"Sacrifices" and concessions you've made...(fun thread)

[Jem]

I wanted to know what type of "sacrifices" or concessions you've made SOLEY because of your cat(s), that you think only other cat people would understand. And I put "sacrifices" in quotations because I'm sure most of us feel it's worth it, no matter what.

I'll start with this one..

It seems like I always have at least one "plastic chewing cat", therefore I can only ever buy the more expensive waterproof fabric shower curtains, unless I want lovely little teeth marks and holes in it. Not to mention the possible choking hazard if a piece gets chewed off.

 

[Dario the GreyCat]

I live in a tiny house and gave up valuable storage space for a cat highway.

I also woke up, every two hours while nursing my orphan neonatal kitten I found in a parking lot, while working a full time job. Whilst being sick almost the entire duration.

 

[Elemteacherjoy]

Sleep. My cat is still a kitten. Sometimes I wake up early on the weekend, and am unable to fall back asleep because he's climbing on me, attacking my feet under the bedding, running around with the zoomies, etc. Not to mention the crazy play time in the middle of the night!

 

[Tik cat's mum]

Beside sleep the only thing's I can think of is my very nice chess set because patches kept knocking the pieces over. It's packed away now. And I don't stay out to long now he's a only cat I don't want him to get lonely. And cuddling my hubby at night the cat has started sleeping in the middle of us

 

[Furballsmom]

I was in a petco a while back, and there was a young cat waiting for adoption. This store has bar cages. She wanted to play with my keys, but rather than let her chew on them (yucky) I let her chew on one lens of my removable fliptop sunglasses (on my way out I asked an employee to ensure she had a toy, --they did). She was adopted quickly, she was so sweet, and I have her teeth marks on my sunglasses to remember her by

 

[Purr-fect]

I spend hours and hours and hours outside with Greg and Arnold. In the winter can be very cold....... -10c or less. But the boys want to go out....so we go out. I have to sit with them as we have coyotes and foxes. I have other things that must get done, but I delay them to take the boys out. Sometimes I miss gym workouts as I dont have the heart to cut short their play time outside.

I work 24 hour shifts. When I come home in the morning, arnold is crying and crying to go out.....so we often go out instead of me sleeping.

Arnold sleeps on my bed at night and it often negatively affects my sleep, he wants to cuddle numerous times in the middle of the night...I loose sleep.

When I am working in my office, arnold HAS to be in my lap, its very inconvenient for me, but I put up with it....then he falls asleep in my lap and I sit still for half an hour watching him sleep.....and I get nothing done.

He damages the drapes, by playing behind them. The boys have damaged some very expensive leather furniture by chasing each other over top of it, (not by intentionally scratching it). Luckily we got the furniture second hand and didnt spend alot on it. Im ok with the damage....its just stuff.

But all these things are a very small price to pay for the great joy the boys bring me.......priceless...literally.

Every day I count my blessings and they make me smile so intensely my face aches.

Apparently my nick name at work is "penitentiary face", presumably because I dont smile much. Little do my co-workers know.

Here are the boys wrestling on top of a hand made one of a kind autographed wool knit carpet......(they pull loops of wool from the carpet) .......... oh well...... its just stuff. (And purchased at a great discount)

 

[neely]

There isn't anything my husband and I wouldn't do for Carleton. We've had many, many cats over the years and made a lot of concessions but Carleton is our baby. We keep the front door open with the storm door locked when it's a sunny day and we're home because he likes to sun bathe. We leave his favorite spot on the sofa open and don't dare to sit there. If we don't think we'll be home before it gets dark we leave the lights on for him. He likes to climb in the bathroom vanity so he can rub up against my brushes which I let him do but then have to pull his fur out of the brushes. And the list goes on..........

 

[Jemima Lucca]

Sleep. My cat is still a kitten. Sometimes I wake up early on the weekend, and am unable to fall back asleep because he's climbing on me, attacking my feet under the bedding, running around with the zoomies, etc. Not to mention the crazy play time in the middle of the night!

Yeah that’s called “stupid O’clock kittens; ya gotta luv ‘um

 

[Jemima Lucca]

I’m older and my best dog in the world, Makita; my beloved old cat, Cotton and my grumpy and much loved Beju, all passed in a year. So I decided to get a kitten, Jemima who’s now 8 months, and then a few months later, Lucca (3 months younger). So I could have had a peaceful, quiet home with no pet “duties” (in quotations lol) but I chose happy chaos! Now it’s middle of the night hungry meows,brushing unruly fur babies, harness training, vet trips and worry, worry, worry about these beloved kittens . I wouldn’t trade it for anything because it’s a sacrifice well worth the trouble...

 

[Neko-chan's mama]

We're not going away for our spring vacation this year because neither of us want to leave Neko-chan behind. So it's just a couple of Broadway musicals and a 22 hour trip to Atlantic city.

 

[Kieka]

1. I make sure I am home by dusk everyday and go back out if I still have errands to run or plans after dusk. The cats have a curfew so I have to be home to make sure they are in before dark and feed them. The rabbit also has to go in before it gets dark.
2. Everyday wake up before sunrise. Same thing of curfew in reverse, I have to feed the cats breakfast and let the rabbit out when it is light enough. Weekends I definitely go back to sleep after they are all taken care of.
3. More the rabbit, but grocery store trips every 3-4 days to get fresh veggies. When they fall on weekdays there is often a rush between work, grocery store and home to try to also get home by dusk.
4. Cat toys are everywhere around the house. I put them back in the basket but they end up everywhere a few days later.
5. Cat tree in the dining room and my bedroom. Very stylish when guests are over.
6. Sleeping on only half my bed because the cats claim the other half.
7. Keeping an extra chair at the table for Fury to sit at during dinner time.

 

[vince]

We're not going away for our spring vacation this year because neither of us want to leave Neko-chan behind. So it's just a couple of Broadway musicals and a 22 hour trip to Atlantic city.

I hear ya. Can't get away for more than overnight trips without a cat-sitter. I can't free-feed because the "pig-o-lets" do the old "scarf & barf."

 

[MissClouseau]

Oh boy, where would I begin? My entire house got re-decorated basically. Including changing the fabric fly nets to harder material with a lock (couple hundreds each window. and I'm not even teh landlord ugh)

My income mostly goes to Hima. No vacation since she got ill January 2019 and I'm not going anywhere this year either. I don't leave her longer than couple hours. (I'm trying to work on separation anxiety. Both hers AND mine.)

I now go to different vet clinics just to shop from them so we will get familiar and I can ask them for a second opinion if needed. (I really like the vets at this one clinic though. Three guys. Nice, funny people.)

My legs are never rested during sleep. They are locked in by Hima. Yet if she doesn't sleep with me one night, I want her back in bed.

I'm 34 and I will attend a university's veterinary program if I can by next September. It's mostly laboratory stuff and I can study at home and just go there for the finals.

But like you said, none feels like sacrifice. Okay except for the redecoration. I do miss having a proper open shelf of nail polishes.

 

[Jem]

I have lost my privacy from people on the street. This new crew of kitties like to play with each other with one on one side the curtains or sheers and one on the other. I have already had two sets of sheers completely ruined, so now, my front picture window is wide open, which is the main living room. During the day isn't so bad but at night, and especially in winter when the sun goes down so early, I feel like I'm in a fish bowl to everyone who walks and drives by. No more naked parties for me!!!

 

[SpecterOhPossum]

Oh, this is easy.
my entire bedroom
and any once of privacy or space for myself!

 

[pearl99]

Furniture and rugs.
When I had no pets I bought 3 braided wool rugs. Oh do my cats love to scratch on them. And, I don't care now. I'm not going to buy other rugs for their scratching spots, I don't want to cover up my braided wool rugs because they are pretty. Seeing the fluffs scratched up reminds me of Fred, Tiger, Milkshake and my current 3.
The same with my upholstered furniture. It wasn't cheap and I've pinned on some fabric to cover the scratched spots, they go somewhere else. Nope don't care now.
It's a small thing to pay for all the joy, love, peace and happy they bring. For some reason they don't touch my faux suede recliner, but oh well if they do.
Would rather have my kitties than perfect furniture.

 

[PMousse]

I bought a rug for the living room solely because it provides more traction to my cat when he plays, as he used to slip and slide on the hardwood floor when he wants to stop.

My old bed was quite high, and as Ruckus ages, it's getting harder for him to climb onto my bed. So I bought a new, lower bed solely for him.

And generally, just resigning to the fact that cat hair is going to be everywhere is a pretty big concession I made.

 

[artiemom]

Sleep!! Cannot disturb a sleeping cat on my bed.

 

[pearl99]

I bought a rug for the living room solely because it provides more traction to my cat when he plays, as he used to slip and slide on the hardwood floor when he wants to stop.

My old bed was quite high, and as Ruckus ages, it's getting harder for him to climb onto my bed. So I bought a new, lower bed solely for him.

And generally, just resigning to the fact that cat hair is going to be everywhere is a pretty big concession I made.

Love the name "Ruckus!"

 

[glittercat]

I can't sleep when it's too light, but I leave the blackout blinds up now in my room and just have the light curtains drawn, as otherwise they clatter about trying to get under the blinds to see out the windows. Ditto lounge, got lovely expensive wooden slatted blinds that just stay up all the time. (they will be partially closed in the summer though as my place gets hot).

Using possible holiday/Woohoo money for a catio build.

Lie ins at weekends

Ending up in really weird positions sleeping, depending on where they are on the bed. Woke up almost on a diagonal the other night...

Replacing gas hob with induction hob (less chance of accidents while cooling down)