# Let them pick you?



## paisley (Nov 28, 2011)

Was anyone else raised to let their pets pick them? I know it's very common now days to just pick a pet by their looks and such. I was raised to simply let them pick me instead of forcing a bond. Every cat or dog I've ever had specifically picked me I'm curious if anyone else believes in this.


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## Syrena (Nov 29, 2011)

I believe in this. I think it makes a sense and it is important when the animal has to make a bond to you.
I`ve got my kitty from the animal shelter. Cats were locked in cages separatelly, so I did not have a chance to let the cat come close to me and see what happens. 
My kitty was looking at me from her "bed" in the cage very calmly, just observing me. Other cats were more friendly, they came close and wanted me to pet the through the cage. 
But I chose the one who was just looking at me. I somehow felt that this is the right one. 
And when I took her home, she started to explore her new surroundings immediatelly and started to play with me and when she was tired, she just jumped on the lap and fell asleep there! I think even if it was not obvious on the first site, she chose me anyways. even if she was just staring at me in her cage at the beginning.


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## wondercat (Oct 11, 2011)

Yes absolutely, when I got Max it was from the shelter I volunteer at but the kittens were with a foster cause they were to little to be at the shelter. I went to this ladys house and she had all the kittens in a spare room. I went in and just sat there. There was this gorgeous gray kitten that I initially wanted but he wanted nothing to do with me. I sat on the floor and tried to play with the 5 kittens. They were all curious and reluctant to come and visit, but Max just came and sat next to me. He let me pet him for a bit, then ran away and tumbled with his brothers for a bit, after he played he ran back to me and climbed onto my lap, started purring and got sleepy. So Max chose me and I could not be happier.


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## WolfRyder (Nov 28, 2011)

Yes, I believe this. I agree animals bond with us and visa versa. All of my animals picked (showed a high interest in) me. When we got the kittens in May, my daughter and I looked and were introduced to several kittens. At our shelter they let the humans and animals meet in little rooms. Same with Jack 3 years ago and Ripley 5 years ago.


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## cooncatbob (May 27, 2011)

I've had it both ways, Meme was rescued by the girls in the office where I worked and she choose me to be her human.
When she passed I wanted to treat myself and get a purebred Maine **** Cat.
The breeder had 4 older kittens 3 red and white tabbies and a Blue Torbie, well even though 1 of the red and whites wanted to go home with me I had fallen in love with the Torbie and chose her even though she was indifferent to me.
She soon warmed up to her new Papa and we spent 15 1/2 years together, my only regret is I didn't take the breeders offer on a discount to take the other cat too.
At the time I lived in an apartment that didn't allow pets and thought 2 would give things away.


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## catbrb (Jun 1, 2011)

100% believe in this. There are occasions where I would pick the uglier kitties though, just because I know they have less of a chance to get adopted because a lot of people go by looks.


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## SomeRandomChick (Sep 11, 2011)

Most of my cats "picked" me with the exception of CeCe and my last kitty. Almost all of my former cats were strays who came to us for free food handouts and then decided they liked us and stayed. We fed ferals too, but there was a clear difference - some of the friendlier kitties "adopted" us - so if they came to us to eat, and were friendly, we just moved them in and kept them - definitely, they picked us, since they came to us for affection as well as food.

My last kitty was from the county shelter (miserable place) - but from one of those abandoned kitten litters that was set to euthanized (too small for altering, and too sick to get big enough to be altered). A friend sent out a desparate plea for people to go down and adopt them, as the shelter had agreed to spare any that had an official adoption contract in place. I visited him and his sister, and truthfully, his sister was more interested in me than he was, but for some reason, I knew he was the one. He didn't "pick" me, but once I picked him, we had a wonderful bond. He was my heart cat.

CeCe of course came from a breeder, so I didn't really get that chance with her, but she's been a good match too. She was friendly with me right off, and playful of course, so I still feel like we had a connection.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Absolutely. My family has raised dual championship dogs since the mid 50's and that's how we always sold puppies. Come meet the puppies a few times, be sure to bring the ENTIRE family and see which puppy meshes best.

I've done this with all my personal animals from dogs to horses to my current (and first) two kitties. It's served me well and I couldn't imagine ever just picking an animal because I liked it's color or markings(or whatever) and not because we clicked.


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## SomeRandomChick (Sep 11, 2011)

And I should have added, his sister was adopted WHILE I was there, so it wasn't like I left her behind. I went back to see her (thinking I couldn't leave one behind) and another lady had just made the decision to adopt her. So ALL of the kitties from his litter made it, and me and the lady who adopted his sister even kept in touch for the first year or so.


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## jason420 (May 17, 2011)

I had tons of opportunities to adopt big boisterous cats when I was volunteering but when I met my Nikki cat I knew right away she was the one for me despite being (provably) the shyest cat in the whole place.

But I also like to think she picked me when we first met. She jumped in my lap and purred there for almost an hour when she was terrified of doing literally anything else with anyone else. 

There were tons of cats I absolutely loved and helped see to good homes, but with nikki, I just knew she was the cat for me. I hope she felt the same.

Since then (2 months ago) she has slowly gained her self-confidence, found her meow and turned into a total social butterfly lol.


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## kitbassgirl (Nov 20, 2011)

Thats how I picked my dog (tessa) when she was a pup. We got her from a shelter and when she first saw me she came running up to me wagging her tail so hard her but was wiggling and she hugged me(her paws on my shoulders and her head resting to one side of my head like a real hug). I was like "MOMMY I WANT THIS ONE!" 
Thats also how we picked out Neko and Gato. We really couldn't pick between the two of them they were both so perfect so we got them both.


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## Penny135 (Apr 6, 2011)

I got Mia at the Animal Protective League when she was 7 weeks old. I went to look for a kitten that would choose me. It was an open room with lots of kittens running around that day. I was checking out the kittens when I saw this little white/orange kitten sleeping in a basket with 2 other kittens. I went and picked her up (woke her too) and talked to her for a while. She tucked down into me and began to purr. She just wanted to be loved on and I fell in love with her instantly. I hadnt even held any of the others . I knew she was the one. We have an incredible bond. I am soglad I got her!!! :love2


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## littlesushi (Jun 8, 2011)

aster picked me and my husband picked cody. when we visited the breeder, 2 kittens came up to play with me (one was aster) and i said i wanted both of them, and the breeder advised not to get both cause they both had alpha personalities and would be too competitive with each other. i asked my husband and he picked cody in the pile of sleeping kittens cause he was observant and noticed cody snuggling up with aster earlier when they were all still asleep. i think he made a good decision as they are pals for the most part


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

MowMow had been at the shelter for a little while and he was 'labeled' orange..which meant he was not a very friendly outgoing cat. I was looking for cats with a green collar because they are supposed to be needy and super friendly.... I was after petting a different cat in the large room he was in and MowMOw just kept bugging me. Pawing at me, trilling, meowing and putting his front feet up on my shoulders from his shelf. The volunteer told me that he hadn't been adopted because he wasn't very friendly and didn't like to be held.

He turned out to be exactly what I needed and he wasn't friendly with them because he was SICK(I found that out after adoption)....

Yup, he chose me  and I'm thankful every single day.


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## Valkyrie Kitty V (Nov 29, 2011)

I think my little Kitty picked me. And I was not looking for a cat. I saw her on Petfinder and thought what an unusual kitten that was and how cool. Then I forgot about her for about a month. I ended up at the pound looking for a possible dog for my SIL when I saw the cat in the cage. I opened the cage and she jumped out into my arms, curled up on my neck and started purring and making biscuits. Then I went from there to the Petsmart and home and not once did she act like she was scared or anything.


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## paisley (Nov 28, 2011)

awesome stories! I've got to agree that sometimes you just know that kitties yours from the get go whether they are interested or not. Though I've never done so. Oliver and Munchie were the cats that made it most clear that I was not going home without them though lol. I used to volunteer at a no kill shelter and was utterly appalled and simply pick a cat because of it's looks or because it was a "cute" kitten. I watched shadow a shy abused black cat sit day after day without even a second glance her way because she was solid black. And I watched Sebastian who was a good 20 lbs or more get looked over simply because he was a big boy. It broke my heart because sebi was such a lover and attached himself to my hip whenever i was there.


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## paisley (Nov 28, 2011)

My cat Munchie I got from my aunt, who is a bit of a cat hoarder -.- When I went to visit my cousins i played with the kittens a little and sat down on the chair away from them as I am a little alergic to cats . But this one silver/tan tabby kitten wasnt having it. She simply climbed up my leg and planted her butt in my lap and slept for several hours. I immediately took a liking to her. She was odd looking with her tiny head and gigantic ears and huge almond shaped almost orange eyes that took up almost all of her face. I'd recently lost, i swear my soul mate cat, oliver earlier that year. And she looked almost exactly like him. When I left that day my aunt said she sat by the door for 3 days as if waiting for me, and she couldnt have seemed more pleased when i came back for her. I took her home and immediately gave her a bath . Knowing my aunt doesnt bath her cats i prepared for the worst, as i set her in the water she just looked at me like wt* do you think your doing? But made no move to get out she mewed a few times but that was it. That look quickly turned into a glare lol. She doesnt mind her baths now one bit, thought i still get the devil look every time.
She's like a cat version of me. She's got an attitude a mile wide, she's quiet and laid back. She's a one person cat and could care less about any other person in the world. Strangely she follows me form room to room throughout the house, never more the ten feet from me. I often feel like i have a line of cabooses following me. Chihuahua (nelly) munchie behind her and my son D behind them lol.
I hadnt been wanting or looking for another cat as i was still upset about oliver, but she made it very clear i was hers, and i just couldnt see myself not having her


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## cooncatbob (May 27, 2011)

Samantha was born in a home with 2 queen giving birth 2 months apart, when I went to pick a kitten there were the 3 red and white tabbies that were 8 months old and Samantha and her sister who were 6 months old.
Samantha's sister was a Tortie and they were keeping her.
I attribute Samantha's indifferent personality to the fact that in a home full of cats she didn't get enough attention, she wasn't a demanding needy cat, she retained this trait her entire life.
Once I brought her home, she quickly warmed up to me and grew to love being a spoiled only child.


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## FancysMom (May 27, 2011)

My previous 3 cats were choices I made but to save them from the situation..."ok, i'll take him/her". we bonded, i knew what they liked, disliked, etc. devastated when they each died. The current bunch I let choose me. I went there, played and if they made "first contact" I went to adopt them.n(only 2 of them, it sounds like 100's). Annie was the one where I thought it was her choice. She pawed at me through the cage bars. then a few days later she looked less happy and was reclining close to the cage face so i went close and asked her if she wanted to be my kitty and she licked my nose so i took that for yes. It was touch and go for 24 hours while I waited-someone else was trying to adopt her too! thankfully she had chosen cats at another shelter. the third one was a choice for me rather than hers. she was found in a garden at about 6 weeks old and brought into the house (my friend has 3 adult cats and a small grandson). I said I'd take her-she was at that independent kitten streak i call "you're not the boss of me". but once at my house she came to me. the other cats weren't so enamored but it works now.


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## dutchessmommy (Nov 30, 2011)

I believe this to be true as well! I decided one day to go to Petco just to look around and noticed there were these cats on the side in cages. I walked over to them and they were all meowing and wanting my attention , so I petted them to the best of my ability with them being in a cage and all. There was one cat in particular who just stared at me with her big gorgeous blue eyes and started to purr, I immediately started to pet her and she nuzzled me continuously through her cage, I knew I had to rescue her and fell for her right away =))) she def picked me and I believe our bond will be amazing and very close when I bring her home tommarow!


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## paisley (Nov 28, 2011)

dutchessmommy said:


> I believe this to be true as well! I decided one day to go to Petco just to look around and noticed there were these cats on the side in cages. I walked over to them and they were all meowing and wanting my attention , so I petted them to the best of my ability with them being in a cage and all. There was one cat in particular who just stared at me with her big gorgeous blue eyes and started to purr, I immediately started to pet her and she nuzzled me continuously through her cage, I knew I had to rescue her and fell for her right away =))) she def picked me and I believe our bond will be amazing and very close when I bring her home tommarow!



i love that feeling when you just know an animal has picked you! munchie picked me and i can't imagine my life without her. i think it's that initial feeling of being "wanted" to me.


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## ndiniz (Jun 29, 2009)

I'll never forget this: I was here at the house, and it had been just a few days after Nubey (back then, a year old), my wonderful black cat, entered my family's life. I remember watching TV downstairs, minding my own business, not even thinking of Nubey. Next thing I know, the dude jumps on my lap, looks at me with a cute happy look, gives me a kiss, trills at me to pet him, starts massaging me, and then he starts purring up a storm. I was pleased knowing he chose me (other than my grandpa he had met months before), and the next day, the first time he saw me after our introduction to each other, he ran up to me, meowed at me in a cute way, jumped on his hind legs (his back ones), and gave me a big hug! I was so _*amazed, shocked and delighted*_ that this happened to me that I nearly cried tears of joy. He has been with us since then, and is one of the most caring cats in our family! He's not only friendly (at least to everyone he knows), he's also playful! He has these cute meows he uses when he demands attention. He is my baby boy!


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## ClaireB (Dec 2, 2011)

It's hard these days to let an animal pick you. We got our kittens from an animal shelter and I did first select them for their looks. But then we got to take them into a little room to play and interact with them, and I really enjoyed them, so it wasn't just their appearance. That was also when and why I decided to adopt both of them instead of just one!

But as they've grown, both their personalities have changed quite a bit, so I don't think you can necessarily tell how you will interact with an animal in the future right when you meet them.


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## paisley (Nov 28, 2011)

ndiniz said:


> I'll never forget this: I was here at the house, and it had been just a few days after Nubey (back then, a year old), my wonderful black cat, entered my family's life. I remember watching TV downstairs, minding my own business, not even thinking of Nubey. Next thing I know, the dude jumps on my lap, looks at me with a cute happy look, gives me a kiss, trills at me to pet him, starts massaging me, and then he starts purring up a storm. I was pleased knowing he chose me (other than my grandpa he had met months before), and the next day, the first time he saw me after our introduction to each other, he ran up to me, meowed at me in a cute way, jumped on his hind legs (his back ones), and gave me a big hug! I was so _*amazed, shocked and delighted*_ that this happened to me that I nearly cried tears of joy. He has been with us since then, and is one of the most caring cats in our family! He's not only friendly (at least to everyone he knows), he's also playful! He has these cute meows he uses when he demands attention. He is my baby boy!


So cute when cats give hugs!


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## ndiniz (Jun 29, 2009)

You're telling me, lol!  Nubey is my big baby boy! He is such a love bug! He is such a good kid. He's the one thing that gets me up in the morning, besides the cool job I have. If it weren't for him, I would never get up each day, because I'd feel that I'd have _*absolutely NOTHING*_ to live for. He is why I look forward to each day, no matter what situations I get in.


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## Bowie (Jan 19, 2011)

I think it depends. With my GSD, he picked us when we saw the litter. He came romping over and we picked him then and there. My cat Bowie, though, was a 3 week old stray. We took her and Mama cat in and another friend look her litter mate when they were old enough. She's grown up with us and is the happiest litttle cat, but she technically didn't pick us at all. Different situation, same result - loving family.


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## spotty cats (Sep 23, 2011)

I've heard of cats picking their owners but never experienced it.

Most of mine came from a breeder in another state and were chosen for colour/sex, all are the perfect cat for me. Similarly most of my kittens go to other states and bond purrfectly with their owners - perhaps because the owners have spent 12 weeks falling in love with photos of their new kittens.


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