.gif


I'm up for the Great Step-mom Swap, send her to me, I'll show her all cats are the same. It's their terms, but she'll soon learn she's on my terms........
lol.png


She's just a silly kid and will grow up on day. Your a great cat mom.
 
Your cats sound perfectly content. Your DSD is not. That's her problem, not yours.
I have velco dogs, stand-offish dogs, a velco cat and my 'boss cat.' I interact with them differently depending upon their needs and mine. You are doing just fine with yours.
As a side note, your DSD would think me abusive, I have a Siamese that yells at me. I yell back. Then we pile up on the bed together and sleep all intertwined with the velco dog. I like having a cat that can 'argue' with me. It's fun. (besides, she started it!)
Enjoy you cats and Jax, you're doing fine.

edited to add: My mother thinks I'm cruel because I obedience train my dogs. What can I say? Some people are just idiots.
 
Last edited:
Quote:
Maybe we need to trade places for a month. We'll call it the Great Step-mom Swap of 2010. If it's alright with you let's wait to make the switch until after y'all's winter is over, 'k?

I'm relieved to see that the consensus is that cats don't give a flying monkey's behind whether we like their attitudes or not. Just needed a little reassurance.
hugs.gif


I'm up for the Great Step-mom Swap, send her to me, I'll show her all cats are the same. It's their terms, but she'll soon learn she's on my terms........
lol.png


She's just a silly kid and will grow up on day. Your a great cat mom.

Okay, I'll send her to Miz Red first and Red can send her to you.
wink.png
 
I think cats behavoir also depends on were the cat came from, we have 2 stray cats, one brought to us as a kitten another chose us as a family on a 30- day and refused to leave, they enjoy the odd scratch but that's basically it, nice cats though but they will up and leave if you try to pick them up which is fine because I'm a beleve that animals have rights which means not stressing the animal out for my enjoyment. We did have the cutest male cat that used to leave hikkies on the kids but some one stole him thinking he was something other then a long haired cat with a missing tail! He was born outside so it was super hard keeping him in.
 
Quote:
That's exactly where I'm coming from. Kitty I found as a three week old feral orphan at my workplace. It was a choice between me catching her or her ending up a blob on the highway just a few feet away. Took me two days to catch her. First thing the little twit did was bite me. It has taken three years of living with us and she's still not friendly, although she tolerates DH and I. Let someone come to visit and she's hidden until the visit is over.
KiKi came to us from the animal shelter and she was starving. She now associates food with comfort; the reason it's necessary to keep her on a diet or she'd eat all day long.
 
Grit, my Fagin is like your Kitty. He was a wild barn cat when he came to live here. I went to the farmer's market down the street and the place was crawling with wild kittens. I offered to take a couple of them and the farmer jumped at it. Dodger (who has always had more curiosity than sense) was caught immediately and stuffed into the crate. Fagin was hiding in a wooden pallet. The guy reached in to grab him and Fagin bit the fire out of him through his leather gloves! I mean, the guy was gushing blood everywhere and swearing up a storm. Fagin was hissing and spitting and carrying on and I was rethinking my decision to take a couple of cats.
ep.gif

Long story short, after a lot of food and treat therapy, Fagin came around and is the most loving cat ever. He'll lay in my arms like a baby and will let me rub his tummy. The cat won't leave me alone when he's needing love! When anyone shows up at the house he vanishes. I think my family thinks he's an imaginary cat.
Just for the record, Dodger still has more curiosity than sense and pretty much stays in trouble. He loves company, unless the company is made up of small children.
smile.png


I still think you're an excellent kitty mom. You are letting them relate to you in the manner in which they wish.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom