First off I should say that they're lucky in some ways, because if they're in PetSmart that means they're up for adoption and hopefully someone will give them a home soon. Also, I have to give my local PetSmart credit -- not only do they run a better store than my local PetCo, but the cat area is always clean, the cats always have toys, food and water, and the store is very active in working with local rescue groups to get pets adopted. The individual cat sections are pretty roomy as far as those things go, and during the warmer months the have adoption days at least once or twice a month, so credit to them.
But the reason I'm making this thread is that, when I was checking out at PetSmart, the cashier girl asked me about my cat, so I pulled out my iPhone and showed her some photos. In between "Awww" and "He's so cute!" I told her what a brat he can be, then jokingly asked her if I could put him in one of their in-store cages for a week and bring a stray home.
Kind of like Mel Brooks in that old movie "Life Stinks" where he's a millionaire who completely changes his attitude after living a week on the streets as a homeless man.
Don't get me wrong, I love Bud. I love him so much. He's an awesome, friendly little guy and I wouldn't trade him for the world.
But trade him for one week, so he realizes how lucky he is? Sure! I'm half-joking here, but Bud has known nothing but love and warmth. He was with his mom and littermates, then I adopted him, and since I work from home 90% of the time, Bud gets all the attention and play time he wants. He literally sleeps on top of me at night, he gets expensive, high-quality food, and he has more toys than some kids do.
Sometimes that manifests as extreme brattiness, and sometimes I wish I could bring him to a shelter one day, walk him through, and say, "See? THIS is what other cats have to deal with. You have no idea how lucky you are..."
Is that crazy?
But the reason I'm making this thread is that, when I was checking out at PetSmart, the cashier girl asked me about my cat, so I pulled out my iPhone and showed her some photos. In between "Awww" and "He's so cute!" I told her what a brat he can be, then jokingly asked her if I could put him in one of their in-store cages for a week and bring a stray home.
Kind of like Mel Brooks in that old movie "Life Stinks" where he's a millionaire who completely changes his attitude after living a week on the streets as a homeless man.
Don't get me wrong, I love Bud. I love him so much. He's an awesome, friendly little guy and I wouldn't trade him for the world.
But trade him for one week, so he realizes how lucky he is? Sure! I'm half-joking here, but Bud has known nothing but love and warmth. He was with his mom and littermates, then I adopted him, and since I work from home 90% of the time, Bud gets all the attention and play time he wants. He literally sleeps on top of me at night, he gets expensive, high-quality food, and he has more toys than some kids do.
Sometimes that manifests as extreme brattiness, and sometimes I wish I could bring him to a shelter one day, walk him through, and say, "See? THIS is what other cats have to deal with. You have no idea how lucky you are..."
Is that crazy?