Can you ever 'own' a cat?

If there is any reincarnation I would like to come back as a cat. They live as they want, choose to stay or not with you and are very independant. For those who like cats I recommend a book titled the Silent Miaow by Paul Gallico who wrote the snow goose. I have loved many dogs especially those owned by my grandmother on a farm, where there were indoor and outdoor dogs ranging from pekinese , who looked after properly and not overfed are great little charactors and love travelling round the fields to spaniels and labradors etc. But they could all be devoted to one or more different humans and so as I have always been fiercely independant, for me the cat has it!!

Allsorts

I love cats, they do give lots of love. I like their independance.
I have never had a cat disappear, one left home for two days
returning home very hungry. I would love another one but wary of the road here now, .Would not ever have a house cat because I just feel cruel, when I get family cats to look after and they have to stay in, they sit on the window sil looking out. I am a free spirit and need to get out myself so I understand..

Cats can also get locked in people’s outbuildings, one of our cats disappeared for several days, we were putting up posters, then he just appeared one day black as the ace of spades and ravenously hungry. Bathing him was a trial for him as well as us.
We imagined he’d got stuck in a dirty old garage or shed.

I have had both cats and dogs in my life. Several of those cats have been lovable, affectionate and a joy to remember, cats who loved to sit on our laps and snuggle up on a winter's night.

Currently, actually for about 5 years now, we have a monster of a cat. He's a Maine Coon cross, ex rescue and I have never come across such a selfish, self interested individual. He has expectations about where he can sit and climb in the house and he will only sit on your lap when it suits him It has to be the way round he wants and if you stroke him and do it insensitively or absentmindedly and he doesn't like it, he will lash out - with claws out!

He's beyond fussy with food and we do buy the better brands but over the last year or so, he has come to realise that we eat differently (he's too clever for his own good, you can see him working things out and he does understand language!). So he watches us eating and always wants to inspect the plates and will sulk with back turned and tail lashing if we don't allow this.

I recently, stupidly, left him a little fish from a fish and chip supper. Having realised that we do indeed eat some things he recognises as food, his demands have increased and he will steal off our plates if we turn our backs. He has also developed a left paw raised mannerism, just like a dog! Seriously, he fixes you with a glare, and up comes the left leg and the paw extends and is opened and flexed. I said to my husband, he would definitely eat us if we fell and couldn't move for a period of time.

He is an excellent hunter and murders everything in sight including rats and huge magpies. Goodness knows how he gets the latter through the cat flap. Apologies, if some think this post is not totally loving but actually, I've always loved animals and I am shocked to find how I feel bullied and have stopped liking him. We discuss rehoming because one way and another, he costs a fortune and only interacts when HE wants something. He is on offer if anyone thinks he sounds great. [sad}

I love them! If there's any owning to be done they do it, on their terms😺😺😺

Have had two cats both were not out at night and definitely not house cats. The second one would escort the children so far down the road to school, sit down until they were out of sight then come back to the
garden and be a cat for the rest of day until time for children to come back from school. Cat would park herself at tge same spot as in the morning and wait for children to arrive then return to the house. This went on until due to secondary school timetables home arrivals were all staggered. She did though wait and when first arrived, home she came. No bribery ever got her to change routine. We didn't go abroad for holidays and she came with us in a cage. Absolutely treasured that cat.

4allweknow😀 Years ago our neighbour's cat used to sit on the pavement at the tight time and wait for their daughter to come home from school. I still know the daughter (DD's friend) and she still loves cats.

tight right ....

Before I had children I had a cat that was the love of my life. He went to live with someone a few streets away. I didn’t find out till several years later. I was convinced he’d been stolen for animal research.

What a nice thread😻
Why not post a pic of your cat on here, I can’t really have a cat as no garden and a busy road so wouldn’t be fair to it.

I love cats and have had them all my life. They are wonderful pets who return a lot of love. I treat my cat like a much-loved member of the family, and she returns this.

She's a little rescue cat who had a traumatic background and a litter of kittens at only 6 months old, at which point she was dumped at the cat shelter. She likes her routine.

I couldn't live alone, as I do, without a cat for company. All the cats I have had throughout my life have had their own little personalities, but all have been loving and affectionate.

My ex neighbour had a cat that used our garden as a lavatory.

I was so relieved when it finally died.

Sago

My ex neighbour had a cat that used our garden as a lavatory.

I was so relieved when it finally died.

Sago I had to laugh. You would probably appreciate Australia where, because of the devastating effect on native fauna, cats must be kept indoors or kept in outdoor enclosures.

For additional info as some people can only hear their own voice -

the cat I described above has a life of luxury, he doesn't use his cat flap, he waits to be let in one of the doors or out of ground floor windows. He is bought the best two brands of cat food on the market, he also has plenty of treats, no addictive Dreamies for him, the best 'real meat cat treats', he sleeps wherever he wants including our bed, he has a huge garden of his own and lots of sunny corners to languish in.

My best cat was called Sam, many years ago now, he lived until he was 22. He was my shadow, along with the dog, they would follow me all over the house and garden, one on each side. He talked to me all the time, all sorts of little noises and miaows. I loved him to bits, wrote poems about him and still feel sad when I think of him. He was a REAL cat.

I had a cat many years ago. After she had eaten in the evening went out at about 7 and came back when I walked the dogs at about 10. She came back smelling of coal smoke and what I presume was hand cream. Never did find where she went as my neighbours did not have coal fires.

Have had 10 cats over the years. Used to let them out until my beautiful ginger Jimmy was killed by a car! Cannot face that again so no more going out. Luckily all have been older adopted cats used to staying in. My lovely boy I am owned by now had never been out so we carry this on. He is not at all interested in going outside only if he walks out with me. Then he dashes back in & hides under his chair. He tells me when to get up, when to go to bed, when it is meal time & when to be cuddled. I always do as I am told as he is very good at glaring at me if I do something wrong! Do I love him? Oh yes! Worship the ground he walks on! He is one of the best in spite of some problems from his past. He does own me!

Granatlast007 I understand what you feel, my friend has a similar cat but it’s a huge Birman.It really is an unpleasant thing and has similar traits.😬

Cats own you.
😻
Puuuurrrrrrrrr!

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I found this cat in my garden one day. Normally, I’d have gradually tried to get closer to it, but I was wary. Maybe because it reminded me of a lion! I’d never seen it before, nor have I since.

I currently have 3 cats, Bertie, Myrtle & Harry, all totally different personalities, all 3 have different places they like to sleep (& boy can they sleep) we have cat proofed the garden so they have the best of both worlds. I wouldn't be with out them....love them to bits.

Molly

Sago I had to laugh. You would probably appreciate Australia where, because of the devastating effect on native fauna, cats must be kept indoors or kept in outdoor enclosures.^

DD used to take her cat for a walk on a lead when she lived in the city.

My cat has always been my cat and would disappear outside orbehind the sofa if anybody else had the temerity to enter the house. Then I fell and broke my hip, I was in hospital for nearly two weeks and in the meantime my neighbour had my key and fed and fussed the cat regularly, she also got the extremely fussy boy to eat different food whiich he wouldn't contemplate eating from me. He now lets anybody come in the house, he eats what I give him and has changed completely. He definitely had me well trained.

Here's the monster, he's so much like a dog but without the emotional connection you get with a dog.

I certainly have an emotional connection with my old boy.

Our first cat selected us from 7 other households, having given each house a 2 week trial period. He was with us for over 15yrs. We lived in several places before settling down in one house. We feed them, (so long as it's not the same flavour as yesterday) we love them ( on their terms and only if they're in the mood) and they 'tell the time' (by using the fur on their paws - only joking but their circadian rhythm is faultless ) So, whilst I hold with the phrase 'cats are independent', if we do what they want does that make us slaves?

Our neighbour had 3 cats. We both worked and provide weather was Ok they would all go out. Her three spent their days creating a nest and sleeping in my border each had their own tree to settle beside. My cat however, would climb onto her porch roof and into the window and sleep on her bed. At night they could be found hunting across the fields until late. The next door up often needed rescuing from the loft of the bungalow the other side of me, getting in through the boiler air vent.