I believe (actually, I know) that cats love us differently. This is born out of observation over may years. No matter how much we love our cat, and no matter how good we are at cat caretaking, we should accept that the human concept of “love” is not something that the domestic cat understands.
Cats will never totally reciprocate your “love” for them because cats don’t understand the meaning of the human word “love” together with all the connotations that it brings to a relationship. We must accept this and be happy with it. To do so is one element of a successful relationship with a domestic cat.
For some people, these might be harsh words, but they are realistic words. Humans are rather desperate animals. We need associations and support. We struggle. It doesn’t matter how “successful” a person is. Everyone has a demon to contend with. Cats are basically solitary animals and have evolved as domestic animals to like friendship but human “love” is not in the equation. I believe that cats are emotionally stronger than humans. A cat will “love” you but it will be in their, far more practical, way.
No one has discussed this before. Cats are less sentimental and more realistic. The cat lives more in the present. Life is more immediate for a cat. Living in the present and not asking questions creates strength. Cats are more resilient than people. The human’s arrogance should not allow people to deny that.
People who care for cats should respect the cat, which means recognizing the domestic cat as a cat not as another family member or a “person” — anthropomorphizing a cat. For cat haters, and people who like to criticize cat lovers, anthropomorphizing a cat is a weakness that they latch on to. You often see this.
Cat lovers should continue to love their cats but they should make sure that they see them as cats. The cat can be a substitute for a person as long as the cat does not stand in shoes of the person.
Quite true, cats are cats they’re not mini humans in fur coats, it’s the arrogance of humans again that convince themselves that cats would even remotely desire to be a human rather than cats. Our cats, along with the cats of other POC’ers and millions of other cats hopefully, have a good life with no responsibilities. Cats never have to make or keep promises, never have to feel guilty, have totally clear consciences no matter what, sleep when they want, play when they want, receive love and adoration, food and sometimes even squirty cream on demand. Why would a cat want to be a human?
Right. No cat would enjoy being a human.
There are days, though, when I would love to be a cat – carefree, cuddled, cared for. Heck, I’d be happy with even an hour.
lol
Were you celebrating something or just treating yourself?
A birthday. Not mine. Champagne is very easy to drink! I can vouch for that. Larry Hagman (JR in Dallas) drank 4 bottles every day when filming the television series 😉
Yes exactly Michael! Cats are cats, they are not people, they don’t want to be people and shouldn’t be treated as people.
They should be accepted and respected as much as any other family member because they are members of the family, but in a different form to the human members.
They can’t act like humans, why should they, you might as well say we should act like cats!
They do love us but in a different way to how we love them, if we upset them and they lash out then it’s our fault, not theirs, because we should respect them as cats.
I have unconditional love for our cats and so should everyone.
Ruth, thanks. I had drunk too much champagne when I wrote this. Then I published it twice so had to delete the second one 😉 Phew. Mortified.