Cat Owners: What is the most ANNOYING thing, and what is your BIGGEST FEAR about owning a cat?

[akat92]

Howdy all!

Im soon to be getting a cat, and I'd love to chat with seasoned cat owners and find out what is the most ANNOYING thing and what is your BIGGEST FEAR about owning a cat!

I'm so excited to get my cat, but I'd like to know about the biggest frustrations to temper my excitement, and stay grounded

Any reply, no matter how 'silly' will help!

Thanks

 

[Mamanyt1953]

First, congratulations on getting a cat!  Second, welcome to TCS!  You've found an entire community of people who adore cats, who are knowledgeable about cats, and who support each other, celebrate with each other, and when necessary, grieve with each other.  When your cat arrives, PLEASE go to the "New Cats on the Block" forum in the General Forums area, introduce yourself formally along with your new kitty.  Pictures are more than welcome, and almost demanded!  We LOVE cats!

All cats have their very own thing to do to annoy us, and much of the time, it feels very deliberate.  Hekitty's big thing for EIGHT YEARS was her insistence that I sleep on a 22" wide strip in the MIDDLE of my king-sized bed!  If I tried to shift to one side or the other, she would lie next to me and poke and prod until I shifted back to dead center.  BOTH sides belonged to her.  Now, in the last few months, she had decided to move me to the extreme left-hand side, although I STILL only get 22".  Yes, I measured. And I have learned to flip over in place instead of rolling over.  I am very well-trained!

And any cat owner's biggest fear is illness or injury leading to death.  Hands down.  That's the biggest for ALL OF US!  Regular vet care is a must!  A close second fear is a lost cat.  Even an indoor-only cat can get out and get lost.  I highly recommend that you get your cat microchipped, and make sure to register the information and keep it updated!  Most lost animals who are reunited with their owners do so because they have microchips with up-to-date information on file!

 

[Primula]

Nothing annoys me about having a cat & I have no fears. I do my best & whatever happens will happen.

 

[Gizmobius]

I do not have any fears about owning a cat but I've just recently (as of December) gotten my first kitten and I will tell you that my biggest annoyance is how much I miss sleep! He is on a canned only diet and eats a small meal every four hours. If I am a minute late, he has no issue letting me know! Can't wait until he reaches a year so I can at least feed him every six hours and get a couple more uninterrupted hours of sleep!

 

[Primula]

I do not have any fears about owning a cat but I've just recently (as of December) gotten my first kitten and I will tell you that my biggest annoyance is how much I miss sleep! He is on a canned only diet and eats a small meal every four hours. If I am a minute late, he has no issue letting me know! Can't wait until he reaches a year so I can at least feed him every six hours and get a couple more uninterrupted hours of sleep!

Why not leave dry kibble out for him so that he can nibble at will?

 

[Gizmobius]

Why not leave dry kibble out for him so that he can nibble at will?

I would just rather he not eat dry. He was on kibble for the first month I had him and he isn't a grazer. He would finish off the whole bowl in a sitting. 

 

[Primula]

I would just rather he not eat dry. He was on kibble for the first month I had him and he isn't a grazer. He would finish off the whole bowl in a sitting. 

Was he food-deprived before you got him? A lot of cats over-eat the kibble at first, but then they self-regulate once they realize food will always be there. I used to leave kibble down 24/7, but what I do now is only leave it down when the wet food in their bowls (which they get twice a day) is finished.

Don't forget that a young playful kitten burns up a lot of calories.

 

[Gizmobius]

Was he food-deprived before you got him? A lot of cats over-eat the kibble at first, but then they self-regulate once they realize food will always be there. I used to leave kibble down 24/7, but what I do now is only leave it down when the wet food in their bowls (which they get twice a day) is finished.

Don't forget that a young playful kitten burns up a lot of calories.

I adopted him from a shelter when he was just under 3 months old so I am not sure of his history before then. It's not really THAT much of a hassle to feed him every four hours, and I am lucky enough to be able to do so for the moment.  I may reintroduce dry food for when I find a job or am away overnight so I don't have to depend on somebody to come feed him his canned food. But for the time being, I will take my 8 hours of sleep broken up into two 4 hour intervals! 

 

[rubysmama]

Welcome to TCS. And congratulations on your soon to arrive cat. Hope you will post pictures once he/she arrives.

The biggest fear, like @Mamanyt1953  posted, is having your cat get sick or injured. And since they can't talk, it can be a bit worrisome when they act a bit off.  But that's where this site is helpful. And, of course, veterinarians for serious concerns.

Hmm... the most annoying thing - well since Ruby is currently crawling over my keyboard and making typing difficult, I'll admit that is a bit annoying.  

  

There's probably other little annoying things, but rest assured the wonderful things way out number the annoying.

 

[Primula]

I adopted him from a shelter when he was just under 3 months old so I am not sure of his history before then. It's not really THAT much of a hassle to feed him every four hours, and I am lucky enough to be able to do so for the moment.  I may reintroduce dry food for when I find a job or am away overnight so I don't have to depend on somebody to come feed him his canned food. But for the time being, I will take my 8 hours of sleep broken up into two 4 hour intervals! :lol3:

Sounds like he may have been food-deprived. We adopted one poor little cat who, when we gave her a home, could not stop eating. She ate as though it were her last meal on earth. Eventually she adjusted.

 

[missriss]

I think each cat has the possibility of having an annoying quirk, but I also think it makes us love them more. Cash will cry/yell for what seems like no reason, but it is really cute. Baxter will climb ANYTHING and EVERYTHING between the hours of 1 am and 5 am and knock things down if he can 

 also he is a picky eater, so that is annoying sometimes.

Maybe overall "annoying" is that there is no training a cat, you just learn what systems/setups work. It took me about 6 months to a year to get a water bowl (actually a fountain) that Baxter would not dumb everywhere. 3 years strong now!

Biggest fear is that he gets hurt when I am not there and don't know. Or that at his annual something is wrong and i didn't know 

 Cats are good at hiding things! Or that he gets out and lost 

 

 

[shadowplay]

Most annoying: my baby girl will attack my feet in the middle of her night with her claws. And will walk across my laptop when I'm working on a paper. But I always forgive her! She's the best cuddle buddy there is.

Biggest fear: They will get injured or have an emergency when I'm not home. Or that they will get really sick but hide it until it's too late.

 

[amysuen]

I just posted about my most annoying in the Behavior forum - Snickers is trying to make me fall down the steps.

Biggest fear is similar to everyone else's, that one of them will get sick or injured and I won't be able to "fix" it. I worry most about Toothless - we've formed a closer bond than I've had with any other cat.

 

[Kieka]

Annoying? Hmmmm..... I am pretty sure someone else might find some things about my cats annoying. Link can be pretty demanding and noisy. Rocket can be a brat. Fury can be a pest. But they are my cats and I am not annoyed by them. I love their little quirks.

Fear. I have to agree with illness or injury. They just hide things so well sometimes that you might not notice it until it is serious. I am hyper vigilant when it comes to their health and body condition. I have gone to the vet more than once with the statement "I know I could be overreacting and I would love you to tell me I am but....."

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

Annoying? Hmmmm..... I am pretty sure someone else might find some things about my cats annoying. Link can be pretty demanding and noisy. Rocket can be a brat."

I'm with Kieka on this one. Most annoying: I have a Snowshoe. Biggest fear: having a second one.
.

 

[Kieka]

I'm with Kieka on this one. Most annoying: I have a Snowshoe. Biggest fear: having a second one.
.

I have an extra if you want her. She's little ..... but bossy. You'll just need to provide her with plenty of toys, a lap when demanded, brothers to pamper her, some live lizards occasionally, and just get used to always having a hand out for petting her.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

I have an extra if you want her. She's little ..... but bossy. You'll just need to provide her with plenty of toys, a lap when demanded, brothers to pamper her, some live lizards occasionally, and just get used to always having a hand out for petting her.

As Miracle Max once said, "why don't you give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice in it?"

.

 

[abyeb]

I don't really know about annoying, Charlie is usually a pretty good boy. At home that is. At the vet, he turns into a little mountain lion and has had checkups cut short for being "unmanageable" . I would say that my biggest fear would be health. Charlie had to spend an overnight in a hospital twice in his life (once because he had an infection, the other time when CKD was detected and he had to stay for more testing). Those were tough nights for me, especially when I walked through the kitchen and tripped over Charlie's favorite cardboard box . A year later after that incident, he hasn't had any other problems and is now relaxing as he sits atop his favorite perch, ruling his domain. I would recommend to you, akat92, that you find a good vet that you know you can trust, as well as pet insurance, for those unexpected medical emergencies.

 

[kalikitty97]

Howdy all!

Im soon to be getting a cat, and I'd love to chat with seasoned cat owners and find out what is the most ANNOYING thing and what is your BIGGEST FEAR about owning a cat!

I'm so excited to get my cat, but I'd like to know about the biggest frustrations to temper my excitement, and stay grounded

Any reply, no matter how 'silly' will help!

Thanks

Probably the most annoying thing I find is that they don't really comprehend "NO" (At least my kitty). Just about every dog I know will respond to the word no, but every cat I've had or have been around just ignores it. I hate that I can't just be like "Hey! You're making me unhappy!" and they can understand and stop whatever they are doing. Get ready for lots of biting and scratches. But the more you play with them and keep them entertained, the less they will do so. Other than my kitten climbing anything and everything..she is super sweet and cuddly. Patience is key!