Following on from the puppy regret thread, anyone got cat regret?

[hornsbeeping]

I feel bad as I do love them. But recently we were away and got back late. They spent an extra night in the cattery. And … it was bliss.

No cats shoving their arseholes in their face as I try to read my book, able to eat without the cats trying to steal it, grated cheese without the cats trying to steal it, opened the door without cats thundering in and out, it was so lovely and calm.

Is it just me? I’ve always had cats because … well, I’ve always had cats, but mine are currently doing my head in!

No we really took a good while to think about what cats to get and they have really enriched our home, I love them both very much but have a very soft spot for my black cat, she's so smart and chippy, lovely little girl.

I love our cats, and have never regretted getting them.
But some of the things you don't like, I would never let my cat do.
No cats on kitchen table or worksurfaces.

and while I am happy to have cats sleep on my bed, I deliberately shut the door regularly so that they don't HAVE to sleep on our bed.

Take back some boundaries!

This post is making me feel a lot better about my cats, haha.

I was guilted into having them by a friend who found them as feral kittens. I’m not a cat person but I have them now so I will give them a nice life. They have a nice life and they don’t go without. One of them has cost me around £2k in the last year or so in vets bills, but I couldn’t have him being in pain or PTS so off to the vets he went.

Although they are both very sweet and good natured cats they are too fidgety to have on your lap - they don’t stay still and if you stop stroking them they pester you relentlessly or they start kneading you and the claws come out. They are 7yrs old so it’s not like they are young and overly energetic. I’m hoping they will calm down eventually but I fear it will be at least 5 more years before they do.

But as I said, they are both sweet cats. They don’t jump up on surfaces, they don’t steal food, I’ve never allowed them in the bedroom (I don’t fancy a half dead mouse being plopped onto my face in the middle of the night) so they don’t disturb my sleep and because they have never been allowed in they don’t scratch the door to get in.

As far as cats go they are excellent but I doubt I will get any more.

Neither did I, but when I got Cat3, he had to sleep in the dining room overnight, because Cat1 is loose around the house and hates the other two. I was going to move him in with Cat2 as they love each other but he is so used to the dining room now and obviously I can't keep him off the table overnight.

Cat2 who knew fine well she wasn't allowed decided to copy him so now both the big lumps lie across from me while I wfh. I just fumigate the table every morning and keep the two of them out of the kitchen!

They're not allowed in my bedroom but Cat1 sleeps on beds!

We've always had dogs by default because DH is allergic to cat hair. I have been tempted to ask DH to move into the shed so I can have a cat though. They are beautiful 😍. I'd also struggle with letting it leave the house, so it's probably for the best. I'll just admire my neighbour's cats when they come into my garden to shit 🤣. It really doesn't bother me.

I'm allergic to cat hair and I have three cats, two of them long-haired! I'm just really careful to wash my hands thoroughly when I touch them and I'm mostly ok! I couldn't bear to be without a cat! Mine are all indoors too so I don't have to worry! Funnily enough all three of them (rescues) were used to being outside but they are happy to be indoors here!

Put that man in the shed!!!!

He's just been evicted 🤣. Oh I'm guessing by your username that you have Maine coons? Poirot me don't ya know 🤣. They are absolutely gorgeous animals 😍.

Yes, one half Maine Coon/half ragdoll (he is massive and a soppy big dote, one with some Maine Coon but a moggy (she's the smart one!), and a moggy! 😂

I love them!!

@HereForTheAnimals - get a cat!!! x

Yes, kind of...Strictly speaking he wasn't mine, but a family cat when I still at school. He was a rescue, kept being returned to the shelter because no one wanted to live with him. Very reactive and although eventually became less so,you never knew when he'd lash out.

What was a struggle was his reactivity/anxiety/dominance issues leading to peeing & defecting in places other than his litter tray. When he died we had the carpet replaced. We did think he'd be happier in a different home but given what we knew about his past, we didn't think we could find anyone we trusted to give him the love & security he deserved.

His reactivity also made treating the health problems before he died almost impossible :(

Poor wee soul, god knows what he had been through.

Our previous cat hated feet for years. We could only assume that he had been kicked at some stage. He mellowed out with love!

@mainecooncatonahottinroof always thought that if he hadn't been mistreated he'd have been a complete snuggle puss - he wanted to be! It was really hard the clearing up after him, like finding he'd got into my wardrobe & peed over my clothes but if I'd been in charge would I have wanted him left in a shelter or pts? Of course not.

I feel your pain - we had a ginger boy who came to us as a stray and he pissed everywhere! What finally stopped him was, we moved house! I still have no idea why he did it!!

Bless you for putting up with him! Our old boy as I say hated feet. It took him years to gradually move in but then one time we were away, and he literally cried his way across the garden because he was so delighted that we were back! I think he thought he had been left again!

A couple of nights before he died, he insisted on holding onto my finger, for hours. Every time I went to move it, he tightened his grip, until eventually he fell asleep....

He was doubly incontinent in his last weeks but he fought so hard to stay with us!!

@mainecooncatonahottinroof that's heartbreakingly lovely 🩷

It still makes me cry, three years on xx

Never. If I go away and get back too late that day to collect my two from the cattery I miss them terribly.

Next door's Tom, although neutered, comes in and pees all over the place. In fact, he peed on a theatre costume I was making..... I threatened to turn him into mittens!

My two ladies, on the other hand, are lovely. I may regret Kishmish when I see how my insurance premiums rise after her accident before Christmas, but it was well worth every penny when she put her paw through the mesh door for me to hold while we were waiting in the vet.

Zero cat regret. Mine are fairly well trained (they know the word no!), and I play with them for at least half an hour a day to make sure they're tired at night. They're like toddlers - all behaviour is communication. Mine know how to ask for their favourite toy, food, to be let outside, and they act up when they need to poo 😅 One of them is a bit smarter so knows a few commands, and will stand in a particular spot to be picked up, or have his collar put on.

Appreciate I'm a total cat person (and that mine are in good health), but I do wish people would spend time learning to communicate with their cats.

Cat sitters are cheaper than catteries.

No cat regrets here (and I am one of the ones with massive puppy regrets) i have four fluffy house cats and I adore the bones of them. They can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned, and I absolutely worship the ground they walk on 😂
My eldest girl is starting to show signs of slowing down and I’m absolutely dreading saying goodbye to her. It will break me.

I'm definitely a cat person

Yeah, majorly regret our cat. I wish she would runaway.

DH complains (accurately) there is nowhere comfy to sit that hasn’t had a cat sitting on it and is therefore covered in fluff/bits of grit. A lot of vacuuming goes on. Many cat beds have been bought and ignored.

My complaint is I come in from work and deal with the kids whinging for food. And the second I have sorted them out and it’s gone quiet, a cat will come and meow at me loudly.

See also: vomit. Vet bills. Weeing on things.

They are gorgeous, do they take a lot of grooming?

They really are beautiful but the hoovering must be something!

I don't but DH really does, to the point I offered to re-home our kitten because home life became unbearable.
He's had cats before, he was all onboard before hand, we did plenty of research and many discussions about getting a cat. He simply hates having one.
Okay so maybe more he will tolerate the cat now, but that's best case scenario.

DH wouldn't agree for me to re-home kitten because DS had already fallen in love with him and he refused to break his heart, but it means I now live on eggshells trying to keep everyone happy. I love our kitten.

Rehome DH!!😁

Thank you! The grooming isn't too bad- a good brush once a week usually keeps the tangles at bay.
The hoovering is on another level though- their fluff gets everywhere. I have to do downstairs every day and upstairs at least twice a week.
We wear a lot of white and cream coloured clothing...