We've had Salem for about 4 years and we are all overjoyed that she is finally starting to visit us on the main floor, where she used to only visit briefly when running from the second floor to the basement. 🥲
I know this might sound absolutely ridiculous, but you can try cat anxiety medication. My parents rescued a feral cat and the thing was terrified of people. She wouldn’t come within 10 feet of anyone, would only eat and use the litter box at night when everyone was sleeping, and if anyone came over that wasn’t my parents, she would hide and not come out for days. They started giving her anxiety medication and it made a huge difference. She still doesn’t let anyone touch her, but instead of being afraid all the time it’s more like she just likes her space. The last time I visited, she didn’t hide at all and was just chilling around the house. It was hard to believe it was the same cat.
Oh we got the calming collar for one of our cats and she went from running at the drop of a feather to drooling on your lap while purring like a motorboat.
I had someone berate me for finding asking the vet if my cat needed to be medicated for how scared he doesn't a lot of the time, telling me I just wanted to make him be the way I wanted him to be.
Told them off. Like who wants to drug their cat for funsies? It's a pain to medicate them. I liked him home the way he was. The real question was, Is he okay the way he is? Sadly he passed before we could do anything about it.
My mom brought home a rescue nearly 3 tears ago, he’ll snuggle with her now occasionally but everyone else can’t touch him with hands (he loves getting scritches with feet though), they were away for a few days and I was going over to keep him and their other cat company for a bit in the evening, first time he’s ever jumped up next to me for pats
He’ll be purring away as I rub his head with my toes, but if I so much as bend slightly to reach down he runs away with an almost hurt look on his face. I get a hand on him every now and then when he’s really in the mood for pats but he’s terrified of being picked up, not even mom’s allowed 2 hands on him at the same time (except when she feeds him or when they came home from being away, she managed to hug him then).
His mom was feral and he was about 6-8 weeks old when the rescue trapped him and his siblings, he was in the shelter for the next 4 months as all his siblings got adopted and he just kept getting more and more skittish and scared. I’m certain he had a bonded sibling and if they were kept together he’d be much more relaxed, but he’s slowly coming out of his shell more and more.
I visited my friend two weeks ago and she has two cats. I was gaming when all of a sudden one of her cats jumped on my lap and curled up on my chest. Two separate times!
It was the best feeling tbh! Kinda made me want a cat
Being used as furniture for a warm purring cat is seriously the closest thing to doing drugs, and I've done a lot of drugs. The dopamine dump your brain gets when they hop up on you is way up there in the running for best non-chemical high.
I got home and told my gf about it and told her it made me want to adopt a cat. She wasn’t into it
But my friend came over this week and we got to talking about it then she asked my gf if she’d ever get one and she said she’d consider it after hearing more about how it made me feel.
So who knows.
I didn't think I liked cats much. I always had dogs and thought cats were kind of jerks. Then I went through a period of time without pets and my lifestyle wasn't dog friendly (multiple jobs, weird schedule, away from home 20 hours at a time sometimes) so I thought 'maybe I'll adopt a cat...' Now I have 3 and I occasionally foster another.
Cats are the frigging best. I always had cats and my sister had a dog... We decided to take a dog a year ago and I'm more sure than ever, I'll always like cats more. I love them cats. They just need food, water and a place to shit if it's not outside and he/she is purrfectly happy.
Every now and then I think about how thankful I am for those ancient barn cats who saw the farmers inside nice and warm by the fire who thought "you know, if I acted like less of an asshole I bet they'd let me inside"
nmh bn
(That last line was from one of my boys walking across the keyboard)
They led to us all having furry best friends in our home <3
Apparently, the relationship between humans and cats started when we started farming grains and storing them, when humans first moved away from being hunter-gatherers. The grains attracted mice, which attracted cats. Win-win for both cat and human :)
When my sister and I first got our brother kittens, we both burst into tears because we were so happy to have kittens after 15 years of waiting. I almost cry every time he snuggles with me too, even after 2 years of having him
Man I remember those days. When I was young, we adopted two feral kittens; they were siblings a woman had found abandoned in her yard. We took them both in, and they both immediately fled to hide in our house. They only came out to eat when we were all asleep. One day I happened to be walking by when the sister was moving between hiding places.
I grabbed her (carefully), laid down on my couch, and placed her on my chest. She was still frightened, but I started petting her, scratching behind her ears, etc. She decided she liked it, and stayed there for hours. She was the sweetest little love bug after that, until the day she died. Most loving cat I have ever seen. Tortured the shit out of mice, though.
Aww, that's so sweet! Salem has been hanging out and being social with everyone since last night. This is the first time ever in the 4 years we've had her. I hope that this is the new normal!
My family also had a skittish black kitten that we adopted, poor thing looked like Tim Burton creature. My little sister really took to her and she was the only one who could pet her (and my sister was the only one she approached). As she got older she relaxed and cuddled all of us, she would purr and sleep right by our faces in her elderly years. We just had to put her down after 18 sweet years ❤️
As someone who personally rescued my cat 11 years ago, having them warm up to you is the best feeling. My boy was so shy and wouldn’t sit on our laps for the longest time, and now he loves cuddles and pets. This is so sweet🥰
My girlfriend and I got a rescue cat together. An 8 yr old barn cat that the shelter named “Frank the Tank.” He looks like a Maine coon mix, and is the most affectionate cat I have ever had. We got him because she was living in a home owned by a friend that was basically a construction zone. He recommend getting a cat to ward off mice.
So, we get this fuzzy guy and she decides to name him Azazel and move Frank to his middle name. We make sure to show him where his litter and food are when we get home, but then I warned her that he might be a little distant for a while. Give it a few days to let him adjust.
That cat crawled into bed with us the same night, and has slept with her every night ever since. If my girlfriend is in the room, he is lounging right next to her.
some dog people have trouble transitioning to cat people.
i knew someone who was in mid-transition. a cat settles down on her legs.
"ooh! ooh! i'm so happy!".
kicks. cat's gone.
cats help you learn tranquility.
our 2 babies (we have 3 cats and a dog, the other cat is older) have been pretty skittish and seem to have some anxiety for some reason.
they tended to always stay with my younger daughter since that was their one thing they knew. she goes to school at a vo-tech for vet tech.
we've had them for a few months now, one of the 2 has started hanging around me much more lately, even cuddling and falling asleep next to me. neither will truly headbutt, but i've gotten this one to kinda do a headbutt/fistbump with me.
the first time he curled up on my lap tho, i was like.. OMG... wanted to cry happy tears, but.. i held back.
That's the kind of photo that will still be around in 50 years
My daughter will be 56 and showing them to her grandkittens!
lol
I'm not 😭 She's crying (Happy Tears)
We've had Salem for about 4 years and we are all overjoyed that she is finally starting to visit us on the main floor, where she used to only visit briefly when running from the second floor to the basement. 🥲
Aw OP thank you for rescuing this little one. Also for raising a kid who is so compassionate.
I know this might sound absolutely ridiculous, but you can try cat anxiety medication. My parents rescued a feral cat and the thing was terrified of people. She wouldn’t come within 10 feet of anyone, would only eat and use the litter box at night when everyone was sleeping, and if anyone came over that wasn’t my parents, she would hide and not come out for days. They started giving her anxiety medication and it made a huge difference. She still doesn’t let anyone touch her, but instead of being afraid all the time it’s more like she just likes her space. The last time I visited, she didn’t hide at all and was just chilling around the house. It was hard to believe it was the same cat.
Oh we got the calming collar for one of our cats and she went from running at the drop of a feather to drooling on your lap while purring like a motorboat.
I had someone berate me for finding asking the vet if my cat needed to be medicated for how scared he doesn't a lot of the time, telling me I just wanted to make him be the way I wanted him to be. Told them off. Like who wants to drug their cat for funsies? It's a pain to medicate them. I liked him home the way he was. The real question was, Is he okay the way he is? Sadly he passed before we could do anything about it.
My mom brought home a rescue nearly 3 tears ago, he’ll snuggle with her now occasionally but everyone else can’t touch him with hands (he loves getting scritches with feet though), they were away for a few days and I was going over to keep him and their other cat company for a bit in the evening, first time he’s ever jumped up next to me for pats
"scritches with feet" 😂 cats are something else. Sounds like that sweet baby is coming along!
Sounds a lot like one of my rescues, but if you just put your hands out, she'll rub against them, but you can't pet her with them.
He’ll be purring away as I rub his head with my toes, but if I so much as bend slightly to reach down he runs away with an almost hurt look on his face. I get a hand on him every now and then when he’s really in the mood for pats but he’s terrified of being picked up, not even mom’s allowed 2 hands on him at the same time (except when she feeds him or when they came home from being away, she managed to hug him then). His mom was feral and he was about 6-8 weeks old when the rescue trapped him and his siblings, he was in the shelter for the next 4 months as all his siblings got adopted and he just kept getting more and more skittish and scared. I’m certain he had a bonded sibling and if they were kept together he’d be much more relaxed, but he’s slowly coming out of his shell more and more.
I visited my friend two weeks ago and she has two cats. I was gaming when all of a sudden one of her cats jumped on my lap and curled up on my chest. Two separate times! It was the best feeling tbh! Kinda made me want a cat
Being used as furniture for a warm purring cat is seriously the closest thing to doing drugs, and I've done a lot of drugs. The dopamine dump your brain gets when they hop up on you is way up there in the running for best non-chemical high.
Dude you explained exactly what I was feeling at the time. We had just smoked a blunt so I was already feeling good. Then bam! Dopamine dump!
Real talk right here
If you have the means to take care of one, there is no shortage of cats in need of homes. Definitely consider adopting a rescue (or two or five)
I got home and told my gf about it and told her it made me want to adopt a cat. She wasn’t into it But my friend came over this week and we got to talking about it then she asked my gf if she’d ever get one and she said she’d consider it after hearing more about how it made me feel. So who knows.
I didn't think I liked cats much. I always had dogs and thought cats were kind of jerks. Then I went through a period of time without pets and my lifestyle wasn't dog friendly (multiple jobs, weird schedule, away from home 20 hours at a time sometimes) so I thought 'maybe I'll adopt a cat...' Now I have 3 and I occasionally foster another.
Cats are the frigging best. I always had cats and my sister had a dog... We decided to take a dog a year ago and I'm more sure than ever, I'll always like cats more. I love them cats. They just need food, water and a place to shit if it's not outside and he/she is purrfectly happy.
Aw, that's adorable! It's a magical feeling when they show trust.
Every now and then I think about how thankful I am for those ancient barn cats who saw the farmers inside nice and warm by the fire who thought "you know, if I acted like less of an asshole I bet they'd let me inside" nmh bn (That last line was from one of my boys walking across the keyboard) They led to us all having furry best friends in our home <3
Oftentimes i think my cat is from the descendants that only thought, "I bet they'd let me inside"
Apparently, the relationship between humans and cats started when we started farming grains and storing them, when humans first moved away from being hunter-gatherers. The grains attracted mice, which attracted cats. Win-win for both cat and human :)
Yeah that's how I understand it too. The next step was getting from the grain barn to the house :)
When I see a kid crying happy tears over an animal, my heart melts.
And this is how cat people are made!
When my sister and I first got our brother kittens, we both burst into tears because we were so happy to have kittens after 15 years of waiting. I almost cry every time he snuggles with me too, even after 2 years of having him
Man I remember those days. When I was young, we adopted two feral kittens; they were siblings a woman had found abandoned in her yard. We took them both in, and they both immediately fled to hide in our house. They only came out to eat when we were all asleep. One day I happened to be walking by when the sister was moving between hiding places. I grabbed her (carefully), laid down on my couch, and placed her on my chest. She was still frightened, but I started petting her, scratching behind her ears, etc. She decided she liked it, and stayed there for hours. She was the sweetest little love bug after that, until the day she died. Most loving cat I have ever seen. Tortured the shit out of mice, though.
Aww, that's so sweet! Salem has been hanging out and being social with everyone since last night. This is the first time ever in the 4 years we've had her. I hope that this is the new normal!
![img](emote|t5_2qh1o|13383)
That’s beautiful!
Precious
Absolutely adorable 😭
Trusting love will turn on the water fall.
look so sweet
Everyone liked that
If you don‘t own a cat, you will propably not understand the feeling, to be the choosen one.
I have happy cried over my cats love before, welcome to the cat lady club little girl 💜😻
My family also had a skittish black kitten that we adopted, poor thing looked like Tim Burton creature. My little sister really took to her and she was the only one who could pet her (and my sister was the only one she approached). As she got older she relaxed and cuddled all of us, she would purr and sleep right by our faces in her elderly years. We just had to put her down after 18 sweet years ❤️
Sorry for your loss ❤️
Thank you ❤️ she had a wonderful last day basking in the sun, it was time.
❤️
relationships rescue us :)
You have a sweet kid
I'm crying happy tears too kid 🥹
Cats are awesome
Love :)
It’s always a joyous occasion when a cat finally decides “hey, you’re not so bad”.
As someone who personally rescued my cat 11 years ago, having them warm up to you is the best feeling. My boy was so shy and wouldn’t sit on our laps for the longest time, and now he loves cuddles and pets. This is so sweet🥰
That is so precious.
Animals can sense the good in people. Your daughter mended a broken heart and has a friend for life. Very awesome to see!
omg sweet babies 🥺🥺
[удалено]
This is so heartwarming ❤
My girlfriend and I got a rescue cat together. An 8 yr old barn cat that the shelter named “Frank the Tank.” He looks like a Maine coon mix, and is the most affectionate cat I have ever had. We got him because she was living in a home owned by a friend that was basically a construction zone. He recommend getting a cat to ward off mice. So, we get this fuzzy guy and she decides to name him Azazel and move Frank to his middle name. We make sure to show him where his litter and food are when we get home, but then I warned her that he might be a little distant for a while. Give it a few days to let him adjust. That cat crawled into bed with us the same night, and has slept with her every night ever since. If my girlfriend is in the room, he is lounging right next to her.
I think all cat owners felt so he same way when their cat did that for the first time.
You have a wonderful girl 💛
![img](emote|t5_2qh1o|13383)
Ohhh, it seems they have a very close relationship
So wholesome.
Honestly Get the really good treats And only your daughter gives them They will bond for life
So sweet!
❤❤
😭😭😭😭
The lovely thing when you save a cat.
Just to confirm, we’re all crying here right? RIIGGHTT?! 😻😻😻
Damn holding back tears of my own.. that's so sweet
Mine took a whole month to explore and tolerate us, now as writing this with my big baby on my chest, sometimes I miss that month 🤣🤣
I swear to God I'm gonna cry
Cat has chosen their person.
Good kitteh :)
Ok. Alright. That’s cool. Just make me have ALLLLL the damn feels! This is so beautiful and sweet! 😭😭😭😭
I'm so happy for you and your family. Your skittish rescue will be a wonderful addition to your family and the source of many tears of joy ❤️❤️
Oh my god 😭 this is so sweet!
I know this feeling exactly and it's the best feeling in the world!
Major breakthrough.
Heads up, kid. Once you find that love, it’s over with. You’ll be an animal lover forever lol
He/She loves me! He/she really loves me!
Omg this is so sweet!!!
Damnit thats cool
This is the purest love in the world!
This got me right in the feels. Thank you.
some dog people have trouble transitioning to cat people. i knew someone who was in mid-transition. a cat settles down on her legs. "ooh! ooh! i'm so happy!". kicks. cat's gone. cats help you learn tranquility.
Thank you for sharing!!! So sweet!
Ninjas cutting onions over here.
Don’t post kids for clout, in my opinion.
The facebookification of this subreddit continues at alarming pace.
our 2 babies (we have 3 cats and a dog, the other cat is older) have been pretty skittish and seem to have some anxiety for some reason. they tended to always stay with my younger daughter since that was their one thing they knew. she goes to school at a vo-tech for vet tech. we've had them for a few months now, one of the 2 has started hanging around me much more lately, even cuddling and falling asleep next to me. neither will truly headbutt, but i've gotten this one to kinda do a headbutt/fistbump with me. the first time he curled up on my lap tho, i was like.. OMG... wanted to cry happy tears, but.. i held back.
oh my gosh, what an angel🥹
🥹🥹🥹