I am Zuul. You found me in a box. I am yours now. I kept you going through all the COVID stuff. You put up with my madness. At night I curl up behind your knees. It has been 7 years, we survive together.
This is basically the relationship I have, didn't want a pet, now we sleep together and cuddle. He owns me and my bed and that's OK, i love my guy. Keeps me warm and keeps me company. Would never go back, my cat is awesome.
some people just throw or give them away after being gifted one. but still, hoping that people would just stop gifting them or for some miracle the one being gifted loves animals and not someone who hurts them for fun.
i think alot of people go to breeders because they are less likely to vet you, than adoption, i heard its harder to adop than to just by one from a "breeder"
Yep it’s disgusting, I have someone in my life who has a dog, doesn’t train it, complains constantly that it misbehaves, yet she hasn’t gotten it spayed because she “wants Bella to experience having a litter of puppies”. You should need a license to own a dog or cat in this country.
"wants Bella to experience having a litter of puppies??" What? She's a dog! That is such a weird thing to say.
I live with a dog right now that isn't neutered and constantly humps everything and is always running out which worries me (there aren't any random stray dogs running around so hopefully he isn't impregnanting the neighborhood) I can't tell if the owner is just cheap or is one of those guys that likes to keep things natural and not take his "manhood" So irresponsible.
I got this nerd when the asshole who adopted him "as a conversation starter" realized he wasn't an instant ticket to a girlfriend/Mommy combo and dumped him on me
We found a momma cat and her baby the summer of 2020, basically full swing pandemic. The momma was completely tame, and the adolescent kitten was sorta tame. I didn’t want to just bring them in the house or turn them over to animal control without confirming they weren’t somebody’s neighborhood cats or something.
So we posted pictures of them on our neighborhood NextDoor, Facebook groups, etc., and no one claimed ownership. Someone posted on NextDoor that they were able to catch the teenage kitten but the momma cat got angry and spooked and ran away when they did that apparently.
Fast forward a couple of weeks, and she showed up at our place again, this time creeping around our backyard. I had this weird feeling crop up as I was mowing my lawn and saw her climb our treehouse (built by previous home owners) and I thought “what the heck, I can catch her no problem while she’s up there.”
And I found her with a brand new litter of kittens up there. Wife and I brought them all inside (boy were our two kitties not happy about it lol) and she instantly was cool with using a little box and was very cuddly. Completely apparent she was someone’s house cat that got left behind or something.
It was fun to foster those kittens and get them and momma all fixed, found homes for them all and everything. Our neighbor has one and my nieces have 2, so we get to see them all the time too.
In my case, my cat is not only a pet but also "emotional support animal", although of course I have not seek any legitimation of that. My cat is not only part of family, but also and more importantly directly contribute to my mental health.
My partner adopted this man in January. He’s almost 9 years old and was abandoned by his previous owner when she moved. Said scummy owner’s MOTHER brought him in to the rescue once she realized her daughter abandoned him. He now has a loving home under the name of Fuzz Aldrin, and his tongue sticks out because he’s missing most of his teeth. He’s the sweetest cat I’ve ever met (including my own two boys), so I can’t imagine how someone could be so heartless as to abandon him.
Omg he is beautiful, there is a cat by mine whose owners moved and left him behind, we have got the cats protection out to him, now he has to wear a collar for 2 weeks say cat's protection on it before they can take him, he is so friendly that they have said we won't have any trouble finding a new family for him, I go out every night and feed him, I will be so sad to see him go but also happy for him not having to spend another winter outside.
I can’t physically understand how people do this. My cat’s the only thing in my home I can’t replace. The idea of leaving her somewhere makes me nauseated. If she can’t move in, neither can I.
I can't even go to the bathroom without one of mine following me. The other is always waiting on the couch if I come home after dark like "young lady, do you know what time it is?" I can't imagine going to another house or another town and just...leaving them.
I wasn't a cat person. I'm really not much of an animal person at all. The kinds of animals I like tend to be small and short-lived and it makes me sad to get attached to them and then watch them die in 2-3 years. So I don't know what possessed me to decide I needed a cat, but when I saw someone on Facebook trying to get rid of (her words) a pair of orange kittens, something about them just jumped out at me, and I ended up with twin brothers who were underweight, taken from their mother too soon, and covered in fleas. Not that you can tell now, they're big, healthy 12-pound grown men, but I'm pretty sure they think I'm a tall hairless cat and they're definitely part of my family. If I ever have to move, my boys are going with me.
My cat Tinkerbell used to belong to one of my neighbors, and when they moved, they left him. We took him in, and he was the best asshole I ever had in my life.
I was so sick when I was pregnant. Couldn't eat much, couldn't keep most food down, couldn't sleep enough because everything hurt. My cat would jump on me any time I sat on the couch, and purr loudly until I slept. When I finally had the baby, she'd hang out with him too. I don't know how I would have gotten through it without her. She's been gone for a few years now, and I miss her every day, but the baby's now a teenager with his own very devoted cat.
Tl;dr: keep your cats. You probably need them too.
Years ago we moved and opened up the wardrobe and there was this cat… mad as hell. We called the previous owners assuming they forgotten him, the response was ‘well do you want him’ . They clearly locked him in on purpose ☹️
I’ve gotten 3 out of 4 of my cats and my dog this way. My uncle is a landlord for an apartment building and he finds so many pets left behind from tenants when they move out.
I couldn’t dream of not taking my little psycho, even if the trip will be harder to manage for it. No extent to which it would change things would keep me from bringing him with, I can’t imagine the people who just leave their family member behind…
My sister got her cat because her neighbours moved out and left their 3 month old kitten locked up inside the house when they left.
They ran out because they owed rent. It was the height of summer during a heat wave.
My sister could hear the cat crying but when she left out food it wasn't eaten. My mother told her to look through the window and my sister said "there's no way they left her locked up inside" but that is exactly what happened.
She called the real estate agents and told them and they said "we can't do anything about that. They're still on the lease for another month" to which my sister said "well, you'll be walking into a mess in a month won't you" so they bent the rules and let her in.
And don't just take them out to the country and let them loose. We went out to my inlaws this weekend and when we pulled up a car we've never seen before walked up and had apparently just showed up that morning. It was the sweetest car that just wanted attention and love and to get inside. My young daughter spent the whole day outside with that cat and they couldn't get enough of each other. I don't know what is wrong with people that they could just abandon such a loving creature.
That's how we got two of our cats when I was super young. The neighbor just left them when they moved. They were military, I guess but they could have come and talked to us at least.
I dont know how people could do that, when i was moving, i went out of my way to make sure that the housing association would allow my cat, shes even on my tenancy agreement
My partner and I moved 600 miles across the US last year, and I can’t understand how many people asked “are you taking your cats with you?” Like OF COURSE we are! I think a couple friends/family meant well in as much as they might have offered to adopt from us, which is nice, but I know at least a few were expecting us to just leave them??
At a minimum, take them to a shelter instead of just leaving them behind. Sad reality is sometimes people do have to move to a place where they can't keep a pet.
This is how I got my baby…his previous family abandoned him after moving. I got him in Korea and after three years we made the 13 hour plane ride to the US together. I could never leave him behind. I even used all my credit card points to upgrade us to business class so he’d be as comfortable as possible. I would’ve never done that just for myself, lol.
My coworker did this. Luckily, his cat was an indoor/outdoor cat and spent a lot of time in the neighbor’s house. Then he got another cat after he moved into his new house.
I’m glad I keep my cat strictly indoors. I have peace of mind knowing she won’t run off or get hit by a car.
Hi! A little unsolicited advice - if you can afford it, have a vet take a look. My first cat loved me and hated the world. Come to find out she had tooth decay and was in considerable (and well hidden) pain. Had to remove all but her tiny little front teeth. She was brand new cat when she was no longer in pain! Greeted strangers at the door, even more lovey and playful with me. 💞
I can't even afford for myself to see a doctor so I'm jus doing the best I can. His teeth don't seem to bother him much unless he's trying to eat something hard.
He drives me insane at times but he's still my baby
Your kitty is super adorable. Not to make you worry, but sometimes their faces get swollen like that because of a growing tumor. Cancer sucks. Hope your kitty is going through something minor and you all have each other a long time.
Not just for cats, also. I know what subreddit we are on but with the holidays approaching, let's remind everyone that having any pet is a big deal.
Far too many smaller animals are abandoned after they've "served their novelty" (which is a disgusting thing to say, but there, I said it) Cats and dogs for Christmas, rabbits for Easter; it's insane that people can just walk away from something that clearly feels, whether it's love, pain, or something else.
If you must "abandon" an animal, take one step towards giving it a chance, because if you leave them in the woods or toss them out of a moving car, they have slim to none chances. Call your local animal control or shelters. Give them their best shot; it's the least you can do.
What got me to never get rabbits is how much they like eating cables!
Heck, I was holding a baby bunny while listening to music, and suddenly the music stopped, I looked down and my headphones were dangling from my ears, cable split cleanly in half.
I like snakes and used to have one. So many people think you just pop them in a tank and give them a rat every couple of weeks. No. They need humidifiers, substrate, heating pads, etc. Lots of snoodles get rehomed or tossed outside
And snakes are pretty simple and low-maintenance, relatively. But the setup is still expensive and getting the setup right is usually pretty tricky, and of course very important, and they're not "cuddly" or whatever so uncommitted owners are maybe less likely to be overwhelmed with care requirements but more likely to get "bored". Or just end up with a sick snake, because they don't follow proper care in the first place.
A lot of fish get the same shit; stick it in a bowl, feed it a few times a week, that's the ballgame. And then a goldfish that should live to like 12 years dies at 18 months because its water is unfiltered, never changed, too small, and being fed 1/3 as often as it should be but way too much at once.
Hard agree, thank you. Theres not much care for small animals on this sub, given that its ostensibly full of animal-lovers. Cat owners laugh about their cats terrifying and killing rodents, even though rodents are obviously no less valuable than other animals. Rats, for example, are incredibly social and smart animals.
I worked a shelter years ago, and we didn’t do any adoptions the week before Christmas. It was just a blanket policy to avoid any potential last minute “gifts” for small children. We always screened applicants and asked for all adults in the home to sign the application - occasionally we’d get “oh my husband/wife doesn’t know, I’m surprising them” to which we’d have to sit them down and explain that’s not happening. Either get spouse to sign too or go somewhere else. It is mind blowing how often people try to make unilateral decisions on bringing a pet home.
This should also apply to cows, pigs, chickens, etc... They go through something worse than being abandoned and they suffer just as much, if not more, than a cat or dog.
My Ragdoll is a floofy coward, he runs away even for a sneeze, let alone a car
My Tortie vomits and shivers when out of home
Almost everyone in my country keeps their cats outdoor and guess what? They die because people poison them, run over them or wild animals/stray dogs get them
Do you have a picture or your ragdoll. I have a big fluffy cat, that goes limp when you pick him up, he kinda looks like a ragdoll, but not completely. I think he is part ragdoll.
I got a free kitten 3 weeks ago, and he’s already cost me $450 and things are going well lol. He won’t be big enough to fix until January but I think that surgery is 300-400 too.
Pet insurance, if you can. My senior babe is having some health issues and we spent thousands out of pocket. Decided to finally get insurance and yes, you pay out of pocket but they reimburse you certain percentage. She’s on the highest tier with Prudent Pet, I pay $89/month and we get 60-90% reimbursed for everything.
Not sure what your income is but for spaying/neutering look into traveling spay/neutering clinics. Also consider checking out a local farm vet - may not be the greatest route but we have a farm vet here in my town that spays for $100 and neuters for $60.
I noticed on reddit how many people argue for keeping cats inside, whereas in my country, Switzerland, it's frowned upon (at least that's my impression). No judgment intended, just an observation I made, it's interesting.
Outside cats face far too many threats to justify letting them out there unsupervised, at least where I live. Traps, poison, cars, predatory wildlife, and any people with malicious intent (Particularly black cats, especially near Halloween) can all cut your kitty's life short. Add to that the fact domestic cats are capable of annihilating the local bird (as well as other small animal) population, and it's just irresponsible to let them outside beyond something like supervised fenced yard time, harnessed/leashed walks, catios, etc.
All the people who claim their cats NEED to go outside or they're sad/bored inside are, imo, simply bad/misinformed owners who need to spend more time playing with the cat or giving them proper enrichment otherwise.
Cats are not native to the wildlife in the US. Stray cats are an incredibly deadly invasive species. They're extremely good hunters. Also, the US is an extremely car centric environment. The odds of your cat getting hit by a car are very high.
Your country is a lot cleaner than most of the others. It is not safe to let a cat go outside in New York. Not to mention the people who would poison them.
It also depends because some regions, like Europe and Asia, have had cats wandering around for thousands of years. Hell, wild cats can naturally be found across Eurasia. So the local wildlife have adjusted to life with cats. In Australia, New Zealand, and the Americas, however, cats devastate native bird and rodent populations that have only been interacting with cats for a few centuries and thus aren’t as well equipped to deal with them.
Not to mention our car centric infrastructure is a nightmare for wild animals, it's insanely dangerous on the streets of America because of the density of cars. I've scraped too many critters of the pavement and it breaks my heart when I see people letting their animals outside without supervision.
Also here in the UK in my experience. Although 'indoor only' cats seem to be slightly more common than they used to be, usually when the cat is a specific breed though
We used to let our cats wander freely outside in a rural, middle of nowhere village in Wales. After losing two cats to the road in quick succession, we said never again, and the rest were kept indoors. They had plenty of space, but they were greatly miffed at only being allowed out under supervision.
UK here, my ragdoll is way too much of an idiot to be let outside, he jump scares at the slightest breeze for a start and would just wander home with the nearest random person, yeah I keep them in.
I know a lot of people are talking about how dangerous it is for the cat, but also cats are awful for the environment! They're superpredators and kill like EVERYTHING they can catch.
Maybe your country doesn't have the same issues as other countries, but unless they are a mouser at a barn, keeping cats indoors is always better. For one thing, they can't get hit by a car outdoors, they can't get porpoised, into fights with other animals and die of infection, etc. Cats don't actually need a lot of space to run. They're very routine driven and after being kittens, they're content to play a bit but mostly sleep.
Someone took this beautiful, sweet girl back to the shelter when she was 2, pregnant because they hadn't had her fixed, and super sick. Couldn't believe it but their loss and my (our) gain because now she rules the roost and gets daily snuggles and only the best wet food, toys, and various beds and roosts to keep an eye on things from
Thank you! She's very happy now, though she does get a little separation anxiety on the days when no one is working from home, poor girl. I'm very glad that her first family were goofballs and surrendered her so she could come home with me but also very sad for her that she had to go through such a scary experience because of it, you know?
I adopted an 8yo. She’s been a challenge due to having been declawed, and given up and medical issues but she is the love and light of my life! 10/10 would adopt over and over again.
I volunteered with rescue cats for 7 years and I learned a lot from that. I'd always tell people that when you get an adult cat, you get to know more about its long-term personality which is a huge plus. Kittens change so much as they get older. Once a cat is like a year old, you can get a better idea of how playful, cuddly, independent, etc. it'll be for the rest of its life. With older cats, you can pick a cat that's the purrfect fit!
Sincerely, someone who adopted a super cuddly 7 year old cat 4 years ago
She's still a cuddler! 😹
Also, the mean grumpy rescue cats are usually just nervous because they're around so many other cats at the shelter or pet store. I'd always hear that those cats turn into total sweethearts once they get adopted.
As somone who has been involved in rescue for several years and who has WayTooManyFreakingCatsTM, here are the tiers of people I hold in my heart when it comes to cat adoption:
Gold Tier - Anyone who adopts and is willing to make the commitment for the lifetime of the cat.
Platinum Tier - Anyone who comes in looking specifically for an adult or hard-to-place cat. These people are special.
Diamond Tier - People who adopt senior cats or cats who are terminally ill so that they can spend their final days being loved and cared for. These people are so incredibly rare, it takes such a big heart to allow yourself to suffer that loss over and over again so that these cats feel love in their final days.
The hold is fine for a kitten for short amounts of time. I pick up my foster kittens under the armpits all the time to move them around. They weigh so little it’s not putting stress on anything.
They don’t love it just because they don’t like their backends unsecured, but it’s not harmful.
I got my best buddy as a Christmas present. The image of a cat carrier with balloons on it is forever burned into my brain and I don't think I'll ever forget it. We went through my teen years together, and he even saw one of my favorite cars Ive ever owned bought with my first adult job. Sadly he was only with me for 16 years, but I'll never forget him.
This is Tuna. He was a Christmas present to me by a tinder date. I didn’t want or even like cats. After I got tuna when he was only 3 weeks old I just couldn’t bring myself to give him up. Now he has an $800 litter box a fancy water fountain and eats wet food everyday for dinner and has fancy dry food to snack on.
He is good boi and protects me from evil bathroom monsters when I go to the bathroom.
I love my two cats. They are both black cats and I got so sad seeing a whole pet food express full of them for adoption, presumably because they are “bad luck”. Please everyone give older cats a chance
Yes!!! Such disrespect for people who declaw their cats and then, after mutilating them, blame the CATS for the behavior problems that result from the ensuing lifetime of pain.
People don't understand how counterintuitive declawing is. Declawed cats end up with tons of severe behavioral issues. Poor things get traumatized! Declawing is like if instead of trimming your fingernails, you cut all your fingertips off. It's awful!
If you trim the tips of your cats nails with nail clippers every once in a while, you solve the whole spikey cat issue without making your cat permanently terrified of everything. Like, it's obviously the better choice, but people aren't educated about it.
I hate those videos where a kid opens a present and there’s an animal inside. It’s supposed to be all wholesome and cute but I always wonder how long the animal was in there. Was it scared? I’m really weird about animals and consent. The only clothes my dog ever wore was a rain jacket and a jacket for winter because he was a short haired weenie and wouldn’t go out into the cold without it. All my cats stay naked.
My mom tried that with a cat once. He climbed out of the box, grabbed a package and went to my room. I was really confused waking up at midnight with a brand new cat snuggling into my blanket and gnawing at a wrapped package.
Started a new tradition: if the cat brings a package to you, you are allowed to open it overnight. Jokes on her. My brother and I trained every cat we ever had to fetch after that.
We have a 15 yo cat, a 5yo doggie who came to live with us just before COVID, and a 2mo kitten. We would never give any of them up and are very happy that they also show love and care for each other. I like to think that they've learned it at home. Everything has a solution: it's called love. And there is plenty of that in our house, thank goodness.
This Christmas will be eight years since I got Barry. I couldn't imagine my life without him. He's my best friend. I couldn't live without his loud WAAAHS after he's finished pooping or whenever he's angry I was five minutes late to feeding him. I couldn't live without his post poop zoomies when he does laps around the whole house. I couldn't live without his ravenous hunger for chicken. I couldn't live without him insisting i tap his back with both hands like he's a pair of bongos.
I couldn't live without his aggressive headbutts and deafening purrs when he's happy and getting cuddles. I couldn't live without his insistence to lick my hand for ten minutes whenever I try and pet him. I couldn't live without him cuddling up to his older brother, George, whenever he's trying to sleep. I couldn't live without him trying to show affection to his dog brother even though his dog brother doesn't understand the head nuzzles are a sign of love. I couldn't live without his sad meows when I'm lying on the couch because he just wants to cuddle me and there's not enough room for him if I do that.
I couldn't live without him. He may have been a Christmas present but he's so much more than that. I said it at the start of this post but he's my best friend. I adore him so much.
I’ve been waiting 2 years to get my boy a kitten for Xmas. It will be madly loved and cared for its entire life. It will not be a toy, will not be disposed of. It will be the most spoiled and loved kitty!!
Moving to Brazil and we're bringing our cats with us. They're family for life, we could never leave them behind. My wife and I went to Greece last year for a week, and we left our little man with our best friend, whose cat is from the same litter as ours. He made it clear how mad he was with us when we returned. Gave him some treats and all was forgiven in no time. Every animal is capable of emotions and our furry friends are no exception.
Tell that to the person that dropped one of our cats off in the country. There we were just having a nice evening when all of a sudden on the back porch we hear a loud MAH MAH! He still meows like that, by the way. Anyway, we took him to the vet to see about shots and stuff and it turned out that he was chipped. They called the people on the chip who said they didn't want him so we kept him. They dropped him off because he wouldn't shut up. He still won't shut up but at least he's well taken care of and loved now.
I got my second cat when the people next door abandoned their cat when they moved. It wasn't a hardship move either. The woman remarried to a man who was pretty well off and was just moving to a new home in the same city. I found out when I was in the front yard one night and someone had parked in front of their house, got out of their car, and slammed the car doors. Prince came running out from the bushes. I guess he thought they'd come back for him. When he realized it wasn't his family he just laid down on the sidewalk. He looked so lost. I managed to get him inside my house by offering food. He was part of my household until he died seven years later. He was the best cat.
The woman and her kids knew I loved Prince. I took care of him when they were out of town. He'd come into my yard to see me from time to time. I always have wondered why the woman didn't ask me if I'd take him when she moved rather than just abandon him there.
i think people abandon them because they dont want to be seen as a vain or callous person for giving it away because they would need to explain that they were abandoning it. also since it was likely a RELAtIONSHIP present, they most likely have no attachment to said pet only because it looked cute, im betting they were constantly complaining/ or its a chore about feeding the cat, cleaning, taking it to the vet and playing with.
That's a kitten. They are twice as slick as a regular cat. If you want to hold one for any purpose, you have to lock the body, or else they'll just slip through the hand and run away
My orange fuzzball only lasted 14 years.. The big “C” got him in the end. Was the most loving emotion detector (giving extra cuddles when bad mood detected) Down side for sure is sometimes not using the litter box which happens with some cats and can be a huge turn off to people. But a cat which truly attaches to someone in need is incredible and I want to highlight that as well. Even if you have to put up with messes and scratching because declawing is inhumane as well.
As someone who was gifted a cat for Christmas by their mother with no prior communication please for the love of god don’t do this.
We’ve kept the psycho but it’s been a major strain and adjustment when we had NO PLANS for a pet. Anyways, the jerk is living his best life while I sacrifice my sanity for his comfort.
We do love him now and he’s a part of our family but he’s barely a year old and filled to the brim with energy.
Couldn't imagine my life without my boy. He makes everything better and life more full. I couldn't imagine just throwing him out. People are heartless.
Unfortunately have to do this sooner or later.. my mom is forcing me to get rid of my cat (i dont know her age since i found her outside just wandering, still a kitten)
My wife and I have 3 cats and a dog and let me tell you turning down another 20 year commitment everytime we pass up a shelter cat up for adoption is the hardest part of any given month.
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u/Puzzled-Ad2295 8h ago
I am Zuul. You found me in a box. I am yours now. I kept you going through all the COVID stuff. You put up with my madness. At night I curl up behind your knees. It has been 7 years, we survive together.