Categories: Cat Corner

8 Ways Animals Are Part of the Family

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We are animal lovers (in case you haven’t guessed) and for us, we consider our cats as part of the family

Volunteering for an animal charity has highlighted to me how little some people care for their animals and when they give their pets up so easily I honestly don’t understand it! That is one of the hardest parts is not being able to give a home to all the animals that need them! That being said we try to be the best animal parents we can and while you may think it’s a bit weird but we know we aren’t the only ones who feel this way, but in case you aren’t convinced, here are 8 ways animals are part of the family.

*Warning: Crazy cat lady post!*

We feed them

Sometimes it’s even better than we feed ourselves with cooked chicken, tuna or treats (and that’s how they ended up as fat cats at one point – here’s some cat weight loss tips here). Feeding is part of a daily routine and you always make sure they have what they need, if you go on holiday you make sure they are fed while you are away.

We worry about them

Just as much as the kids. We make sure they aren’t hungry, cold or sick and if they have stayed out a bit too long we start to panic in case they might have gotten lost (and if they do we panic even more!) Just because they are cats doesn’t make me worry any less.

We teach them right from wrong

Just like with the kids, they get told off when they are bad and rewarded when they are good. We raise them to come back when they are called, to avoid scratching or destroying the furniture and to socialize well with others which are all lessons that we teach our kids too (yep we had a toddler scratching issue at one point, although it wasn’t the furniture he was targeting it was faces!)

We clean up after them

Any mother (or father) spends a large portion of the day cleaning up after the kids and this is the same with the pets. If it isn’t toys, food or blankets it’s changing the litter trays or picking up mess outside or on a walk! Either way we make sure their environment and they are clean.

We treat them

Just like with kids, you want to buy them things to make them happy! Although most of the time cats (like kids) are happy with the box you buy them the toys anyway just to spoil them!

We give them attention

Unlike children, animals can’t speak and therefore they require you to pay attention to their signals and behaviour so that you can determine what they want. As animal owners you spend a lot of time getting to know your pet so that you know what they want straight away. You also spend plenty of time giving them love, attention and cuddles because why not they’re fluffy and cute!

We compromise

Before becoming parents you think about the type of parent you want to be and all the rules you naively set in your head and all the things you are going to do. All parents will know that this goes out of the window as soon as they are born and you try to cling on for dear life! In exactly the same way you compromise on the original rules, at one point the cats weren’t allowed in our bedroom, then they weren’t allowed to sleep on the bed and at the moment that rule now stands at “no sleeping on the pillows while we are sleeping on them” it’s definitely been a series of compromises.

We love them

And they love us back! Many people think it is just dogs that can provide unconditional love but cats are the same – they just have more of an attitude about it. Animals are part of the family and they show their love in different ways, but so do you every time you care for them and love them and bring them into your home.