Current Events > What's the point of a cat that doesn't like to be pet?

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Like a cat that will bite you if you try to pet them, never cuddles with you, and is basically an asshole that just eats the food you give them?

Honestly, I couldn't see myself loving, or even being mildly fond of an animal that doesn't exhibit any desirable pet-like qualities. I would most likely ship that sucker off to a no kill shelter.

I don't understand the thought process of people who put up with cats like this as their pets. Help me understand

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Problem: You are the problem




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consume food and dispense poo

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The point is that you're doing something to help this other living creature have a comfortable, safe, quiet happy life regardless of whether they are cuddlig with you 24/7 or off doing their own thing.

Most cats like to be petted and cuddled though.

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RedJackson posted...

Problem: You are the problem

My sister's parents in law have a cat like this, I don't understand why they could put up with it.

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Hexenherz posted...

The point is that you're doing something to help this other living creature have a comfortable, safe, quiet happy life regardless of whether they are cuddlig with you 24/7 or off doing their own thing.

Most cats like to be petted and cuddled though.

I'm talking about a cat who never, ever accepts any sort of touching from anyone, even the owners she sees every day. They've had the cat since it was a kitten and it was always like this, if you get within a few inches of her, she's bite you and won't even fuck off someplace else, so it's not a fear thing.

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That's just how a very small number of cats actually is. It's a buer but you shouldn't just give up on the cat because of that, they also deserve some dignity and a family.


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Hexenherz posted...

That's just how a very small number of cats actually is. It's a buer but you shouldn't just give up on the cat because of that, they also deserve some dignity and a family.

Sure, but not my family.

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Just train it; cats can be trained the same way as a dog and it's not hard. Once you play with it and get it used to you it'll open up and be more affectionate.

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There is also the emotional satisfaction that comes with small changes in behavior - maybe they don't let you pet them but after a few weeks they will look in the room/come join you as their curiosity overcomes their fear

Ruvan22 posted...

There is also the emotional satisfaction that comes with small changes in behavior - maybe they don't let you pet them but after a few weeks they will look in the room/come join you as their curiosity overcomes their fear

from what I understand, the cat doesn't have a problem with laying in a spot in the same room or anything, there's no fear, but it will fuck you up if you get near it, get in it's way.

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We kept a cat at the farm just to kill vermin. Strangely, it sucked at it and the owls that nested in the barn did a better job.

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I think maybe cats develop anxiety or something.

I have 6 cats and only one of them is how TC describes. It's a pain but every now and then she does allow us to pet her.

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That's kinda strange. Never really seen that personally.

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orangefire25 posted...

That's kinda strange. Never really seen that personally.

Ya it's super strange, both the animal and the owners mentality

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Tsundere (, pronounced [tsndee]) is a Japanese term for a character development process that depicts a character with a personality who is initially polarized warm/soft, cold, temperamental, hotheaded (and sometimes even hostile) before gradually showing a warmer, friendlier side over time.

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wbloechel posted...

I've seen cats like that, and I've owned one. You can't really change their core personality, just gotta accept them as they are.

Mine was named Big Red, I found him as a kitten and he grew to be like 20 pounds and just patrolled the yard for rodents to kill. He wasn't mean to people, but he wouldn't allow anyone near him and could fight like a boss if you persisted to pet him. Just kinda had to let him do his thing and he would tell you when he wanted food or water, and you got it for him.

Did you keep him only because you felt responsible for him? Having zero relationship with a pet like that seems like an empty and pointless one. Kinda like having a pet spider or something

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Now I want a pet spider.

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https://youtu.be/ZLp-fIFh8E4

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I was asking, not projecting. Stop being so defensive.

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wbloechel posted...

You talked shit about the relationship with my favorite cat. You deserve to get shut down.

You made it sound as if it was a shit relationship in a topic of this context. If you wished to avoid confusion, you should have done a better job describing your relationship instead of leaving it up to the reader's interpretation.

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I heard pet spiders are affectionate. Not that I would want one, since I have l fear of spiders.

My first cat was like this, I wouldn't call her an asshole though. Over time she got used to being petted on the head but only for a short time and anywhere else was bad and she would try to scratch. One of my current cats is from her litter actually and it he also does not like being touched anywhere that isn't his head. He likes being petted on the head but he does not like it if you try to hold him and he will cry loudly if you do it. He's not aggressive though, very timid despite his size.

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BloodMoon7 posted...

I heard pet spiders are affectionate. Not that I would want one, since I have l fear of spiders.

I did a deep dive of tarantula enthusiasts on youtube a while back. This is 100% not the case. Best case scenario, they are passive and don't attack you. Worst case, they get defensive and try to fuck you up.

New world vs old world spiders differ of course.

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Even if a cat doesn't like pets, having a roundish fur ball lying around random spots in the room is aesthetically pleasing.
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pogo_rabid posted...

My sister's parents in law have a cat like this, I don't understand why they could put up with it.

I dunno, honestly I've only ever dealt with good chonks

In regards to a pet spider I guess we really only relate to things in which we see ourselves in and that then becomes the measure in which we say 'thats more than just an animal creature'

they do tend to be the only animals who actually have a desire to interact with us, a couple of them not getting along well isn't something I would consider outside of the norm tbh


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Maybe the cat had a bad experience in the past.

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Oh yeah I just remembered my cat Amanda, she was kinda weird. My dad got her and a boy cat from the litter. The boy cat, Chester, cuddled with me all the time. Amanda was skittish and scared all the time and she'd just go to my dad's bed and sleep under the covers all day. I felt really bad about it tbh, I don't know why she did that (I was only there on the weekend and she only started to come out in the few hours before I had to go back to my mom's house).

Anyway, she'd let you pet her and stuff for a few minutes then she'd just stick your hand hard with her claws with zero warning.

Idk I just wish she were more comfortable in life :( Some cats are just like that I guess but it's really not that common. And even if they are you just have to take solace in the fact that you're giving them shelter and food and they are taken care of better than they would have been out in the wild.

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pogo_rabid posted...

Did you keep him only because you felt responsible for him? Having zero relationship with a pet like that seems like an empty and pointless one. Kinda like having a pet spider or something

You can adore a pet for the personality it does have you know. Just because it doesn't line up with your ideals for what it should be it doesn't mean they can't be very entertaining and generally nice to have around.

I had a giant mean orange cat who only liked my granny and was mean to everyone else and eventually he became my grannies cat.

His name was bubbles cause the rare times he'd let me pet him (mostly once I first got him) he would drool and make spit bubbles.

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my parents have a cat that used to be more anti social. As she grew older she got more accepting of petting and actually is affectionate sometimes. We think she spent her early life in a cat hoarder house where she only learned how to interact with fellow cats and not people

My cat though is very loving.