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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be angry with people who ignore dcs and comment on my cats instead

58 replies

flowerspot · 26/04/2009 01:36

This happens a lot.
I know not everyone is fond of children, but..... I have two siamese cats, visitors to my house will remark on my cats, the breed, their personalities, even their names. All the while ignoring my two dcs completely.
I'm usually fuming by the end. It is not usually family or friends who do this, but the bad manners really irritates me.
AIBU?

OP posts:
shootfromthehip · 26/04/2009 09:39

The problem is that when you have your own kids, other peoples' hold limited interest as you they won't be a cool or as funny as yours. Conversely they will be cooler or funnier and who wants to face their own children's inadequacies? Not many people will have 2 Siamese cats and so there is no battle line to be drawn. Everyone will love them

PuppyMonkey · 26/04/2009 09:41

BiBella, I WAS still joking... amazingly.

But the point I was making is, the OP gets lovely rare Siamese showy-offy cats and then moans when lots of people notice them. That's the funny bit imho.

BigBellasBeerBelly · 26/04/2009 09:44

Was the two posts so close together and the fact the OP hasn't been back so we can't tell is she is/will take this in the spirit it's intended or not...

Wouldn't want everyone to get too carried away!

sleeplessinstretford · 26/04/2009 09:45

ooh,i agree with you about the showyoffylookatmecats-what i don't get is why you want a fuss making of your kids?
i go to visit a friend of mine and am utterly fucked off that i have to sit through her middle daughters repetiore-i get shown her school books,have to watch the dance she made up,get a full gymnastic display-she plays balalaika,trumpet,guitar etc etc. i've got my own kids thanks-not enormo interested in other peoples. but i have always wanted a siamese cat...

TheBolter · 26/04/2009 09:46

I'd be more interested in the cats, sorry. I'm sure your dcs are adorable (not as adorable as mine of course) but I do love cats and Siameses are lovely.

IotasCat · 26/04/2009 09:53

I mostly ignore other people's children. Hell I ignore mine quite a lot as well.

I love cats though and make a big fuss of them

Bumperlicioso · 26/04/2009 09:57

Not quite the same thing but I do get really cross with people who flick through the papers and ignore all the human rights abuses and then get all soppy at a puppy left in a sack or something or a cat with 3 legs.

georgimama · 26/04/2009 09:58

I'm generally more interested in people's pets than their children, tbh, other people's children are not endlessly fascinating (I appreciate not everyone is enchanted by mine either) but animals are quite winning. That said, I don't like cats either.

BigBellasBeerBelly · 26/04/2009 10:06

I've just remembered that I went to see my friends new baby and there was a kitten there and I gave a cursory glance to the baby then DH and I spent the rest of the time playing with the cat...

I was 8 months pg with DD then, my first baby, and after a while I apologised and pointed out I realised that it didn't bode well...

The kitten was way more interesting than the baby though!

pranma · 26/04/2009 10:32

I have 2 Tonkinese cats who get lots of attention
Before that I had 2 Siamese cats
Before that I had 2 Burmese cats
All these cats were more responsive than my 2[then teenagers]dcs

Morloth · 26/04/2009 10:56

I like cats more than children and lets face it kids are everywhere and if they are not your own, not very interesting - but Siamese cats are a bit unusual and quite interesting, they do that singing thing don't they?

Grumpyoldcaaaaaaaa · 26/04/2009 11:10

But Siamese Cats are so cool. I had 2, they were fabulous, one lilac point and 1 seal point. They were absolute show-stoppers. My 2 kids are beautiful and funny and clever, etc but Siamesees are just coooooooool.

"We are siamese if you please" etc.

Pranma am very of your cat history.

RumourOfAHurricane · 26/04/2009 12:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

FairLadyOfMuslinCloth · 26/04/2009 12:26

I am trying to work out who those visitors are....if not friends or family...I mean...who are they...why are they there....

catsmother · 26/04/2009 12:30

I have 5 cats and get offended if visitors ignore them .......

PinkTulips · 26/04/2009 12:42

i'm not mad about other people's kids... find them difficult to engage with but good god i adore siamese cats.

have met a few and they are just the most lovely creatures.

so i think i'd be one of those visitors you hate... with the added imposition of having my ignored children rampage around you house while i play with the cats

that said my cats are bog standard black and white moggies and they still get more compliments than the kids from visitors.... i think a cat in your home is seen as kosher to touch and play with whereas unless it's family or very close friends you can't really immediately start playing with someones child in the same way without seeming odd, same goes for tonnes of questions about the kids really.

CoteDAzur · 26/04/2009 12:48

YABU.

What do manners have to do with it?

Everyone has kids. Not everyone has siamese cats. So, they are by nature more interesting.

CoteDAzur · 26/04/2009 12:49

And btw what does it mean that visitors should "acknowledge" your kids?

Will a "Hello. How are you kids?" do, or do they need to say how cute you are, compliment you on their pretty dresses, etc?

YouKnowNothingoftheCrunch · 26/04/2009 12:49

I've got a Bengal and everyone always comments on him. But I don't mind at all - especially since he's only got eyes for the DCs And he is rather gorgeous.

Although if anyone comments on the cat it's ds2 who will provide them with all the answers, so they can't ignore him anyway. Train your dcs to have all the cat knowledge and they'll always be involved.

purpleduck · 26/04/2009 13:00

My sister used to have a siamese who used to vomit back up anything that was not worthy of his superior insides .

My sister and I still laugh about the time her cat threw up on her brown floral-y patterened couch...we didn't realise until her FIL came over for a visit, and when he got up he had cat barf on him...

YANBU to want guests to notice your kids.

YABU in getting so upset about it.

purpleduck · 26/04/2009 13:01

That makes us sound very mean... it was just a funny situation

purpleduck · 26/04/2009 13:01

That makes us sound very mean... it was just a funny situation

purpleduck · 26/04/2009 13:01

oops

mrswoolf · 26/04/2009 14:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

123andaway · 26/04/2009 14:12

Sorry but I would be much more interested in your cats than your children (and my children too), but then I am just a bit cat mad. I stalk strange cats in the street, and then get upset when the won't let me fuss them!

YANBU though - I would be making a bee-line for the moggys, but would also be asking your DC's what the cats were called, if they liked cuddles etc - I certinally wouldn't ignore the kids, as that is just plain rude.