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Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Do You Deserve Your Pet?


Sometimes I hear or read comments from pet owners that just floor me. “It’s just a cat”, “they don’t deserve any better than what I get”, or “I’m not going out of my way to help a dumb animal”. I can’t get over it, it makes me incredibly angry and it’s really difficult to hold my tongue sometimes. For the most part people I’m in contact with are very loving pet parents who would do anything for their fur children. But if you belong to any forums or know someone personally who’s ever said one of those phrases, I’m sure you’ve had your own choice words for them.

I can’t for the life of me, understand why people take pets into their homes and lives when they don’t seem to have any love for them, and they certainly don’t have any respect. Why is it such a luxury to give a household pet a good diet, good health care, and proper love and respect? Why don’t they deserve that just as much as we do? Personally I think their reasoning for having a pet says a lot about them as a human. Do they treat their spouses that way? Do they treat their human kids that way? I am an animal advocate and lover, period! I do not want to hear or read that anyone treats their pet horribly either by abuse or neglect. Amazing to me how some pet owners think neglecting their medical needs is perfectly okay, and not because of lack of money but because they think they don’t really need medical attention.

Some of the things that I read and hear from pet owners disgusts me to the point that I’ve broken off a few friendships because of it. Unfortunately when it’s a relative, we’re stuck with them but a couple of times recently I lit into a few people and told them I was “the absolute wrong person to be making remarks like that to.” When I made that announcement they knew I meant business by the daggers  shooting out of my eyes. Needless to say this past holiday season I quieted the dinner table very quickly at one point. Just yesterday I was in a sandwich shop ordering lunch and talking with a friend who works there. We were talking about our pets when I commented that I can’t have a Christmas tree because my cats would take it down. One of her co-workers chimed in immediately that I should just get rid of my cats. My immediate look of disgust surprised her as I stated as politely as I could that “my cats are my kids and something material like a Christmas tree was not nearly as important to me.” That shut her up.

In the same shop a very broad shouldered and large man making the subs spoke up about his tortoise and how much he loved him. This was perfect and reiterated what I’d just said. He too loved his pet more than anything and hearing that made up for the insult to my cats I’d heard right before that. You never truly know by the looks of someone how they feel about animals. Sometimes we’re repulsed by their comments and sometimes we’re very pleasantly surprised. I always love talking with other animal lovers and appreciate the love they have for all kinds of pets.

This blog entry is basically me venting as I’ve heard quite enough of this lately and I need to talk about it with others who understand my frustration. I can ask anyone if they deserve the love and devotion of their pets but I know for a fact my readers definitely do. I know your pets are all your kids as well and they are lucky to have you as I know you feel lucky to have them. Thanks for listening! 

12 comments:

Jules said...

Very well said, Lisa! I totally agree. NO ONE had better be unkind or in any way, shape, or form mistreat a kitty and let me hear about it. They are deserving of love much more than a lot of so-called humans are!

Tina said...

I was just saying the same thing today. About people not caring what kind of food they give to their pet. they will buy the cheapest food at the grocery store and say well my cat is just fine on this food. "its just a cat" they say. Grrr!!!!

IBDKitties said...

It's really aggravating isn't it? I know that those of us that love our babies to this extent, even ones that aren't our babies, find it all so impossible to deal with. Those attitudes are foreign to us.

Meezer's Mews & Terrieristical Woofs said...

Yup, I hear that kind of thing a lot...makes me angry and sad, too.
I have convinced my neighbors to give proper food to their new dog...score one! Now to get them to take their pup to classes or something, he does go to a vet, but they really treat their animals like possessions rather than family members...my husband & I were just saying what on earth do they have 'pets' for, they don't even know how to care for them...sigh...

They are on their third dog...in less than 2 years. Brother:(

Carol said...

Well said, Lisa! Been there and heard that comment too many times from people who ought to have known better, or at least, have known enough not to voice that opinion around me. Now let's see... if a child destroyed that Christmas tree...

Life is sacred--you just don't throw a life away and get another.

Eva said...

It's just a cat! GRRRRRRRRR
BTW I use firefox without any problems!

Anonymous said...

Bravo Lisa! I agree with you 100%. I hate it when people have pets and don't treat them with respect and I get very angry and very defensive when I hear comments like this. I have had no problems with voicing my very strong opinion of disgust with those people who feel pets are "just" pets. Are kids "just kids? NO! I am going to stop here because my rant may become just as long as your blog. LOL! Thanks for venting and allowing us to do the same.

Hugs~

IBDKitties said...

You all make great points and I'm glad I could give you all a place to speak up about this as well. I know you all love your furchildren more than anything in this world!

Timmy Tomcat said...

It really does reflect on the type of human being they are. Way back when I was on the merry-go-round a lady, I use the term in jest, I had been set up on a date with said something similar. I happened to have cat hair on my pants. Oh Horrors! I just got in my car waved bye through the still closed passenger door and drove off. I felt great going home to a night with my good fur friends. People can be such... Never mind
Pete (aka Timmys Pop)

IBDKitties said...

Pete that's so funny. Bet she didn't expect you to do that! yes, horrible cat hair! sheesh. Those of us that have pets probably breath it in most of the time and we don't even know it.

JadensMom said...

As a fellow cat mommy who views the sacrifice of a Christmas tree (which was a pain anyway, in all honesty) a small price to pay for the health and safety of my boy, I second this heartily! Jaden isn't "just a cat," he's a very important member of my family. His being here was ALWAYS a lifetime commitment, no matter what challenges we must face. I don't throw away friends or family, be they human or feline!

IBDKitties said...

Very well said Jadens Mom! Cats and all pets are more important than risking their safety and they are not something to just throw away when you can't do what you want.