Can you ever 'own' a cat?

Sadgrandma

I don’t agree with ‘owning animals’ either. You take them in and make them part of your family. Both cats and dogs will generate towards anyone who offers them food but dogs are not usually allowed to roam like cats.

Most dogs I know wouldn't leave their owners just because someone else was offering tasty food. Dogs are greedy but they're also very attached to their owners.

Cats may be very attached to their owners but they seem to retain more independence & more likely to be "free spirits".

Dogs descend from pack animals, many big cats live solitary lives, I think it's just a genetic difference.

As I thought most agree cats will choose where to rest their oh so weary heads despite us humans wishing otherwise.

My cat is sitting on my knee as I type.
She would be here all day if I let her.
She is allowed out and has a cat flap but prefers to be indoors.
The one good thing though is she doesn’t have a litter tray, she prefers to go outside for that, preferably in my neighbours front border !!
She is an absolute darling.
I don’t own her, we live together in mutual harmony.

Our latest two Maine Coons were rehomed by us after their breeding days were over. We were apprehensive but found that they'd been beautifully trained by their breeder. Absolutely no problems with them. They didn't scratch furniture, pester us for food, jump up on work surfaces etc etc. They always used their litter tray. Excellent and well trained. Also very affectionate to DH and I and friendly and sociable with our visitors.

We share our garden with a cat. She likes to watch us when we are out in the garden. She knows what she wants, but always keeps her distance from humans. I often think she wants something - but rarely know what- so I just chat to her whilst I peg out the washing. She has some favourite spots to soak up the sun, or keep out of the rain. I don’t think anyone owns her. She shares her presence with all the neighbours.

I’ve lived with cats my whole life. I’ve never had one which was not happy and loving towards me. My present two are house cats because that’s what they were when I adopted them in middle age.
I think now that cats should be kept indoors as the outside world is full of dangers. In the future people will not think of letting their cats out to roam, poo in next door’s garden, kill the birds.
Dogs used to roam free but nobody would dream of allowing that now.
If your cats live indoors they will not move in with the neighbours.

I agree with the other posters. Cats are free spirits. they make their own choices.

I think the story in the OP is very silly. It's absurd to go to such lengths. Let the cat choose...

Dogs think they're human, cats know they are divine.

They choose people to feed and care for them, we do not choose them.

A cat moved in to our neice's house and kept coming back no matter how much they threw it out.

Then they saw a missing cat post on their local online site and contacted the owner who collected the cat and kept it in for a few days.

A week later, DN went into the bedroom and found it curled up asleep on the bed. This happened twice more before they all bowed to the inevitable and it's real owner brought all it's stuff round and DN installed a catflap.

As they say, dogs have owners, cats have staff - which they choose!

I prefer that cats are free spirits, we have had many cats over the years and apart from a couple of lap cats who preferred to stay with us, the rest loved being out and about though I don’t think other neighbours fed them. Unlike dogs most cats like their own company, they are not pack animals, and they don’t have the same attachment to an alpha male or female - the owner.

I don’t agree with ‘owning animals’ either. You take them in and make them part of your family. Both cats and dogs will generate towards anyone who offers them food but dogs are not usually allowed to roam like cats.

People shouldn't feed what they see as stray cats.
This story is not unusual.
People should chip their pets as a precaution but no, we don't 'own' any animal really.

All our cats over the years have clearly been fond of us. Absolutely no need for the trite ' cats have staff' comments. Can only be made by those who don't really know cats.

You dont ever train a cat. They train you to attend to their needs.

Dogs have owners, cats have staff.

I am reminded of an old sketch French and Saunders did as two mad cat women. They used to say in strong West Country accents “You’ll never train a cat.” It was so funny.

Cats make their own choice, when they can.