A place to talk about and post pictures of cats
Owning an animal is a commitment which often requires money: food, toys, vet bills, etc. If you're worried about yourself surviving, getting a cat will only make things worse. Which is bad for you, but equally bad for the cat.
All is not lost however. You should volunteer at your local shelter. They literally need people to just sit and pet cats. It would also give you an opportunity to learn their body language so you understand them better.
That is great advice. A thing to do, and progress to reach for. Thank you. I will not make the decision to get a cat a hasty one, for all our sakes.
There are actually two very good behavioral books by the same author:
The Hidden Life of Dogs
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/elizabeth-marshall-thomas/the-hidden-life-of-dogs/
The Tribe of Tiger
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/elizabeth-marshall-thomas/the-hidden-life-of-dogs/
I've had many cats over the years and no two have been the same.
There was the "Evil Psycho Flying Cat" who was a little murder machine. Going after anything that got in the house on legs or wings, turning her attention to ankles when she got bored:
Whisper, who would howl and howl if he didn't get what he wanted, then whisper "meow" in front of people like "Yeah, man, I don't know who was making that noise, clearly it was not me..."
He also demanded his time outside and would express his displeasure by shitting in the bathroom sink if he didn't get enough of it.
Poor Max was terrified of doorways. He couldn't just walk into a room, he would literally hurl himself over the threshold like "floor is lava!"
Things to know:
That internet thing about boxes? Totally true. Want a happy cat? Put out a box.
Cats are obligate carnivores, they HAVE to eat meat, but they will also be DESPERATELY interested in whatever you're eating. Clearly it's better if you have it and they are not subtle about stealing food.
As they get older, they sleep A LOT:
Your descriptions and pics made my day. 😁
I'm curious what the dish is that was cooked in the banana leaves. First I thought it was a sweet sticky rice with toasted coconut topping, but when I zoomed in it looked like eggplant?
Crazy!! My husband and I have made that dish a couple of times and exactly because we saw the movie and the video by Robert Rodriguez. Good stuff!
Edit: I just showed the pic to my husband and he immediately said "puerco pibil?" 👊🏽
I can't help you with your animal fear, but I'll give you a higher priority reason to avoid a cat for now.
I'll give what will probably be an unpopular opinion; cats (and pets in general for that matter) are a luxury... item. I have 3 of them, and I would never recommend one to a person who is struggling financially and/or has lost their job. Their food and vet bills are not cheap, and even a cat that seems perfectly fine can suddenly have an issue that requires an expensive vet visit. As they age, they will inevitably have health issues, which not only adds more expense, but increases the rate at which expenses accumulate. They can also damage things and ruin things, which adds further expense.
All of this is fine, if you can afford it. However I don't think very many people actually sit down and work out the numbers. On top of food, litter, and equipment costs, IMO people should be saving ~$70/a month for the first 5 years, then maybe half that after that if you didn't have to use any of it, to be prepared for big vet events. It sucks not being able to afford the care your pet needs.
Further, I have found that having multiple cats does not decrease the amount of expense per cat due to expected efficiencies from overlap. There are subtle things that accumulate like cleaning expenses and drain on your time and greater resources. I wish I only had one cat, honestly.
People say you can't put a price on them because of their cuteness and company and what have you. But believe me, you can if your cat(s) turn out to be absolute dicks, but nobody talks about that either, IMO because of some kind of Stockholm syndrome, sunk cost combo. People generally gloss over the shitty parts of pet ownership.
Don't do it. Be well-off first. Your GF's sister is probably finding this out.
We've done it, everybody! We've got an actual Cat Facts subscriber!
Many cats are demonstrative. Meowing + running off = "follow me!" Meowing + food bowl = "feed me!" Meowing + walking up to you = "pet me!"
In your current situation, it would probably not be a great idea to have a cat dependent on you. As someone else said, you can try volunteering at a shelter (if there is one) or feed street cats (if there isn't one).
As for how they think, cats love food, and most like being petted. However, they are very shy animals, so unless you want to get scratched, it is better to let the cat come to you. Feeding them, sitting still, not speaking loudly, and slowly blinking at them can calm them down.
The majority of cats like to be gently stroked on the sides of the face and the neck, and do not like being touched on their bellies, feet or tails (unless they've known you for a while).
If you are the only person feeding the cat, make sure to include some meat or fish. Adult cats should not be given milk, chocolates, spices or too much salt.
“Cats are instinctual.” Eh? Yeah? 9 lives and very soft? Ehhhhh?