Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Kitty is not pleased. The look on its face was kinda like "How much longer do I have to put up with this crap for your stupid video?"
Seriously. The kid has to be taught that eating a cat's tail is not acceptable. That looked like a perfect opportunity to begin. Even kids that young can learn. Yet the parents just filmed away ...
Patient cat was not exactly pleased, but he could have gotten up and walked away. There's some reason he didn't. I thought it was funny how he whipped around at one point and then kinda went "Oh, it's you, I guess I won't shred you".
Why (some) cats know to be deferential to the baby is a puzzle to me, but I have witnessed it firsthand in other places. Well, the kids are not quite babies anymore, but the cats tolerate so well some things that I can't ever imagine my cat tolerating, for example. Different cats have different personalities and breaking points. I'm sure mine would have moved away long before the video ended.
Yeah, the kid shouldn't nom the kitty tail. (ew) But to think it was the kid's fault, or the video taker's fault, is pretty silly. That cat is perfectly capable of getting up and out of that situation! He stayed there of his own accord for whatever reason.
I actually laughed when the baby offered the tail to the cat to chew on.
My nephew is learning to be gentle to the family cat. The cat is sooooo patient, and my nephew gets more and more gentle with each encounter.
Our own one year old cat is truly psycho, but he has never used his claws with us. He fell in the tub and didn't even use his claws on me to get out. Some cats just have the gentle gene.
Kitty is not pleased. The look on its face was kinda like "How much longer do I have to put up with this crap for your stupid video?"
Seriously. The kid has to be taught that eating a cat's tail is not acceptable. That looked like a perfect opportunity to begin. Even kids that young can learn. Yet the parents just filmed away ...
God forbid the kitty tries to defend itself and bites or scratches the child to get away or stop the abuse. It soon finds itself in cage at the local shelter. Don't those parents who expect cats and dogs to take any kind of abuse from their children gall you?
But to think it was the kid's fault, or the video taker's fault, is pretty silly. That cat is perfectly capable of getting up and out of that situation! He stayed there of his own accord for whatever reason.
But cats will be cats. What if it whirled and badly scratched the child's face? There is no guarantee it wouldn't. Declawed? Cats still have teeth. I love cats dearly but would never allow a child to do something that may cause a negative reaction in a cat - for the child's sake as well as the cat's.
While that video did concern me, Greg42 has a point; the cat could have walked away.
But ... The kid must learn that it's not OK to yank on a cat's tail, whether the cat likes it or not. It's difficult for anyone, let alone a child, to judge right off if a cat is going to cotton to someone pulling its tail (let alone nomming on it!). If the parents took that kid to a friend's house, with a less tolerant cat ... And it wouldn't be the cat's fault, or the kid's. But that cat no doubt would, as you said, wind up in the shelter.
But cats will be cats. What if it whirled and badly scratched the child's face? There is no guarantee it wouldn't. Declawed? Cats still have teeth. I love cats dearly but would never allow a child to do something that may cause a negative reaction in a cat - for the child's sake as well as the cat's.
I would guess that they already knew the cat wouldn't do this. I think it's highly variable depending upon the disposition of the cat. Some are much more tolerant.
Don't get me wrong, I get what you guys are saying. The baby needs to learn to be gentle. Indeed, in one household with small children that I'm most familiar with, gentle is one of the earlier words they teach and remind the children, and their interactions with the cats are one of the times that gentle often comes up. They do pretty well with it, well, their first one (girl) did. Second kid (boy) is a little more rambunctious.
Really, the thing I fear more in the households with small children and cats is that the cats don't get enough attention, not that they will end up in a shelter. Granted, I'm probably basing that on my own rather limited experience. I know there are scenarios where people have felt like they had to get rid of the cat(s). But really, in that case, they probably already weren't the best home for the cats anyway....
The point is that parents couldn't have known that the cat wouldn't take a piece out of the kid. It looks like they thought making the video was worth taking the chance. Not good parenting, IMO, and totally unfair to the cat.
Shrug. I'm not seeing it. Without knowing the cat and being there you're passing judgment with too little information. Everyone's even making the assumption that the parents know. For all we know some dumb teenager shot the video.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
God forbid
And it wouldn't be the cat's fault, or the kid's. But that cat no doubt would, as you said, wind up in the shelter.
