Bad Habits

[neesey]

Hi,

The other day I had the ex-Mother-in-law round for a cup of tea (Dont ask!) She was furious to see my cats laying on my dinner table, and on my worktops. My kitten is in the kitchen (a large kitchen!) at night time, as I dont really want him all over the house at night, he may wake the children up, and Im told its best to confine a kitten to one area. So I told her that I have no idea what he does at night in the kitchen, when Im in bed. (He has free run of the house in the daytime)

I always clean the table and table tops before we eat, or prepare food, and I dont allow my cats their when we are eating or cooking (Although they will try hard to climb up!)

I just wondered whether you think this is classed as a bad habbit? Mummy cat has always done this, and I think it would be hard to get her out of the habit now?

I told her to mind her own business (oops!) and that its not me who locks my cats in the kitchen (Small) ALL DAY.

I love my cats, and treat them as I would my 4 children, but if this is bad, I need to know.

Thanks
Neesey xx

 

[yola]

Neesey

I think it's a personal thing. My cats sit and eat their biscuits on the dining room table. Sometimes Fifi even sleeps on the table. However, the table cloth does get washed every week, and I'm mindful not to place food or cutlery directly onto the table.

The cats don't get up onto the worksurfaces. They're persians so they don't do jumping so well!

If you have kiddies (as you do) you do have to be extra careful, but I'm sure you're aware of that.

Do you cats go outside at all?

Personally I would also have said MYOB. As long as you observe hygene rules and you are comfortable with the situation, and you're not coming down with mystery illnesses - it's no-one's concern but yours what your cats do in your house.

It may not be what everyone would do - but it's certainly not bad.

Take care

 

[debra myers]

Ditto from me.......

 

[neesey]

Hi,

My Mummy cat (Lucy) goes outside, but Oscar (her son) is only 10 weeks old, and hasnt had both of his vaccinations yet (had the 1st does yesterday).

Lucy only really goes in the back garden, shes really a housecat. Since her road accident when she was 5 weeks pregnant, shes not happy outside of the gate.

Both my cats are wormed regulary, and brushed for fleas, and as you know cats are clean animals anyway, even though they lick their bottoms! (On the kitchen table!)

I like to think that as a cat lover, who has had cats in their home all their life, my cats are free to do as they please, within reason, and they are both really friendly and well behaved

 

[neesey]

Yola,

I just noticed you are in the UK too! I live in East Sussex!

Neesey xx

 

[eeva]

I agree, it's nobody's business but yours where you allow your cats. The only area in my apartment where the cats aren't allowed is the sauna, because the older cat pees there if she gets the chance... Even their food dishes are in the kitchen, one on the counter, the other on the kitchen table, and as I'm not very concerned about cleanliness (at least in terms of sterilizing things), I may forget to clean surfaces before I prepare food etc. This year I got my first cold in three years, so I've been more healthy since I got my pets than ever before. I've never been too concerned over "germs", since they are everywhere anyway, no matter what, and I figure that since I live with my pets every day of the year, we pretty much share whatever germs we have anyway.

I'm comfortable with what I do and allow my pets to do, and that's all that matters. Same goes for everyone, in my opinion. Pets' "bad habits" are all definition anyway, they are natural behaviors for animals that we classify as not being suitable, so you yourself define what bad habits are in regards to your pets, in your own home.

 

[yola]

Neesey - they're a few UKers on the site. Let me see:
Bodlover in Leicester
FlimFlam in Yorkshire
Sonya from London
A new poster from Essex
A member in Looe, Cornwall

As you can tell, I'm doing this from memory, which is pretty useless as I'm hopeless at names!

However, I have to admit to loving talking to everybody from all over the world. I've never been to the States, Canada or Australia (although I've been all over Europe), and I've never really spoken to Americans or Canadians in any depth.

I'm so enjoying the openness and friendliness of everyone on this site. It's quite overwhelming. And the fact that they all love cats too - well that's just so great.

Were in East Sussex are you? Anywhere near Brighton?

 

[molly a]

I have never known any cat lover who has a problem with cats on the kitchen table/counter!

When I was in college and doing some community service, the team leader came to my apartment to pick up some documents I was working on, and she told me, "Your cat is on the table." I remember staring at her blankly for a moment, trying to figure out her point in telling me that, then realized she meant I should make him get down!

As if I can (or would!!) control where my little angel wants to sleep - when we share our lives with them, we share it all! It just may require a little more cleaning before mealtimes!

 

[debra myers]

Molly - I can just picture that blank look on your face - I am sure I have had that same look at times!

 

[valanhb]

Personally, we don't allow the babies up on the counters, and they aren't supposed to be on the tables. That was something hubby and I decided and we worked on it with them, being consistent since they were little kittens. At my house, though, it is more for their safety than cleanliness...hubby is in charge of the kitchen and lets the dishes and everything pile up on the counters.

It is most definitely a personal choice for the owner. And I do agree with Molly, it's only the non-cat people who think it disgusting. Don't like my home/cat/habits? Don't come over!

 

[gayef]

I wouldn't know how to cook without shoving cats out of the way or be able to do the dishes without the cats scooping up the bubbles from the sink!

Consequently, cat fur is one of the main staples of our diets. We consider it to be a fiber supplement. *grin*

~gf~

 

[missyc]

My cats get on the table and counters. Like everyone else, I clean the counters before I prepare any food and clean the table before I eat off of it. When I'm home and see them on there I will set them down.

If I had been home all the time when they were kittens I would have tried to teach them not to get up there, but I worked all day and they had the run of the house, so I found it hard to tell them no when I was there and when I wasn't they could get up there.

It doesn't bother me, I mean they sleep in my bed and on everything else in the house. Why should the kitchen be any different.

Beside it is your house, you set the rules.

 

[neesey]

Originally posted by gayef
I wouldn't know how to cook without shoving cats out of the way or be able to do the dishes without the cats scooping up the bubbles from the sink!

Consequently, cat fur is one of the main staples of our diets. We consider it to be a fiber supplement. *grin*

~gf~

Lucy sits beside me when I am washing up, shes fascinated by water, when she was a baby, she wanted to look in the (full) bath, and fell in, she wasnt bothered, just went of and cleaned herself for an hour!

You hear all about Dogs being mans best friend, but the love I receive from my cats far outweighs that theory! As far as I am concerned, I have 6 children, not 4! Im constanly saying 'Children behave' to my cats!

Does anyone else do this?

Neesey xx

 

[hissy]

I join the club of what is a dining room table? I think, in our house it is a cat bed, especially when the weather turns hot. I have a special plastic tablecloth I put on the table during the day so the cats can lie on it. They have been taught not to get on the table when we are eating there. But Bailey will jump up and attack the butter bowl when we turn our backs! LOL I look at it this way, it is just a table, and they are more than just cats in this house anyway. Your X-MIL would probably not like to come and spend time with me.

Like Gaye, if there isn't cat hair in my food, there is something wrong! LOL