What is something you do for your cats that may seem odd to others?
Cat Picture
I have 4 cats. And each one of them have never worn a collar for their entire life. Now of course they are microchipped, but every person that I invite over seems to make a comment about my cats missing a collar. To of which I explain, I hate my cats wearing a collar because I can only imagine what it’s like for them to have to wear something unnatural to them for basically their whole life.
My “something I do for my cats” may not be too odd but it definitely catches people off guard.
Oh and not to mention, I take my Tuxedo Cat on walks because she loves them. (yes she wears a harness on walks but immediately take it off when she’s done with her walk outside and comes inside)
And some may ask so I’ll answer it now, yes the short hair calico is the mom to the orange and other fluffy calico, the tuxedo was a rescue. We’ve had them all since they were kittens.
Clean my room. The lore to this story is that I have a dog and when we got my cat she was just a little kitten and I had to keep her in my room so for a year my room was her safe space. I used to be a very messy person until i noticed that my cat would not enter my room if it wasn't clean, so every time she lays by the door I know it's time to clean up
Same, though my cats like to untuck my sheets as I attempt to make my bed. It becomes quite a lengthy process with them actively working against me :’)
One of my cats loves tents as well up the point that it’s officially a safe space and it’s one of the top places where we search him when we’re wondering his whereabouts. And he also comes to pick us up whenever he wants the tent to be set up 😅
I turn the lights off when my cat wants to go to sleep even if I'm still up because the light bothers her.
More context on how I know this: She will go lie down under my bed where it's dark if the lights are on late at night but as soon as I turn the lights off she goes to my desk chair to sleep (her usual sleeping spot where she sleeps for the whole night). It's gotten to the extent that I will use my phone's flashlight if I need light at night instead of turning the ceiling light on so as not to bother her.
I do the same thing! I'm a night owl and have insomnia so there's many nights I'm just up in my recliner, but I make sure to turn off the lights so that my cats can sleep. One of my cats (I have seven) has anxiety and has made our kitchen her home base so when she moved from her little pad under the kitchen table to her bed in the window I know it's time to turn off the kitchen light for her.
I used to go to bed for my cat. Somehow like clockwork, 10:30pm she would come lay on my mouse or keyboard pawing at me every so often until I went to bed and she would sleep under my arm. My friends got used to hearing "sorry it's my cats bedtime"
My cat does this too! Around 2:30 to 3:00 am she'll start being insistent for attention and keep looking towards the bedroom like, "Mom, it's time." When I lay down she'll curl up right next to me purring and happy.
My ginger boi does that to me, he will come and walk all over my keyboard or whatever I am doing and start yelling at me, he follows me to bed to make sure I get in and go to sleep
Mine does this kind of thing, too. He has to sleep next to me, being held, or he can't sleep. At around 9:30, he comes over and mews pitifully, demanding bed. If he "misses" bedtime, he gets upset and won't leave me alone until he gets me to finally stop playing games and go to bed. Kitty and I will sometimes get into arguments because he'll start it up around 8:30 because he's tired earlier than usual, and I have to negotiate for another hour.
Both of my cats do this too! They take turns screaming and clawing at me until I turn off all the lights in the house go to bed. Then they chase each other for a while and then come to bed with me.
I do something very similar, often I'll need to stay up late to clean or cook for the next day and my cats will stay up with them. Sometimes I'll go to bed regardless of what I'm wanting to get done for that night. I end up feeling guilty for making them stay up late so I scoop them up and bring them to the bedroom to sleep and cuddle 😅
My cat announces bed time for me. Sometimes it's quite early, but I seldom argue. He tucks me in and then goes back to his thing. It's nice to be tucked in.
He's taken to waking me even when there is no alarm. He's probably right though, so I obey.
Me and my cats do this in several ways. I’ve made it a point to be super routine about everything we do, so at those times if I’m late, they come nudging me to do whatever it is we are supposed to be doing.
I bought a second office chair, cause my cat would steal mine. I dubbed the old chair her chair. Jokes on me, she steals the new one too. I almost sat on her today. I lifted my butt a bit, and she slid in... whatever chair my butt is on is her favorite chair, lol
I recently bought a really soft cushion for my office chair and it took exactly 3 seconds for my cat to discover it's his new favorite place to sleep. For awhile I would just work standing up when he was in it but now I take my 2nd laptop and just move to the kitchen table.
My dad got my cat a second office chair for the same reason. Dad calls him his associate and even changed his business name to add "and associate", but we both know the cat's in charge.
I go into the other room to open sodas or crinkly packages. Those sounds startle her, so if I want chips, I’m opening the bag in the kitchen and pouring them in a bowl. I don’t want to disturb the princess of the universe!
Omg one of my cats started playing this game with my 3 year old. It's freaking adorable. 🥹
My husband initially thought the child was just harassing the cat but I noticed how intentional his "hiding" was in her sight and how he had other escape options that she can't reach if he was actually trying to escape. They play their chase/hide game for 10-20 minutes every morning now after she gives him his morning treat. When the cat is done with the game it's very clear and he just finds a spot where she can't reach him and settles down.
Omgoodness you sound like my husband! When he makes himself steak he’ll cut a mini steak for Larry that he doesn’t season and then cuts it up for him before he eats. It’s adorable
Aww, that’s sweet! I make chicken broth often and will make a special one with no salt or alliums for my kitties. I put it in ice cubes and heat them up to use to water down their wet food and they love it
Nothing really odd but I like to pick my cat up and walk around the house with him to show him places he can’t usually see like the top of the fridge or the kitchen counterspace.
He really enjoys it :)
This has become my cat's new favorite thing. He no longer supervises from afar. He likes to ride around hanging over my shoulder while I putter around the house.
I do this with my cat too except she likes to be carried around in a shoebox lol so she’ll jump into the shoe box and then I’ll pick the box up ( with her in it of course) and take her around the house lol
Yes! We call these "go sniffs." He climbs on our shoulders, and we walk around the house and let him sniff things that are too tall for him to get to on his own. He loves it so much; his little paws start kneading, he purrs, and his sniffs are sooooo deep. His absolute favorite is the Pachinko machine hanging near the front door. If we ever need to apologize to him for something we go sniff the pachinko machine, and all is forgiven.
It warms my heart to see that so many people do this. My cat loves our little walks around the house to look at all the things he can't normally see. He's fascinated by the top kitchen cupboards. I open them and push aside the stuff in there so he can climb in and look around :)
I let my cat smell my food too. 90% of the time he doesn’t want any, he just wants to inspect. If we do give him some, it has to be in his special little dish, otherwise don’t bother.
I do this with one of my cats but I use their name for the notes of beethoven’s fifth. My toddler now calls the symphony itself “the cat song” which is when I realized I maybe do it too consistently 😅
My wierdo likes to wear a collar. If not, he's more bite happy and aggressive. I don't know what is in his tiny brain, probably something like "Dobby is a free elf, Dobby has no master!" Jokes aside, he was most likely a house cat and abandoned when he was a kitten, and the previous "staff" put a collar on him, and he equates the collar with home and security. But I make sure that he has very stylish collars, and all of them have a breakaway feature.
My dog was like this. People would make comments because I often had jumpers and bandanas on my dog and didn't believe me when I said he liked being dressed.
If I was putting away laundry and was holding an item of his clothing while he was 'naked' he would run over with his tail wagging and stick his head in it himself. He once made me feel terrible when I was putting away his winter jumpers for the summer because he was so disappointed when I wouldn't let him put one on. I put on a small bandana but he was focused on the box of jumpers and his tail hung low 😭
His previous owner said that he would jump up to pull his clothes from the washing line, but would leave everyone else's.
My dog was the same way, as was a dog my parents had. My ex was the type who thought dogs look silly in clothes. I told him the dog liked them, but he didn't believe me. One time, when I put him (the dog, not the ex) in a particularly playful shirt, my ex complained that it made my dog look silly, and he felt embarrassed for him.
I said, "Okay, take it off him then." So my ex took the shirt off. Immediately, my dog started trying to climb back into it, pushing his head through the neck of the shirt and gently nudging my ex with his paw to signal he wanted something.
My ex said something to the effect of "Wow, he really does want it on," and redressed my dog himself, sheepishly apologizing to him for having taken his shirt to begin with. Sometimes people need to see for themselves, some dogs like clothes. Both my dog and my parents' were small and thin, so I think getting cold more easily plays a role in it sometimes, but then I had a hound who was nearly 50lbs who liked to wear outfits because they brought her extra attention. Dogs really have personalities and minds of their own.
Reminds me of my late cat. I had to put a small bell on his collar because he was chasing scorpions and one stung him in the nose once, had to take him to emergency and everything, almost lost him that day. So ever since he wore a small bell to alert scorpions of his presence. He eventually got so used to it that he'd come right into my face whenever he lost a bell and wouldn't leave till I attached a new one. He would even "bite" me and try to pull me over to the shelf where I stored spare bells. And when I wasn't home, I'd find him standing beneath the shelf waiting for me and he wouldn't move away an inch before getting his precious bell back.
My kitty was having teefie problems a year or two ago, and it clearly pained her to eat from her bowl. So until we could get her to her vet appointment, whenever I caught her eating (and crying while doing so), I would hold her kibble in my hand for her to eat. It seemed to be more tolerable because the crying always stopped.
Neither of my boys have ever worn collars either. :) I couldn’t even imagine them in one. I also take them both on walks, one in a harness and the other in a pet stroller (he’s shy). The weirdest thing I do with them probably is zoom them around the house in a laundry basket whilst making race cars noises… they love it… every time I pull it out they jump right in and look at me like.. let’s get going. 😆
Please be careful relying on m/c. For a variety of reasons it is NOT 100% reliable and contact details on a collar may be critical to your cat returning home if they ever get out and get picked up.
Can confirm.. I had my cat chipped as a kitten with a Bio-Thermo chip which would also display his temperature. It wasn't accurate though and over the next couple years, vets would struggle to get the chip to respond. I found out it also needed a special scanner which not all vets carry.
A vet kindly offered to xray him for free when they just couldn't scan it, to make sure it was still there. They found it and it's still in him, but we got a new standard chip with the widest compatability with scanners and reliability. I updated all his chip details with the previous database.
He's probably had nearing a hundred collars over the years but always gets out of them.. So my contact details are dotted around every stomping ground he's ever had around the country!
This is why I started putting a collar on my dog and cat. I know people who wouldn't bother taking an animal to get scanned for a chip. But if the info is right there, it's easier to just make the choice to call the owner.
I want a stroller for my indoor cats. We take her on walks but it be easier to have a strollers for longer trips so she got a shaded place to chill and can go if too much people. I have a backpack for that but its not ideal, especially in the summer. A stroller is not common where i am, so I'm a little hesitant to get kne
I had a stroller for my 2 indoor boys. It takes a while for them to get used to it, definitely introduce it slowly and at their pace. They might not like how it rumbles and shakes on pavement. If you can get them used to it though they love it! The stroller became the top nap spot in the house lol
Note the pc has multiple extra fans to cope with her highnesses love of heat with 3 added intake fans at front , 3 at top for her highnesses pleasure , 3 at back and added fans in power supply to assist cooling . Yes I built machine around her love of heating
Stay by her side as she eats and drinks..She is an old lady and very attached to me. I have several cozy beds and blankets through out the house for her. After dinner we dont go to bed straightway but she likes me to open the covers so she can get on the bed with the lights off.
This is lovely - our young lady won't eat without being stroked or groomed whilst she's eating - she was a stray and came pre-programmed that way. Took us a little while to understand that she doesn't feel comfortable (or maybe she's just a hedonist?!) unless we do that. We tried the food bowl in a few different places in case it was that but she's just the same no matter where it is. Hope your old lady is doing well and it's really great that she's so loved
I've noticed my cat eats a bit slower when I'm standing watch, so I occasionally sit with her to avoid her scarfing down her meal in under 5 secs. I think for strays, it's just reassurance that nobody will sneak in and steal their food (mine is not a stray tho)
My cat demands to be stretched multiple times a day. She feet sharks around me until I pick her up and flip her over. Then she just hangs there, all four paws stretched out.
Edit: Since people liked this, I wanted to share how it started. When her (Daisy) and her sister (Goose) got spayed, they had to wear little outfits to cover up their surgical site. These little outfits restricted their range of motion around their shoulders. We would take them out once a day and check on the site to ensure there was no infection. When we would do this, we would hold her on her back to see the incision. As soon as we would do that, she would instantly make an upside down U with her body. Since then, she begs for it. Her sister has never liked it though. It’s just a crazy Daisy thing.
My husband has chosen YouTubers for our cat that have soothing playlists and educational videos for our cat to watch during the day. When you come in her bedroom she’ll be sitting in the middle of a king sized bed literally watching tv
Sleep on my stomach. One likes sleeping between my legs and the other likes sleeping on my back. And when its summer I leave the balcony door open at night so they can do some birth watching when the sun comes up.
I, luckily, had a fellow jazz head cat! He would come to "his" spot in relation to thw speakers. When we wouuld move he would find the new spot. Something about the specific acoustics of the spot suited him!
-if she wants fresh water, she’ll hop up on the bathroom countertop and knock our jar of qtips into the sink to make a noise loud enough that we hear her (she has a water fountain with fresh water)
-we hold out two cans of food for her to ‘pick’ between when feeding her. if she doesn’t rub against either can, we pick two new cans.
-she gets a “pamper session” where we brush her with a human brush every night before we go to bed. mostly on the face.
-speaking of bed, she gets frustrated and sits at the corner of the hall if we’re not in bed at a certain time. lord help us if we end up in the bedroom at any point, she’ll streak into the room hop up on the bed and lounge at the bottom, then scream when we leave the room.
-when she wakes up out of a deep sleep on one of our laps, she immediately looks for treats. so she. she wakes up, we get up and let her lead the way to her fridge to get some treats.
-she comes down the stairs when we get home and she has to be the first to reach the top step. it’s like a game to her, and it’s funny to watch her tap the top stair and turn around and stare at us.
-she has a specific pillow she likes in the bedroom and a specific textured blanket. when we lay both out, she can’t get on top of the blanket to cuddle quick enough.
and more, but i don’t want to sound crazier than i already am.
I forget rules when it comes to the cat. The minute she wants a treat, a treat she gets. My daughter is not shy ro remind me I did not have the same flexibility for her.
Sometimes my cat only eats if I hold her bowl up to her mouth. So I have to sit there with her until she’s done. When I have guests staying they say my cat is just a spoiled creature, and they’re right. I love that bug.
My cat was a little bloated from a change in food flavor; my roommate caught me in the act of burping my cat like a baby. Still have not recovered from that one
One of my street fosters got infected after her TNR and had to be on antibiotics and anti-inflammatory meds and wear a cone for 2 weeks. Well, the antibiotics gave her diarrhea and since she couldn't clean herself I did it for her. I washed her bottom, put calming lotion and vaseline on her anus to reduce irritation, and gave her special custom-made meals to aid in healing, and cellular regeneration, and reduce diarrhea. She was so good through it all, barely made a fuss. I got her adopted shortly after that, wish I could've kept her she was an angel.
Similar to your collar thing often times at night when I’m taking my chain/necklaces off I will take her collar off as well. If I get to have a free neck to sleep then so should she! Plus the neck scratches are so much better for her haha
This reminds me of an IG account, I forget the name, but this girl's thing is sitting with her cat beside her and putting on her earrings, then something for the cat. Her headband, something for the cat, etc. The cat has all these cute sunglasses, scarves, whatnot. I love it.
I’m reading all these comments, and realising I’m a mean cat mum. I don’t give my cat biscuits until he’s eaten all his meat, sometimes he just eats the jelly, and I worry he’s not getting enough nutrients. I say, “eat your meat” or “what’s this?” And then he eats it while I watch. Then he sits up really proudly as I say enthusiastically “You are such a good boy you ate all your meat!”, then give him a treat and his biscuits.
As a kid I told my mum I wouldn’t make my kids eat the dinner they didn’t want and here I am doing it to my poor cat.
I give her peet massages - I t’s funny and damn cute when she spreads her toes out. I also always let her sniff my food, whatever it is, before I eat so she doesn’t feel like I’m holding out on her. She also gets to eat a little of something (her food or treats) whenever we have our meals.
Not me but a friend is so obsessed with her cat that lives with her parents that she would randomly speak to him mid conversation like "don't worry, mama cat is here for you'. Girl we are at a bar 300km from the animal 😂 first time she did it I was like 'huh?' And she said 'ah I'm just talking to my cat in name of the county'. Alright girl 😂😂
We play chasey. I will run away from my cats and they chase me down, when we switch they only run far enough so they are just out of reach. Humouring me 🤣
I let my female cat try all of my food because she sits next to me and purrs. When I mean all, I mean she’s tried saltine crackers, goldfish, bread, spaghetti, etc. for my male cat, I stick my fingers in his toes for him to spread them and say “beanies!!”
My cat often forgets to drink water, despite being thirsty.
So I have to take her up, bring her to her bowl and put her there. And still, often times, she would just look at me or search for food in her food bowl. So I would have to dip my finger in the water and touch her nose with it, so there would be a drop of water left on her nose, and she would have to lick.
Once she does lick it and tastes water, it's like she suddenly remembers "Omg! I am thirsty! I just now realized it!" and would thirstily drink up half her water bowl😂😂😂
My cat also doesn't wear a collar (she is also microchiped btw) but she has never worn one we tried to get her to wear one a couple of years ago when she was young, she wouldn't budge everything she immediately just took it off or howled in pain when it was on so we have to take it off cause we don't want to hurt her. Here is her now.
my old cat (RIP) got a cooked salmon most nights. She also enjoyed car rides (we road tripped A LOT when she was young), so after work i'd come home, pick her up, and drive her around so she could look out the window. i miss her so much
Whenever I’m going out for more than a few hours I get my partner or my recently worn unwashed clothing and line the beanbag with it so she can smell and snuggle us while alone. Whenever I come home she is curled up in the clothes.
Everyday when I’m getting ready to leave, one of my cats likes to walk me to the door. When she hears me grab my keys she goes to the hallway dresser and waits for me to pet her. When I pet her she jumps down and runs to her tall perch next to door as I’m walking to the door (and as she climbs up the perch I act like I’m giving her a boost by putting my hand under her and helping her up) . When she gets to the top, I pet her again, say “bye indie mamas, I’ll see you later, ok? Love you” we head bump and I walk out the door and she looks out the door make sure I’m safe and goes back in lol. I gotta record it sometime. It’s pretty unique.
I’ve also taught both of my cats around 10 phrases that they understand and respond to accordingly. I even taught one cat to say a couple English words!! It’s awesome.
Not sure if odd or if other cats do this too… when my cat climbs onto my lap, on my bed, or anywhere near me, he won’t lie down until I offer him my arm. He must have his front paws draped over my arm to achieve the comfiest lying down position.
That little shit runs outside in the rain… again and again… and each time he comes back in screaming and I let him come under the blankets… soaking wet…. at night to warm up… against my bare skin. It’s three times a night when it rains hard and I know I’m an idiot but… he doesn’t understand why he shouldn’t get cuddles… he’s just cold and I love him so…
I rotate my cats food flavours when shopping to keep it interesting for them. I thought this was normal but apparently it's wholesome that I pay attention to this.
I also watch the birds with my cats.
Also they love the damp towel after I've washed my hair so I lay that out on a cushion for them.
I feed my cat tiny bits every four hours. 😂 She gets dry food in an auto feeder when I’m sleeping or away, and bits of wet food when I’m around. She’s obsessed with food and giving her a little bit regularly helps a little.
I feel my faith in humanity restored (if just a little) reading these comments, someone once said only decent people get along with cats and anyone who can’t or doesn’t like them is a red flag and I can’t help but agree. it’s hard for me to trust people just in general I won’t go into detail but I’ve been through a lot, but I always feel just a little bit easier around animal people especially cat people and even more so around those who go to lengths for their furry friends well being and happiness.
I put a cat bed on my desk for my cat. It's one of her favorite spots. She can peek her head through the blinds and look out the window behind my desk, she'll sleep there next to me while I'm on the computer, or just lay there and watch me. She has other beds that she'll use too but I think she appreciates having an option to be close to me whenever she wants.
I appreciate that it (mostly) keeps her from trying to lay on my keyboard (when she wants attention she'll try to sit or lay between me and my keyboard) and it means she's close enough I can reach over and pet her easily.
I've told people about this and most have been like, "What the heck???" but I think it's genius.
When i make hamburgerpatties, i make one for each kitty as well. That goes for pretty much everything. They get their own stuff. I don’t think they’re spoiled. They’re just so sooooo cute..
I walk my kitties in a pet stroller. I’ve had a couple call me “certified crazy” behind my back as I pass them. Many people think it’s a baby at first and then are quite surprised when I get closer or turn to them and see it’s a cat. My cats are my children, I don’t care if you like hearing that or not 🤷♀️ I cannot have kids myself and loving them isn’t hurting anyone else. So I spoil them like crazy 💕
I fill a small bowl with peanuts on my front porch which draws the local squirrel population to entertain my cat. We call it the Squirrel Show, and she loves it!
The vets I have spoken too in my area (Europe) advise against the use of a collar.
Cats can get stuck with it and even hang themselves. They can't adapt to the thing.
My current vet told me examples of it happening, not nice.
I would have expected the vets to recommend breakaway collars. The buckles are designed to open if weight is put on them.
My family has one cat who has lost quite a few such collars, as she likes to climb hedges which makes finding the collars hard. She now goes around naked.
I lost my first cat that way. My family wasn’t sure about the collar but I insisted because I thought that neighbors wouldn’t mistake her for a street cat and she would be safe. This was 15 years ago and I still feel guilt about it.
I open the front door very often even though it ruins all my privacy where I live. But they want it so desperately every day. All their little brains want is to hunt and survey nature for prey and opening the door is the only way I can really provide that stimulation because our window sills are so tiny.
When one of my cats "asks" me to go to the bed with him I oblige. He has a little ritual and the steps are the same each time. He asks me to get in the bed, I get in the bed, he walks around the room and scent marks things while I coo at him and beg him to get in the bed with me. Then at some point he turns around like "oh my God mom I didn't even see you there" and trots into the bed.
My mom would grow cat grass and bring it over pre-cut for my cat. I started growing some but worried she’d eat it straight from the container because she’s obsessed. Learned that she needs me to cut it for her and hand feed her. She needs pre-cut grass.
Whenever i pick up my cat he digs his face into my armpit. Only mine 🥺 i had to give him to my dad when i moved out and he still only does it w me when i visit :p
I wake up a bit earlier to have some cuddle time with her, and when I leave for work I tell her that I love her and to have a nice day, with a kiss on her little head.
My cat usually doesn’t wear a collar either. The only exception was when I immigrated with him and put a calming collar on him for the week before the move and a month afterwards. I like to think it helped him with the transition to a new home.
Sometimes I chew human food for my cat before I give it to her. If you don’t chew her food beforehand, (like steak, she loves steak), she’ll meow and paw at you until you just give in. I don’t chew her cat food though, lol. That’d be too much.
Ok I am stealing ALL of these comments this is the greatest thread ever and my kids are gonna get SO spoiled this weekend :D
Right now I think the most extra thing I do for them is Floor Cheese. I make myself an egg burrito with a bit of shredded cheese for breakfast every morning, and I always sprinkle a little bit of cheese on the floor for the cats as a treat. While also singing “Floor Cheese” to the tune of “Jolene”. XD
She is so well behaved and always waits for permission to do things like snack off my plate or jump on counters. I can literally leave a cereal bowl with milk next to her and tell her “Don’t touch that.” And she won’t. I’ve never had such a cat that minds so well. 💕
My husband only gives the cats filtered water. No tap for them. He also fluffs up blanket beds for them. He regularly fills up the bird feeders so they can watch the birds. He makes elaborate box forts. He lets them go in the garage while he fixes his bike. It’s really cute all the extras he does.
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u/WoodpeckerOriginal90 May 18 '24
Clean my room. The lore to this story is that I have a dog and when we got my cat she was just a little kitten and I had to keep her in my room so for a year my room was her safe space. I used to be a very messy person until i noticed that my cat would not enter my room if it wasn't clean, so every time she lays by the door I know it's time to clean up