Cats Aren't Standoffish, They're Just Not Needy

[SoDesuKa]

My two cats aren't standoffish at all, but they're shy with strangers. As animals go, house cats are little. It takes them more than a good reference from me to trust someone they don't know.

Pound for pound, cats are actually pretty daring. Sure, Golden Retrievers are outgoing. But they're 70 pounds. If house cats were 70 pounds, it would be illegal to keep them at home. Met any wildcats lately? They'll easily hold their own with any comparably sized dog. But don't look to a wildcat for companionship.

Otis and Gracie are more like roommates than pets. They like hanging out with me. I think it's very flattering, and I don't mind paying their upkeep. But don't tell me they're standoffish. You ought to see them in the morning when I'm getting up. It's a party!

[Skittles]

1. you have to EARN a cat's respect and devotion

love of humans is not in their DNA like it is with dogs :)

[JCMach1]

2. Which cats are these? MY cats are neurotically needy!

[1]

3. i am more afraid of my 8 pound kitty than i am of my 75 pound dog...

i can reason with the dog.

but those claws on that kitty, and her general "kittiness" scare the crap out of me...

[mokawanis]

4. Both of mine are needy

and follow me all around the house. They sit outside the bathroom and wait for me to finish showering so they can demand more attention.

[1]

5. i don't see that as needy...

i see that as love.

my little olive would sit on my lap all day long if i would let her. she does this thing where she rubs her head/face/chin on my hands. especially if i am trying to move the mouse on the computer. the mouse goes all over the place.

purrr, purrr, purrr...

i love it.

[Brigid]

22. Mine do that too.

They insist that I open the bathroom door as soon as I am finished drying myself. Silly things. :)

[asteroid2003QQ47]

6. For those who see cats as "needy."

We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are.
--Anais Nin

[mokawanis]

14. it was a flip comment

I do see them as "needy" but I don't mean that in a negative context. The truth is that I give them a great deal of attention and encourage the behavior I jokingly refer to as needy. All animals deserve attention and love and please believe mine get plenty of both.

[BuelahWitch]

7. My cat cries and gives me a guilt trip when I'm going to leave the apt

Then she's my shadow when I come home. I keep telling her that cats are supposed to be independent, but she doesn't listen.

Oh well. :loveya:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

8. my cat is pretty friendly but also gives me space.

she is perfection.

[bertha katzenengel]

9. "If house cats were 70 pounds, it would be illegal to keep them at home."

So true!!

Otis and Gracie hang out with you - yeah, I can say that of mine, too.

Thanks for a cool post. :thumbsup:

[yellowdogintexas]

10. oh mine love to follow me about , and one of mine is terribly needy

when he wakes up and realizes I am in the same room he is he starts the whining for attention. Gotta love it.

I shudder to think what life would be like if these guys did weigh 70 pounds. 16 pounds is bad enough.

[Rob H.]

11. My cat hangs out wherever I am

If I'm in the bedroom, she's either in the window or on the office chair she's claimed for herself and in the living room she's either in the window or on the end of the sofa. She waits curled up on the bath mat while I'm in the shower and then perches on the toilet tank in the morning to watch me shave. She also welcomes me home at lunch and in the evening and won't stop meowing until I hurry up and pick her up and give her scritches. I love that she's always happy to see me.:)

[Arugula Latte]

12. My kitties seek me out for lovies all the time.

:loveya:

[applegrove]

13. My cats are all over me in the morning. And a night. And during naptime during the day.

Basically all I have to do is suggest sleep of some sort and they are beside themselves (and then me).

Yup a cat that weighed as much as a retriever would be a scary thing. Even the biggest housecats, Maine Coons, have the most docile temperment because really it couldn't be any other way.

One of my cats has little fits of anger and he can be very scary when he does. He'll attack me and bite. But he rarely scratches and only has one fang so he rarely gets any blood.

[SoDesuKa]

16. Catching Z's

Otis and Gracie always check the training schedule for nap time. They're down for that! I never need to remind them to catch a few Z's.

[eppur_se_muova]

15. Standoffish? Um, they're not any kind of fish.

You sound confused. :crazy:

[RadiationTherapy]

17. That's how i am on DU. Not standoffish, not needy. n t

[Shell Beau]

18. Chihuahua's are outgoing and they are smaller than lots of cats!

[Danmel]

19. My kitty's rubbing up against my leg as we speak

And sticking up his little orange neck for a chin rub. And he is a rescued feral who once hid behind the clothes dryer for two days.

Now he is a total mush!

[sakabatou]

20. My cat always wants attention

and loves people

[bamademo]

21. I'm wheelchair bound for a while due to a shattered ankle

My Tyler cat rides around with me. He lays in my lap as I wheel from room to room. Too funny. He was feral so he's still a scaredy cat about some things but not this wheelchair.