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Location: the wrong side of the tracks Richmond, VA
585 posts, read 2,015,434 times
Reputation: 794
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Tonight I realized my apartment was totally quiet... finally looked up and found cats passed out in every corner of the house.
There's really no greater joy than knowing you gave these lives a safe, quiet place to pass out on nights like these. The AC is cool and I have the TV low.
One lost her best friend when my mom died. I swooped in and tried to grieve with her.
Two came from our local shelter. I fully support the shelter's mission; they made an excellent match. The boys are constant entertainment and cute to watch together.
One was rescued from death in New York. A month on, she's the queen of our house and quite the troublemaker.
And yet they're all totally quiet at this moment, camped out around the house in their preferred spots.
Moments like these make all the puking, food-obsessing, hair-cleaning-up, litter-box-tending time worth it. I don't do it for them - they offer me way more than I could them - but times like these I appreciate that they feel comfortable and safe in my home. As destructive, obnoxious, needy and standoffish as they are.
Tonight I realized my apartment was totally quiet... finally looked up and found cats passed out in every corner of the house.
There's really no greater joy than knowing you gave these lives a safe, quiet place to pass out on nights like these. The AC is cool and I have the TV low.
One lost her best friend when my mom died. I swooped in and tried to grieve with her.
Two came from our local shelter. I fully support the shelter's mission; they made an excellent match. The boys are constant entertainment and cute to watch together.
One was rescued from death in New York. A month on, she's the queen of our house and quite the troublemaker.
And yet they're all totally quiet at this moment, camped out around the house in their preferred spots.
Moments like these make all the puking, food-obsessing, hair-cleaning-up, litter-box-tending time worth it. I don't do it for them - they offer me way more than I could them - but times like these I appreciate that they feel comfortable and safe in my home. As destructive, obnoxious, needy and standoffish as they are.
You summed it up quite nicely. There is no greater joy in my life when my cat jumps up on my bed and gives me a "headbutt" just to say.. "hi, I love you".
Location: the wrong side of the tracks Richmond, VA
585 posts, read 2,015,434 times
Reputation: 794
Quote:
Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson
You summed it up quite nicely. There is no greater joy in my life when my cat jumps up on my bed and gives me a "headbutt" just to say.. "hi, I love you".
20yrsinBranson
I got that the other day with my tuxie who has been very, er, independent since the day I brought him home. I give him the space he wants and accept the affection he gives on his own terms and would never force him to be a "lap cat" as that's just not his thing... He'll allow some petting but mostly stays out of arm's reach and I respect that. He's also the first to headbutt me when I come home but he's not about cuddles and smooches and lovin'.
The other day I was being lazy in bed and he hopped up and started headbutting me. He's purred maybe 3 or 4 times EVER, it just isn't him. Well he started parading back and forth, purring like crazy and nuzzling his little head into my hand. I was so touched I could have cried, it was such a precious moment and showed how all my hard work getting him to warm up paid off.
It only lasted a few minutes but made my day. My other 3 are highly affectionate but when this one gets cuddly with me, you better believe I appreciate it.
But yeah, for all their independence, getting a reassuring "hey, human, you're not so bad" headbutt from any of them is a great feeling.
I honestly don't know how I would fare without mine. I have a mother and one of her sons, and they are such a joy every day. I love the little routines and the certain noises made at certain times, the way they wake me up every morning, the fact that they will curl up together and hug each other with all legs. the biggest mystery to me if folks who don't like them.
Location: the wrong side of the tracks Richmond, VA
585 posts, read 2,015,434 times
Reputation: 794
Quote:
Originally Posted by redvelvet709
I honestly don't know how I would fare without mine. I have a mother and one of her sons, and they are such a joy every day. I love the little routines and the certain noises made at certain times, the way they wake me up every morning, the fact that they will curl up together and hug each other with all legs. the biggest mystery to me if folks who don't like them.
I respect my non-cat-loving friends but I don't get it either. I couldn't imagine life without them.
I moved cross-country almost two years ago and live alone. I'm fairly social but also treasure my private time and find my cats to be excellent companions - we respect each other's space (except when someone is trying to plop in my lap ha) but have fun together.
One of mine chirps every time he hops down from the bed or a piece of furniture, and my youngest three are constantly chasing each other through the house and wrestling or playing peek-a-boo behind the curtains. I think more than being great companions to me, I'm happy they find a lot of joy in each other. There really is nothing cuter than watching young cats play together.
We have 5 cats in the house, down from 7. We lost one last summer and we lost her brother this past weekend. The 5 that are left are all related - we have the mother and 4 of her kids. Our neighbors found them up against his house on a cold, rainy March morning back in 2008. The kittens were 6 weeks old, the mother about a year old. She was 6lbs and trying to nurse, the kittens fit in the palm of my hand. A few people tried to catch her, she wanted nothing to do with them and ran, and no one wanted to touch the kittens. Knowing we had 2 other cats, they asked us if we'd try to catch them since animal control wouldn't come out. A box, towel and a pair of leather gloves later, I was dropping kittens in the box with no troubles. The clincher came when momma walked right up to my wife and curled up in her lap as I caught the kittens - no fussing, no crying, no fighting. She was a ragdoll when we took everyone in the house. We didn't turn them over to animal control, instead opting to go through a rescue to adopt them out. We paid for the initial vet visits to get everyone checked out, momma had the kittens litter trained within a day and they were scarfing up food within hours. We know she was someones cat since she was semi groomed (she's a longhair), and unfortunately they took after her with a broom at some point, she's scared sh*tless of them. We wound up adopting 4 out of 6 of the kittens because we got attached as we fought the various parasites they'd picked up outside over the next 6 months. Within a day, momma was nursing again and is now almost 12lbs. The weenieones as we call them are now between 10 and 12lbs, and there is nothing more satisfying than looking around the living room or rec room and seeing tails and feet hanging from cat towers, or seeing copious amounts of cat draped over couches and scratch pads. Are they a handful? Sure. Would I have 7 cats at once again? I dunno. Would I give it up for the world now? Hell no.
Location: the wrong side of the tracks Richmond, VA
585 posts, read 2,015,434 times
Reputation: 794
Quote:
Originally Posted by ReblTeen84
We have 5 cats in the house, down from 7. We lost one last summer and we lost her brother this past weekend. The 5 that are left are all related - we have the mother and 4 of her kids. Our neighbors found them up against his house on a cold, rainy March morning back in 2008. The kittens were 6 weeks old, the mother about a year old. She was 6lbs and trying to nurse, the kittens fit in the palm of my hand. A few people tried to catch her, she wanted nothing to do with them and ran, and no one wanted to touch the kittens. Knowing we had 2 other cats, they asked us if we'd try to catch them since animal control wouldn't come out. A box, towel and a pair of leather gloves later, I was dropping kittens in the box with no troubles. The clincher came when momma walked right up to my wife and curled up in her lap as I caught the kittens - no fussing, no crying, no fighting. She was a ragdoll when we took everyone in the house. We didn't turn them over to animal control, instead opting to go through a rescue to adopt them out. We paid for the initial vet visits to get everyone checked out, momma had the kittens litter trained within a day and they were scarfing up food within hours. We know she was someones cat since she was semi groomed (she's a longhair), and unfortunately they took after her with a broom at some point, she's scared sh*tless of them. We wound up adopting 4 out of 6 of the kittens because we got attached as we fought the various parasites they'd picked up outside over the next 6 months. Within a day, momma was nursing again and is now almost 12lbs. The weenieones as we call them are now between 10 and 12lbs, and there is nothing more satisfying than looking around the living room or rec room and seeing tails and feet hanging from cat towers, or seeing copious amounts of cat draped over couches and scratch pads. Are they a handful? Sure. Would I have 7 cats at once again? I dunno. Would I give it up for the world now? Hell no.
^^this.
It's the tails and feet hanging everywhere that really gets you. I don't know how much credit I deserve for them being that comfortable but I'd like to believe I get some props for making the house worthy of draping paws and tails all over the place. I joke that my condo is really a cat condo; I specifically designed it to be comfortable for both them and myself.
I never intended to end up with 4 and it isn't easy managing them all but you get those moments like you said with the tails hanging everywhere that you realize it's all worth it. That any one of them would be that comfortable in your house and your presence is enough but to think more than one of them would find that kind of comfort in not only your house but each other...
those moments when we stop and really think how they contribute so much to our lives are sweet...
I will never be without a cat. Ever.
Quote:
Originally Posted by killabunnies
Tonight I realized my apartment was totally quiet... finally looked up and found cats passed out in every corner of the house.
There's really no greater joy than knowing you gave these lives a safe, quiet place to pass out on nights like these. The AC is cool and I have the TV low.
One lost her best friend when my mom died. I swooped in and tried to grieve with her.
Two came from our local shelter. I fully support the shelter's mission; they made an excellent match. The boys are constant entertainment and cute to watch together.
One was rescued from death in New York. A month on, she's the queen of our house and quite the troublemaker.
And yet they're all totally quiet at this moment, camped out around the house in their preferred spots.
Moments like these make all the puking, food-obsessing, hair-cleaning-up, litter-box-tending time worth it. I don't do it for them - they offer me way more than I could them - but times like these I appreciate that they feel comfortable and safe in my home. As destructive, obnoxious, needy and standoffish as they are.
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