# I've had an epiphany



## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

Got home today after a long long day at work. I'm working overtime every week to pay off the obscene vet bill I've accrued in taking care of everyone's dental issues and Moxie's cancer scare. I'm sick on top of it all so that makes me extra pathetic. 

So I come home and is anyone (aside from the dog) glad to see me? No! Its all meow, meow, feed me. No one cared that I was hungry? No one asked how my day went. So I fed them, did I get a thank you? No! Of course not. I just got endlessly hounded and harrassed while I tried to choke down my own dinner between slapping away sneaky cats. 

So now I have a chance to sit down and unwind before bed, and is there a cat in my lap! No! No cat. No love. They are all snuggled up contented in the same room with me, but no one thinks loving on Mom is a good idea right now. I pick them up, I get grumbling and complaining until I put them down again.

Its like living with three moody teenagers. Its all about what I can do for them without them giving anything back. Moody. Indifferent. Cold almost. 

Then it hit me. My GOD! I'm keeping CATS....as PETS!!!! And this is why cat people are crazy. The definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. I keep getting cats and expecting some return on my investment. 

Sorry about the rant, only half joking. I do realize these are cats and this is the way they behave, but have you ever felt like an underappreciated house slave to these furry taskmasters? Would it kill them to spend 5 minutes in my lap? Sheesh! 

I think I need to take them down to the SPCA and show them what life without a home is like. Maybe they would appreciate me then. :sad2


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## cooncatbob (May 27, 2011)

My Meme was dumped in the office park where I used to work and she lived in the warehouse before I brought her home where she spent the remaining years of her life.
Did she have any sympathy for the ferals that lived around our warehouse?
No one bit she kept guard at the roll up door and id they ventured too close she would charge them and run them off, I could scold her too much as she would come back all proud.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I've had moments like that, definitely. At one point, when the bratz were going through their door-dashing phase, I held the door open and yelled, "Fine! Go outside. See how wonderful it is to have your freedom! See how horrible of a life you have in this house!!!!"

That freaked them out a bit because I almost never raise my voice to them. Then I felt bad.


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

These cats! I wish I knew what went on in their tiny little heads or their wicked little hearts!


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## love.my.cats (Jan 29, 2009)

Ohhh I hear you. I do all the feeding, cleaning, buying of toys and fun things for ours yet if we're on the lounge together, who is their first choice for people snuggles? My husband! 
There is a lot of truth in what you say but e wouldn't be with out them and I think the little cheeky monsters know that.


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

They're so stinking cute! Darn them!


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## shan841 (Jan 19, 2012)

Yeah i told Banjo today how lucky he is, i was STARVING when i got home from work, but the first thing i did was make his dinner.


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

I'd say we should all go on strike but that would last all of 2 seconds in this house....they have me, and they know it!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I was so mad at Charlee one time, I decided I wasn't going to even acknowledge her presence for 24 hours. No looking at her, making eye contact, petting, nothing.

She rubbed up against me, trilling. 

I lasted all of about 2 minutes. 


Suckers. All of us.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

Blacky is currently on my lap napping and one of the dogs is at my feet sleeping but it isn't always the case. During the summer Blacky is outside most of the time. I suppose not a bad thing, I'd want to soak up the sun too, but still... makes me wonder if she's only on my lap for warmth, obviously she'd rather be wandering the property. My father is seen solely as her feeder (I feed her too, but he does more often since he's downstairs more) and my grandfather only gets a visit from her when she wants out the kitchen door. She isn't even interested in anyone else that may be in the house. We all have roles for them to fill, anything else not on their terms and they aren't interested.

I don't often get a huge sense of being unappreciated though, most of the household pets like me more than most other people in the house. Although one of the dogs is a shadow to my father; I know when he's out of the house as I'm her second choice, she'll _only_ come see me when he's not here. I don't mind though, it's kind of amusing since my dad often doesn't say when he's going out, the dog acts as the messenger.


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## Dicesmom (Feb 28, 2012)

My cats trip me when I get home  My dogs come running up and give me kisses and then cuddle on the couch. Even my ferret likes cuddle time more then my cats. All my cats are rescue to!


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

I think you are spreading lies about my Sully Wully!


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## Cats&Plants (Aug 20, 2011)

I hear ya, we walk in the door and it's feed me, clean my litter box, have you fed me yet? Hello? Food! Oh yeah, clean my toilet. But feed me first. LOL. That's mostly Magoo & Jordan lol.

Kisa keeps darting out the door. She got quite a surprise though, we got 7 inches of snow on Saturday so she ran straight into a 3 foot pile of snow, she was not impressed. Turned tail and ran back in, groomed herself as if to say "I meant to do that". 

Logan is my love buddy, he always wants a snuggle when we get inside, usually while I am cooking dinner. Maybe he's just after some fresh meat...he's discovered he likes raw meat so I have to share with him before I cook it lol.

Marie, you are absolutely right, we're all suckers, but I doubt any of us would change it


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## madamefifi (Apr 30, 2011)

My husband and I have daily conversations about our cat madness. I am so grateful to be married and thus escape the "Crazy Cat Lady" stigma, since everyone knows one thing CCLs are NOT is married, right?!? 

My husband is usually in charge of breakfast but he is out of town so I rushed home from a truly horrible night at work as fast as I could (1 hour commute, btw, speeding all the way with an expired state inspection sticker on my windshield), 2 1/2 hours late in Kitty Time. As I pulled into the driveway I could see the alpha male peeking out between the curtains. When I came in the front door I was greeted by at least 9 cats who immediately turned their backs on me and bolted into the kitchen. Did anyone ask me how my night was or in fact greet me at all? Heck, no. And yet my heart was filled with nothing but love as I slopped food down on plate after plate. 

And did anyone join me for a snuggle in the bedroom as I drifted off to sleep after my horrible 12 hour shift, long commute home and extended chore time (feeding, cleaning up after, litter box maintenance)? Again, that would be a NO, they had more important things to do. 

And yet, do I remain hopelessly enslaved after 20plus years of co-existence with cats? What do _you_ think?


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

> 2 1/2 hours late in Kitty Time


:grin:

*Nine* cats and none of them sleep with you????


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## madamefifi (Apr 30, 2011)

marie73 said:


> :grin:
> 
> *Nine* cats and none of them sleep with you????


Actually we have ten cats and they frequently sleep with me....unless I really want them to, of course.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Of course. brats! :grin:


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

> Have you ever felt like an underappreciated house slave to these furry taskmasters?


RIGHT THERE! 

But then again, there are times when Magneto cries and cries, as if he is hungry. But no amount of food can satisfy him. Then I realize that all he wants is to be picked up, hugged and held by his mama. He drapes his front legs over my shoulder and purrs and purrs, so content, so relaxed.

But never has there been a cat who loves his mama as much as my Magneto.


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## madamefifi (Apr 30, 2011)

There's nothing like a hot summer night and a broken AC to attract ten cats to your bed. On the other hand, a freezing winter night and a broken furnace keeps the warm snuggly cats far, far away.


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## Nora B (Nov 6, 2010)

I wasn't going to write this - I really wasn't but we have three cats. During my growing up years the family had many cats. During the last 4 years I have come to know that it is not the cats that treat me as a slave and are the most ungrateful....it is the teenage boys that live in my home, properly called my children, although these days the cats act more like my kids than the boys do (the cats are all girls btw).

At least with cats we kinda knew what to expect & I for one am usually blessed with more than I hoped for from the cats (well - minus the litter box cleaning, I had hoped for some help with that but once again that is a teenager issue not a cat issue )


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## my5kitties (Sep 13, 2005)

Nora B said:


> ...it is the teenage boys that live in my home, properly called my children, although these days the cats act more like my kids than the boys do (the cats are all girls btw).
> 
> At least with cats we kinda knew what to expect & I for one am usually blessed with more than I hoped for from the cats (well - minus the litter box cleaning, I had hoped for some help with that but once again that is a teenager issue not a cat issue )


Oh Nora...I feel your pain. I, too, have 3 boys, ages 12, 13, and 20. And like you, I had hoped for some help with the litterbox. Oh well. *sigh*


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## Ritzpg (Dec 7, 2010)

Yeah sometimes (most?) I feel underappreciated, over-worked. And then other times I look at Ritz (who is usually not looking at me) and I wonder: this creature has decided to share her life with me. It's an ANIMAL, and she's actually in my house. Amazing. 
And there are the times when she is on my lap, turns onto her back, looks at me and says with her eyes: I love you; now please rub my belly, under my arms, don't even think about giving me a pedicure. And she kneads the air. And me, I guess.


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## kwarendorf (Oct 12, 2009)

I can't remember the last time I was allowed to watch TV by myself.


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## LilRed (Jul 16, 2008)

This reminds me of the saying:

Everyone needs a dog to adore him and a cat to bring him back to reality.


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## GhostTown (Jan 12, 2012)

It took me several years living with Oscar (an adopted alley cat) before I finally began to understand what being a care taker of a cat was all about. Why do it? Why go to all the trouble only to get teeth to the hand or a swipe to the arm any time _*I*_ wanted attention? Why work so hard to make him happy to receive what appears to be the slightest nod of gratitude?

It turns out that its because that slightest bit of gratitude was extremely rewarding to me. That one rare time when he'd jump up on my lap when I was on the computer, or even (gasp) get up on the couch with me... those moments were priceless and worth all of the effort.

Now Ossie is 10 years old and is our almost full time couch dwelling snuggler.


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

Interesting thread. My reward is, after all the time of seeing the 3 of them in the streets, lonely, hungry, afraid, dirty from living under the cars, when I wake up in the morning I see the 3 of them lazying under their fleece blankets in their cozy beds, lazily opening one eye to see what yummy food I'm bringing them for breakfast in bed. They're humble cats that still think hunger is the normal feeling, they hardly ever demand anything.


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## Mom of 4 (Jul 29, 2006)

I am the favorite human for both the cats and dogs. A couple of years ago, we started having my husband feed them so they would pay a little attention to him.
Zoey sleeps with us every night, especially if it is cold. She will start with my husband, but end up with me. All 3 of the dogs start out on the bed (60 to 85 lbs each), but usually stop quickly as they get hot (we turn the ceiling fan on for them at night, even in the winter). 
Talley is very shy and won't sleep with me unless Zoey is gone. Zoey has typical Tortie-tude.


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

Well my three seem to have taken pity on me and are gracing my lap with their presence more frequently. And of course I stop whatever I'm doing in those moments and devote sole and total attention to them. Maybe they know what they are doing. Keeping the love rare enough to be fully appreciated when it happens.


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## katlover13 (Apr 15, 2008)

After I came home from the hospital Gabe decided he was going to be my 1 cat heating pad on my hip. I guess I will keep him. :grin: 
All the others just wanted to know why I wasn't the one feeding them for the last week.


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## Darkcat (May 27, 2010)

My Gabbey is snuggled in my lap.

Sorry you had a tough day, just remember they DO love and appreciate you, no matter how it might seem otherwise.


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