What Got You "going" In Cats?

[1 bruce 1]

It's interesting how many people so far have been raised around cats and it came "naturally" yet some weren't but it happened anyway. Really cool =)
I just remember seeing litters of sickly, sad, unhealthy looking kittens that needed their eyes wiped and their butts wiped and bottle fed and having one of my parents stubbornly insisting that SOMEONE needed to take care of them...so we did.
All kittens are cute, but kittens that have matted eyes, pot bellies, urine scalding and poo stuck to their rear ends maybe aren't as cute as the fluffy, well taken care of guys. But I also remember these matted, pot bellied pee-scalded ones grew into really gorgeous cats.
I also think part of it is my own stubbornness and defiance when dog people talk about cats like they're "self sufficient" wild animals or (worse), vermin. You can't believe how many dog people (serious dog folks, not pet owners) that spend 5 digits a year on their dogs sneer if I have mentioned spending over 1K to save a sick cat. It's ridiculous.
I guess, in a way, my kitty-love thing started when I was a newborn, grew because they needed me to grow, and blew up as a middle finger to cat-haters or those who treat them like they aren't "as good" as dogs.

 

[Furballsmom]

I still have that damn bucket.

Yeah.

For anyone who doesn't know, 1CatOverTheLine has, rather than one or two, ummmm - is it 11 of the feline variety LOL, well, ok, maybe not quite ...

My family had barn cats and kittens from the start. I remember helping the little squirts learn how to drink.
The one who really did it, though, was an AWESOME purebred male Meezer (Siamese) who was utterly convinced he owned and ruled the world and everything in it, and everything existed for his entertainment and wellbeing.
He was right, of course.
I miss you, baby dude

 

[Blakeney Green]

We always had cats when I was growing up.

What got me into cats as an adult was getting a kitten (Zephyr) when I was in college.

 

[Gizmobius]

I've only had 4 cats in my lifetime and the first one came when I was 3 years old, so I guess I grew up with a cat always being around. Although I'd always been a dog person, at least I thought I was, because my first cat was a sassy torti and I'll be honest in saying her and I did not get along! I was a kid and wanted to cuddle and play with the kitty and she sure didn't want any of my childlike attention!

I didn't really start settling into my cat lady personality until I adopted Willow when I was 20. She was already 4 years old, had been front declawed by her previous owner, and was an outdoor cat (which was something I wanted to change but I lived with my parents and her constant screaming to go back outside was something they wouldn't tolerate!) She ruled the neighborhood until the last two years of her life when I did finally transition her to being indoor only. I didn't know even half as much as I do now about cat nutrition so Willow ate dry, canned, whatever she caught, whatever was on my plate, whatever she wanted, and yes she maybe was slightly kind of a chubbo.

Anywho, it was my current boy Gizmo that I adopted at 28 in December 2017 that turned me into a hardcore cat knowledge bank. He had digestive issues that I absolutely wanted to remedy and figure out and now I'm a certified cat lover who just wants all the cats, give them to me. I've only ever had one dog, she was our family dog and she was the best dog and I don't want another in my lifetime. I adore them but cats are just much more complementary to my own personality.

 

[Candybee]

I came across my first cat in a roundabout sort of way. I was 5 yrs old and more than anything wanted one of Lassie's puppies they were giving away in a "name Lassie's puppies" contest. Yes, the real Lassie from TV fame.

My parents consoled me as best they could when I didn't win one of Lassie's puppies with my name "Sugar". So mom told me she would take me to the local animal shelter and I could pick out a pet there.

So we get to the shelter and right away I see a cute white poodle I want. But there was a bidding war going on for the same poodle and someone else bought him for $50. When I was 5 in the 50's that was a lot of money back then. Mom said she was sorry but couldn't I try and find another pet?

So I went from cage to cage looking over all the animals and not really getting warmed up to any of them. Then, it happened... I walk by this cage and there is the most stunningly gorgeous blue eyed creature I had ever seen. I was totally mesmorized by its blue eyes, sleek slim build, black, brown, and cream color. It was a seal point siamese. Its beauty just blew me away.

So I turned to my mom and pointed to the cat and said "I want that cat!" I had to wait a few days while he got his shots and wellness checkup. I was going nuts waiting. But I finally got him and just in time for him to be my Christmas present! I named him King and loved him utterly and adoringly.

The rest is history. I was chosen by my first cat at the tender age of 5 and I have been a dutiful loving cat person ever since!

 

[Kieka]

We had a cat when I was born, then didn't have a cat for five years, and have had cats since. I guess I was born into it, although my brother was too and he isn't a cat person (or a dog person). I know someone who was very much a dog person, and big dogs. But after her dog passed away her husband said with their schedules and space it might be better to get a cat. She was against the idea and it took him a good six months to get her to agree. She got two kittens and they have convinced her that cats are good pets too. She's still a fan of dogs and would love to get a dog again; but she loves her cats and now sees them as individual personalities.

 

[muffy]

I only had 1 cat growing up and he died quite young. I had dogs all of my life and they were my true love. I never liked cats until my poodle died and I moved to another house swearing that I would never but never get another pet because it was so painful when they died.
When I got into my new house stray cats starting coming in my yard. I never heard of a feral cat. I can't stand to see anything go hungry so I brought some cat food and started feeding them. The following year I had 22 cats and 5 of them were pregnant. Anyway I ended up with 8 inside cats. I have to say that cats are now my favorite but I love dogs, too.

I don't have any pets now but I keep thinking maybe after I get a new set of knees maybe I might be able to get another cat. Maybe more.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Yeah.

For anyone who doesn't know, 1CatOverTheLine has, rather than one or two, ummmm - is it 11 of the feline variety LOL, well, ok, maybe not quite ...

My family had barn cats and kittens from the start. I remember helping the little squirts learn how to drink.
The one who really did it, though, was an AWESOME purebred male Meezer (Siamese) who was utterly convinced he owned and ruled the world and everything in it, and everything existed for his entertainment and wellbeing.
He was right, of course.
I miss you, baby dude

That bucket is still here and still has some straw in it, I don't know if it's the same straw or not, but the Mama cat that had these kittens disappeared at the age of 12 years 2 years ago. She was wild as can be but so cute, so round and so plush-coated that we all spent those 12 years wishing we could pick her up and smoosh her in our arms.
I look at my food hogs that bicker and chase each other and think "you and others were born in that tiny little bucket. That bucket is not big!" I think "can you believe it" and i can't!

Sometimes that one comes into our lives that changes stuff. I had dogs as a kid, but my special dog was the dog that was my "own" when I got old enough to be responsible, and the same thing was true with these kittens. When I was old enough to take charge of a litter of kittens, I did...but failed miserably when I over-handled kittens that were to be barn cats, and they greeted people/dogs (coyotes) and horses (cars?) like old friends. They had NO fear of cars and NO fear of dogs of any size. They became house cats!

 

[Furballsmom]

They had NO fear of cars and NO fear of dogs of any size. They became house cats!

Love, love and love

 

[1 bruce 1]

Love, love and love

That litter is, and always will be, so special. Plain as can be looking cats, boring perhaps, nothing special and nothing exotic but damned if I didn't fall in love the moment they hit the earth.
One of the kittens died in a horrible accident that will haunt me until the day I die, because it would have been preventable had I used my brain and common sense. I didn't and this kitten died because of my negligence...maybe that did it for me, and was why I become so over-bearing and protective of them. Now, if anyone says a bad word about my cats I turn into a rabid tiger that will **** you up! I don't know if I should be proud of that or not, LOL, but sheesh...walk a mile in my shoes and all that stuff.

One day (remember I was barely an adult!), I went into the barn and turned the horses loose into their paddocks (dirt) and other livestock to pasture (grass that reached my knees and spans a large, large area.) I brought out food 4 times daily for these little guys and that day, AFTER I turned livestock loose to run and barrel around with those hooves and heavy bodies and speed that can't be stopped on a dime, I realized a kitten was missing. I called and called, usually he came whenever I arrived or would arrive when I'd call and I saw no sign of him. I spent an extra hour dinking around in the barn, hoping he'd show up and he did not. I walked the grassy pastures and didn't see him but feared for him. I went home and cried because I was sure he had been in the pasture, a tiny little 3 month old, and crushed by hooves but later that very day I got a call from a barn friend telling me she saw ALL the kittens hanging around the food bowl. Can you believe it? I was so happy. I freaked out, lost my nerve, brought them inside and they retired in style.

 

[Furballsmom]

That is such a great ending to the story!!

 

[1 bruce 1]

That is such a great ending to the story!!

Thanks =) I have had such a love for this litter, and I've loved every little kitten and little cat that has passed through my hands (some have stayed, and others have gone onto "bigger and better" things) that I feel they taught me a lot =)
All these kittens from this small litter did stay with us because of my own stubbornness/defiance.

 

[1 bruce 1]

I came across my first cat in a roundabout sort of way. I was 5 yrs old and more than anything wanted one of Lassie's puppies they were giving away in a "name Lassie's puppies" contest. Yes, the real Lassie from TV fame.

My parents consoled me as best they could when I didn't win one of Lassie's puppies with my name "Sugar". So mom told me she would take me to the local animal shelter and I could pick out a pet there.

So we get to the shelter and right away I see a cute white poodle I want. But there was a bidding war going on for the same poodle and someone else bought him for $50. When I was 5 in the 50's that was a lot of money back then. Mom said she was sorry but couldn't I try and find another pet?

So I went from cage to cage looking over all the animals and not really getting warmed up to any of them. Then, it happened... I walk by this cage and there is the most stunningly gorgeous blue eyed creature I had ever seen. I was totally mesmorized by its blue eyes, sleek slim build, black, brown, and cream color. It was a seal point siamese. Its beauty just blew me away.

So I turned to my mom and pointed to the cat and said "I want that cat!" I had to wait a few days while he got his shots and wellness checkup. I was going nuts waiting. But I finally got him and just in time for him to be my Christmas present! I named him King and loved him utterly and adoringly.

The rest is history. I was chosen by my first cat at the tender age of 5 and I have been a dutiful loving cat person ever since!

I have such a memory of my "first kitten"... a surprise given to my siblings and I at day care, of all places! I was less stupid as a child as I am as an adult and knew the "time" I was to be picked up from my pre-K day care, and I can still see my parent in question driving in, parking their car, and walking up the steps of that day care cradling a tiny 8 week old kitten. I am pretty sure I yelled "KITTEN" or "CAT!" or "OMG BABY ANIMAL" or something because I saw that parent coming up the walk with a tiny kitten in tow. I didn't realize it then but our daycare providers were outstanding in their hours and would wait for parents working late, and when our parent walked into that day care with a baby kitten it was like all hell broke loose with us kids. Put a bunch of 3-4 years olds in the same room as a baby kitten and watch the cooing, cuddling, and and childlike "" take place. I still remember one of my older "take charge" siblings arranging us kids into a circle and telling us NOT to to overwhelm this kitten. This was so many decades ago...

 

[engine4154]

Not the best picture but this was where our first cat came from when I was around 5 or 6. My dad worked in the steel mill here and found her there. 'Mutley' was a black and white girl. Pretty sure she was pregnant when he found her and she soon had kittens. For reasons I never figured out or asked about, we wound up keeping one of the kittens, then re-homing Mutley. The kitten was my first cat. Gus lived to be in her 20s. She had many companions over her life as me and my sister were always bringing new cats home. Thanks, dad! lol

 

[MonaLyssa33]

I have always loved animals and there was probably less than a year total where my family didn't have some sort of animal in our house. I considered myself a dog person until I was 14 years old and my parents let my sister and me get a pair of kittens from my aunt and uncle's farm. My kitten was Willow and she changed my life in so many ways and made me a cat lady. She was even in my senior yearbook photo. I did absolutely everything I could to make sure she was well taken care of. There were several periods of my life where I was severely depressed and unemployed, but she kept me going. Despite being flat broke through most of my 20s, Willie always had good food and vet care. One of my biggest fears was losing her and then not being able to survive it and I truly believe she knew that I needed her. I had to put her to sleep in August of 2017 when she was 17 years old and I was heartbroken and I still miss her like crazy, but her death didn't destroy me like I thought it would. At that point in my life I was in year two of having my depression in remission and was in a better place to handle the grief. I feel Willie really wanted to make sure I would be okay before she died and that is one reason she lived a long life. Willie made me a cat lady because our bond was so strong and I was completely devoted to her like she was to me.

This was her sometime around April 2011.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

I have always loved animals and there was probably less than a year total where my family didn't have some sort of animal in our house. I considered myself a dog person until I was 14 years old and my parents let my sister and me get a pair of kittens from my aunt and uncle's farm. My kitten was Willow and she changed my life in so many ways and made me a cat lady. She was even in my senior yearbook photo. I did absolutely everything I could to make sure she was well taken care of. There were several periods of my life where I was severely depressed and unemployed, but she kept me going. Despite being flat broke through most of my 20s, Willie always had good food and vet care. One of my biggest fears was losing her and then not being able to survive it and I truly believe she knew that I needed her. I had to put her to sleep in August of 2017 when she was 17 years old and I was heartbroken and I still miss her like crazy, but her death didn't destroy me like I thought it would. At that point in my life I was in year two of having my depression in remission and was in a better place to handle the grief. I feel Willie really wanted to make sure I would be okay before she died and that is one reason she lived a long life. Willie made me a cat lady because our bond was so strong and I was completely devoted to her like she was to me.

This was her sometime around April 2011.
View attachment 227341

MonaLyssa33 - Willie was absolutely stunning; oh what a beautiful girl.
.

 

[1 bruce 1]

I came across my first cat in a roundabout sort of way. I was 5 yrs old and more than anything wanted one of Lassie's puppies they were giving away in a "name Lassie's puppies" contest. Yes, the real Lassie from TV fame.

My parents consoled me as best they could when I didn't win one of Lassie's puppies with my name "Sugar". So mom told me she would take me to the local animal shelter and I could pick out a pet there.

So we get to the shelter and right away I see a cute white poodle I want. But there was a bidding war going on for the same poodle and someone else bought him for $50. When I was 5 in the 50's that was a lot of money back then. Mom said she was sorry but couldn't I try and find another pet?

So I went from cage to cage looking over all the animals and not really getting warmed up to any of them. Then, it happened... I walk by this cage and there is the most stunningly gorgeous blue eyed creature I had ever seen. I was totally mesmorized by its blue eyes, sleek slim build, black, brown, and cream color. It was a seal point siamese. Its beauty just blew me away.

So I turned to my mom and pointed to the cat and said "I want that cat!" I had to wait a few days while he got his shots and wellness checkup. I was going nuts waiting. But I finally got him and just in time for him to be my Christmas present! I named him King and loved him utterly and adoringly.

The rest is history. I was chosen by my first cat at the tender age of 5 and I have been a dutiful loving cat person ever since!

That is ridiculously cool. I had no idea a "Name Lassie's puppies" contest was a thing!

 

[1 bruce 1]

I have always loved animals and there was probably less than a year total where my family didn't have some sort of animal in our house. I considered myself a dog person until I was 14 years old and my parents let my sister and me get a pair of kittens from my aunt and uncle's farm. My kitten was Willow and she changed my life in so many ways and made me a cat lady. She was even in my senior yearbook photo. I did absolutely everything I could to make sure she was well taken care of. There were several periods of my life where I was severely depressed and unemployed, but she kept me going. Despite being flat broke through most of my 20s, Willie always had good food and vet care. One of my biggest fears was losing her and then not being able to survive it and I truly believe she knew that I needed her. I had to put her to sleep in August of 2017 when she was 17 years old and I was heartbroken and I still miss her like crazy, but her death didn't destroy me like I thought it would. At that point in my life I was in year two of having my depression in remission and was in a better place to handle the grief. I feel Willie really wanted to make sure I would be okay before she died and that is one reason she lived a long life. Willie made me a cat lady because our bond was so strong and I was completely devoted to her like she was to me.

This was her sometime around April 2011.
View attachment 227341

Gahh I had similar experiences....the kitten my parents walked up to the daycare I was enrolled in when I was a wee thing and having to be the adult and have her PTS in my early 20's....
One of my cats was in my senior yearbook, too...a gorgeous Himalayan/Ragdoll knock off that was born under our porch and the product of a random genetic mix up, as her mother looked nothing like the exotic thing she grew up to be. She was gorgeous.

....I'm kind of glad I wasn't the only one who had a kitty in my senior pictures.
I also have a cat named Willy (or, "Will" as he responds to) and he's a guy full of empathy. LOVES kids of all ages and follows them around and adores them with a gaze and a soft non-clawed paw on their foot/leg to say "hi. I love you. Did you know that???
With that said...
He's a total ***hole when I bring out a can opener, or open the fridge, because he LOVES food. And on food thaw/prep/portion day I have to lock him away because he'll claw my legs, drag any towels dangling from the cabinets to the floor, and if I move too slowly he'll "hit me" with his feet, which is funny but OW.

 

[PMousse]

My story is quite different in that I didn't have any pets growing up because my family aren't big on pets. In addition, I always considered myself more of a dog person, mostly because I saw dogs as house pets more often than cats, and didn't have any family or friends who owned cats.

But I'm a big animal lover: I used to go to the zoo almost every weekend when I was little, and whenever my mom took me grocery shopping to the local outdoor farmer's market, I'd feed the working horses while she shopped. I felt a special connection with those horses, and felt I was keeping them company while all the adults were too busy to love them.

I always knew I'd be a pet owner someday, but always thought it was gonna be dogs. Then I started fostering cats for the local shelter after having fostered a few dogs for them, simply because there were always more cats in need of foster than dogs. Selfishly, I also viewed this as test runs to learn what it's like to be a pet owner.

My second foster was a four-months-old kitty whose name appeared in a long email with quite a number of other kittens in need of foster homes. Most of them were taken by the time I replied to that email, probably because they didn't have any special medical needs. This kitty, however, had a congenital condition and wore a splint and had to be kept in a dog crate for more than a month. Despite being confined almost 24/7, she was a bundle of energy, spirit and amusement. I felt so bad for her that the first thing I'd do after coming home each day was to sit beside her crate and open the door to pet her. She would jump into my lap eagerly and let me pet her for a long time, while purring loudly. That quickly became both our favourite thing to do, and as she crawled into my lap, she crawled into my heart.

Her name is Ashton and she is mine now.

 

[mani]

When I was about eight the next door neighbours were drowning kittens (there's no emoji that does that justice.. it was just horrific). I found out, went over and grabbed one.. I think it was the last one, but it was so long ago, and my brain might have just made that up because I couldn't save them all. I hid him at home for a few hours until finally my mother found me trying to find food for him and I had to own up. Of course she had to let me keep him.

He was a gorgeous grey tabby I called Fred, and his favourite place was on top of the hot water system. He and our corgi Jasper were very much at loggerheads at first, but became great mates. I loved him to pieces and cats became a part of my life.