It’s a whole new world!

[Threeboysadogandacat]

I’m a dog mum through and through. I’ve had dogs all my life and have always said I would never have any pet other than a dog however, due to a recent family bereavement and no one else able to take her, we have dcat.

She’s two years old and the tiniest little thing. Everyone who has met her thinks she is a kitten. We know the weeks before she came to us must have been traumatic for her and as we have a large dog, who has no experience of cats, I really wasn’t sure that we were the best home for her - but here she is.

Shes been here six weeks. We have been completely taken over by litter trays, cat trees, scratch posts, feeding dishes and the rest. How can someone so small need so much equipment and how can someone so small take over a household so completely. She is so sweet, gentle and affectionate. She has ddog completely won over and she’s stolen my heart. I’m definitely a cat person now.

Welcome to the world of cat slavery! There are a few rules you've probably worked out for yourself...

1. You were put on this earth to tend to every whim of the cat.
2. Cat is overall boss of the household
3. Cat's meals come before human/dog meals
4. The person the cat has decided is their current cushion is not allowed to move, others must take over their duties temporarily including making the cushion's tea/snacks - this is technically known as "incapussitated"
5. See rule 1
6. Don't bother to ask "why", just accept that it's the way of the cat & live with it
7. Expect that any clean washing left out will be the preferred location of the cat, do not attempt to move aforementioned cat
8. Be prepared for any injury or mystery illness requiring professional advice or assistance to appear on a Friday evening (bonus points if it's a bank holiday) to maximise vet costs. This is to test your total devotion to the cat
9. See rules 1 and 2

PS

She's adorable!

They get under your skin, don’t they?

I love grey cats.

She’s gorgeous!

@Allergictoironing I would have replied earlier but I couldn’t get my hand out from under the cat. The rules are so true. I’m dying for a cup of coffee but she’s sleeping on my chest so I can’t get up to make one. I will have to wait until one of my sons get home.

@Showerroomlove Before she came here I had only seen photos and thought she was a black cat so was surprised to find she was a lovely smoky grey.

@hopefulsquirrel Thank you.

……. And yes, I’ve already incurred a vet bill. Well she was just so tiny and so thin and had little scabby bits on her I thought she may be unwell so whizzed her off to the vet. He thought her skin might be dermatitis due to stress. So steroid injection, purchase lots of fancy plug in things and a consultation fee but she’s perfectly healthy!

Always good to get an initial vet check under your belt. Many of the things the vet may have suggested e.g. Feliway plug in for stress, can be bought cheaper going forwards from places like Amazon.

I find Zylkene a great de-stresser, little capsules you open & add the powder inside to their food. They sell that at my vets too, though again I get mine cheaper from Amazon or when I do a big food/litter shop from Pets at Home or Zooplus if I need some.

Tat tiny bay is definitely in charge,and she knows it!

<chants>

One of us. One of us. One of us.

(She's adorable, by the way.)

@Allergictoironing I agree with the vet check. It put my mind at rest and I can “declare” she’s healthy for insurance. I see I can get the plug-ins on Amazon subscribe and save. Dh keeps asking if we can stop buying things for the cat now!

@Toddlerteaplease She certainly does!

@Florissante Yes, I’m smitten.

You will never stop buying things for the cat!

And they'll get sick of them within fifteen minutes of being opened.

And that's if they don't ignore it in the first place. 🤣🤣

Or play with the boxes, not the things

And don't forget they like empty boxes of every size, oh and being nosy!

She is adorable.
I have four and totally smitten with all of them.

Beautiful

Yeoww catnip toys, on Amazon. Hours of entertainment if they like catnip
Mine loves a flat cardboard scratch box too

What a little beauty! How lucky she is to have found a forever home with you humans and a DDog: have they curled up together yet? Please post a pic if they do!

What a lovely thing to do op, she's found a loving home and in return she's nicked your heart and will steal your soul at some point. Forget ever being the boss and you just always bow to their every ever changing whims.

She loves a certain cat food oh good look it's on offer, I'll get a crate of it. She will then laugh in your face and go off it.

Bought her a lovely toy? nice, she'll prefer the box it came in. Did all your laundry it's fresh smelling lovely, yeah turn your back for a second and you'll discover your clean pile is now her new bed.

I was also a dog person but we rescued 2 and I absolutely adore them and they know it.

She is absolutely beautiful! I wanted one cat and am now a cat slave to 3! They timeshare on my knee and I frequently need food/drink/toilet but can’t move because they are too cute 😆.

@Kyse23 She has a flat scratch box which is now positioned to cover the bit of carpet she decided to dig up!

@Pudmyboy They are not quite at the curling up together stage yet. She sniffs ddog’s nose and paws when he is sleeping and they give each other kisses which is cute but he’s still quite wary of her and he jumps back from her which gives her a fright. It will come though. I think we are so lucky to have her. Even my young adults/teenaged sons are smitten.

@WildFlowerBees I’ve already been tricked into bulk buying Felix treats as it seemed to be the only little biscuit things she would eat and she’s stopped eating them!

Thank you everyone. I can’t believe how well she has settled in. She’s made herself very much at home. 🥰

If you squint your eyes and grimace you could pretend she's a black cat .......... as Mum of two House Panthers I am reliabley informed (by the cats) that Black Cats Rule <obvs>

She's a gorgeous girl , I bet her fur is as soft as cashmere

I can’t believe how well she has settled in. She’s made herself very much at home

I think the correct term is "allowed me to live with her"

Start learning to sleep on the very edge of the bed. The smallest animal will take 99.9% of the bed and all duvets and blankets. The dog may be allowed the bottom left hand corner of the bed.

hth

@Alphabet1spaghetti2 She’s not allowed to sleep in our bedroom …. yet. Ddogs 1 & 2 slept in a bespoke bed large home made box in the utility room. After we lost ddog 1 in 2020 ddog 2 moved to sleep a basket in our room. There is no way dh will allow any more pets up stairs overnight.

@70isaLimitNotaTarget We have two black cats living in our street already. They definitely rule the roost. She has very soft, fluffy fur. I will have to get her a wee brush.