Mods, feel free to move this to behavior, if you feel it's better there...
(baring bits and pieces of my soul here... not something I typically do)
Do you think our cats feed off of/mirror our feelings/emotions? Here's why I ask:
As some here may know I've been dealing with LB issues with Jack, and increased hostility between JoJo and Jack. They're on medication (well, Jack doesn't seem to notice the 1/4 pill when he wolfs down his wet food... JJ does, and spits it back out, the little brat-girl). I've ruled out a UTI for Jack, have Feliway running 24/7 (for well more than a year now), put calming stuff in their wet food, etc... and yet everything still happens. It's toned down a bit with the meds, but still peeing outside the box (Jack, now confirmed since I've SEEN him do it), and still aggression. Now I'm wondering if they're feeding off my energy. I've been stressed about finances/neighborhood I'm in/better work/my future. Have been since just before leaving Chicago 15 months ago. Thinking back, Jack's LB issues started some time in Chicago. that third year there. I was making little to nothing, and struggling for work. I'm now in Portland and working two jobs, but still struggling financially. having to fork over a sizable chunk of change for Feliway and bottles of stuff every month, not to mention the new prescription, added to food and litter, and all my own bills, it hurts.
That said, I'm NOT giving anyone up. I'm just trying to make sense of what's going on. Having exhausted all the OTC ideas and now having them on daily meds, I'm wondering if it's not really them. That it's me. My stress, my frustration at life, commuting, finances, clutter in my (our) home. I rarely have the energy to clean and with so much stuff cluttering up an already not-so-big apartment, it's tight. I'm working on the clutter, slowly. But I'm also trying to maintain my sanity with jobs and Jack's LB issues (nothing like coming home to find the bathroom rugs soaked... have gone through far too many of them in a year... lost count. I now have a white plastic garbage bag with paper towel on top to protect the floor and soak it up... changed every time he pees on it, sometimes twice a day, other days none).
I love JoJo and Jack. But I have noticed since moving here that I've gotten more frustrated with things (Jack does the 'trip Meowmy in the narrow hallway' bit all too often). They aren't making things easier. I give them both as much love as possible. JJ's come a LONG way from when I first adopted her. Jack is now a healthy 13 pounder (he was sick a long time). They get top of the line food, treats occasionally, have more toys than I do, and lots of scritches.
I see myself changing, emotionally. I'm not as happy, relaxed, etc. Stressed about things mentioned above, all that. I'm just at a loss over what to do now. I am slowly organizing things, but I don't know if it'll all fit once I'm done. But it's going to take time, something I don't have that much of. I don;t know if a therapist (for me) would help, and honestly, I can't afford one right now. I'm trying to relax, but it's hard to do when dealing with all this. (as I type this, there's a 'gang' of punk-a** teenagers outside my apt. windows being generally noisy and stupid, not a nice neighborhood).
So, now that my soul has been filleted and laid open for all to see, back to my original question: do you believe our cats can mirror our emotions? I know they can tell when we're not feeling well, but what about the emotions?
Dang, that was nearly a small book... well, it's off my chest.
Again, mods, move this where you feel it is appropriate. I just wasn't quite sure, since it's dealing with both their behavior and my own life.
Thanks for listening... er... reading,
A.
(baring bits and pieces of my soul here... not something I typically do)
Do you think our cats feed off of/mirror our feelings/emotions? Here's why I ask:
As some here may know I've been dealing with LB issues with Jack, and increased hostility between JoJo and Jack. They're on medication (well, Jack doesn't seem to notice the 1/4 pill when he wolfs down his wet food... JJ does, and spits it back out, the little brat-girl). I've ruled out a UTI for Jack, have Feliway running 24/7 (for well more than a year now), put calming stuff in their wet food, etc... and yet everything still happens. It's toned down a bit with the meds, but still peeing outside the box (Jack, now confirmed since I've SEEN him do it), and still aggression. Now I'm wondering if they're feeding off my energy. I've been stressed about finances/neighborhood I'm in/better work/my future. Have been since just before leaving Chicago 15 months ago. Thinking back, Jack's LB issues started some time in Chicago. that third year there. I was making little to nothing, and struggling for work. I'm now in Portland and working two jobs, but still struggling financially. having to fork over a sizable chunk of change for Feliway and bottles of stuff every month, not to mention the new prescription, added to food and litter, and all my own bills, it hurts.
That said, I'm NOT giving anyone up. I'm just trying to make sense of what's going on. Having exhausted all the OTC ideas and now having them on daily meds, I'm wondering if it's not really them. That it's me. My stress, my frustration at life, commuting, finances, clutter in my (our) home. I rarely have the energy to clean and with so much stuff cluttering up an already not-so-big apartment, it's tight. I'm working on the clutter, slowly. But I'm also trying to maintain my sanity with jobs and Jack's LB issues (nothing like coming home to find the bathroom rugs soaked... have gone through far too many of them in a year... lost count. I now have a white plastic garbage bag with paper towel on top to protect the floor and soak it up... changed every time he pees on it, sometimes twice a day, other days none).
I love JoJo and Jack. But I have noticed since moving here that I've gotten more frustrated with things (Jack does the 'trip Meowmy in the narrow hallway' bit all too often). They aren't making things easier. I give them both as much love as possible. JJ's come a LONG way from when I first adopted her. Jack is now a healthy 13 pounder (he was sick a long time). They get top of the line food, treats occasionally, have more toys than I do, and lots of scritches.
I see myself changing, emotionally. I'm not as happy, relaxed, etc. Stressed about things mentioned above, all that. I'm just at a loss over what to do now. I am slowly organizing things, but I don't know if it'll all fit once I'm done. But it's going to take time, something I don't have that much of. I don;t know if a therapist (for me) would help, and honestly, I can't afford one right now. I'm trying to relax, but it's hard to do when dealing with all this. (as I type this, there's a 'gang' of punk-a** teenagers outside my apt. windows being generally noisy and stupid, not a nice neighborhood).
So, now that my soul has been filleted and laid open for all to see, back to my original question: do you believe our cats can mirror our emotions? I know they can tell when we're not feeling well, but what about the emotions?
Dang, that was nearly a small book... well, it's off my chest.
Again, mods, move this where you feel it is appropriate. I just wasn't quite sure, since it's dealing with both their behavior and my own life.
Thanks for listening... er... reading,
A.