If You Could Make Your Pet Understand One Thing, What Would It Be?

For the first time, PITB is participating in Wordpress’s daily writing prompt!

Bloganuary writing prompt
If you could make your pet understand one thing, what would it be?
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If I could make my cat understand one thing, it’s that he is a chubby 11-lb house cat, NOT a hulking 600-lb tiger with “huge meowscles” who strikes fear into the hearts of every creature to walk the Earth.

Just kidding. I’m perfectly happy going along with his delusions.

The one thing I really would communicate is that we are buddies for life and I’ll never abandon him.

Buddy’s an awesome cat. He’s super friendly, curious, lively, intelligent and vocal. His antics are hilarious. He’s a good boy.

He also knows I love him. That much is abundantly clear.

Buddy the Handsome Cat
Buddy the Cat, pictured, says he’s “totally ripped” under his fur.

Unfortunately he suffers from separation anxiety, which has manifested in unfortunate ways, including a track record of attacking every person who has ever been kind enough to cat sit for him.

Aside from the fact that it’s getting more difficult to arrange care for him (his usual cat sitter now sneaks in, feeds him and gets out as fast as possible since he’s attacked her twice), it sucks to know that he suffers anxiety and sadness when I’m gone.

I see his accusatory stare when I start to pack a suitcase and set food aside for the sitter to give him. And I see his little act when I come home, the way he sniffs and feigns nonchalance. The act lasts a few minutes tops before he forgets he’s supposed to be mad at me. Then he glues himself to me for the next few days, never letting me out of sight for fear of losing me.

buddy_catpeople_edited

The truth is that I feel separation anxiety from my little pal when I’m away too, but I know precisely when I’m coming home. He doesn’t have that luxury.

So Buddy, if you ever learn to read, know that you aren’t going anywhere and neither am I. The only way we’ll be separated is if someone pries you from my cold, dead fingers.

And don’t let anyone tell you you’re not a fierce tiger!

Buddy
All photos credit: PITB/littlebuddythecat.com

24 thoughts on “If You Could Make Your Pet Understand One Thing, What Would It Be?”

  1. I think LB really does have powerful meowscles. How else to explain his amazing flexibility- isn’t it true that he can form a circle with his body, with his nose touching his tail?? Could you do that?? Well, then. And isn’t it also true that he can jump at least 6 feet into the air from a standing position?? Uh huh. Quite the strong and meowscular guy I’d say. The part about loving Little Buddy and never abandoning him is very good. But let’s get real about his meowscles. He’s definitely got them. Maybe not like Superman but so what? Please tell your Little Buddy he is beautiful and meowscular and everyone loves him and admires him.❤🤗

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    1. Well then, good news! I’ve been working on a picture of Bud as Superman…or should I say Supermeown? It’s not done yet but I will find a use for it in a post some time in the near future, I’m sure.

      When he pads up on my chest and starts purring, which is his signal that he wants me to rub his head, I do tell him he has his own website, and people all over the world love him. (Seriously, this site gets regular visits from places like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Germany, Norway and Brazil, among others, in addition to the main group from the US, UK, Australia, Canada and Japan.)

      So when I tell him that, he starts purring louder and he gets very happy. He may not understand (or maybe he does!? haha) but he knows it’s good news.

      I can’t let his ego get too big, though, otherwise he’ll try to take over the world again.

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  2. I love this and I too want Oreo to know he’s loved & cared for, for his forever, which isn’t going to be long enough for me. I wish I could talk to him about being this giant cool, nice & even kissy guy when he’s at the vet. That whole scene was & is our collective nightmare. He is evil there. Makes noises that I’ve never heard come out of a cat. He scares everyone & it’s a whole Jekyll and Hyde thing. We’ve tried drugs before I take him & he just snaps out of it once we’re there. It’s insane & so I only go if there is an emergency or if it’s a maintenance thing. He’s due & I’m horrified. I wish I could communicate that it’s okay, we’ll be out of there asap if you’ll just be the giant Oreo I know at home. I feel bad so I get Buddy’s anxiety. It’s sometimes beyond awful just to not be able to communicate our feelings to them. I feel helpless but I love him dearly so whatever has to be done I can only hope he’ll forgive me & know I truly mean well. 😭

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    1. Exactly, that’s why this was the first writing prompt from WordPress that I’ve participated in. It’s a good topic. If we could reassure our pets that they’re not going anywhere, we’re not going anywhere, and they will always have a home, it would alleviate their anxiety.

      I’m sorry to hear about Oreo and his transformation into the Hulk of cats during vet visits. Are there any vets who do in-home visits in your area? Actually that’s probably a good topic for a future post, talking to people who have used visiting vets and hearing their experiences.

      When I had to take Bud to the emergency vet, a cat came in screaming bloody murder about something. Bud was just laying there in a stupor and I tried to inject some levity by leaning in and whispering: “Don’t listen to a word that cat says. He’s obviously crazy.”

      I just saw an article about how a sizable percentage of cats do not have annual check-ups because going to the vet is such a big production and stress on them. I’ll see if I can find it again.

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      1. I would love to discuss that column for PITB with you. My veterinarian actually does housecalls & he came while Oreo’s dog sister was really at the end of her little life That was just pre pandemic in 2019. However, we were really just relieving her & not allowing for that anxiety that she dealt with & the insanity I was going through (Remember when Buddy was sick & that little room of bad news that had you 😭😭😭) & I was a mess. We were giving her quality of life not doing procedures. Oreo needs dental work & there’s no chance of doing things like that or most tests at home. I have heard of some vet’s that actually have portable x ray machines but quite often, because cats won’t be still some anesthesia is needed & for the most part for the safety of your furry buddy it’s hard if not impossible to do that at home. Somehow, if there was a way I’d have found it but let’s brainstorm here & see what everyone on the blog says because I’ve had way better behaved furry kids but there is no doubt they all experienced some awful angst that I couldn’t dismiss & it’s heartbreaking. I don’t think there’s anyone here who would not wish for communication with their buddy or budess & I’m so sad just thinking about this. I’m from a time where my cat of 17 years (Pre Oreo was Sponge my girl cat) had some separation anxiety but I had several answering machines & I called her all throughout my days on Madison Avenue & it helped! She seemed better & there was an obvious shift in her demeanor & I was thrilled. Maybe the answer to home separation anxiety is something like a smart home device where Buddy could see & hear you? Is that the answer to my primitive 90’s answering machine fiasco? (I hated my job back then so I hope they heard me call my cat 4x a day 🤣🤣) All I know is the vet thing kills me & Oreo is honestly a danger to himself & others. Somethings got to give & now we actually have to go from carrier, to men & women in protective garb who place him directly into a box filled with gas that knocks him out. 😳 Needless to say it’s far from my favorite option. Oddly prior to going to the vet he had separation anxiety but a few trips to the vet & somewhere in the psyche of this long, tall,  20lb tuxedo monster brain, he figured that being home was a blessing if going out meant that it might be to go to the horrid “V” Man, who is a Saint!! He lives to love & save the lives of the animals at the office by me & on his 2 days off he’s working with shelters for free around where he lives This is a very long story & I apologize in advance for this novel but really, the struggle is real! I’m sorry you’re dealing with it too & while we’re here extra scritches & love to little Buddy 💕

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      2. I’ll do some reading about home vet visits and ask around for other experiences. For how much of a project it is to get a cat to the vet, and how stressful it is for cats, it seems like it’d be more common, but you’re right, they can’t do everything in-home.

        Might be worth re-socializing Oreo to his carrier if you haven’t already. I took Bud a lot of places when he was younger and left the carrier open at home with a blanket inside. I’d also randomly toss treats in there for him to find.

        Thankfully that means I have no trouble getting him to go in there and he doesn’t seem to mind it. I guess he figures there’s a much bigger chance of going somewhere fun.

        I don’t have any devices to talk to Buddy, but I did talk to him via iPad when I was in Japan. Usually he doesn’t pay much attention to screens unless there are birds on them, but when he saw me he started vocalizing. He gave me a slow blink, I blinked back and he gave an excited meow that made me feel bad because I still wasn’t gonna be home for almost two weeks.

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      3. Had this ginger cat. Merrick. No problem taking him to the vet one time wrapped in a towel. HOWEVER, when I picked him up the next day I’m in the waiting room wondering why it’s taking so long. Then one of the vet techs opens the door and asks if I could come with me. Takes me to the cage where Merrick is. He’s the Devil incarnate and doesn’t seem to recognize me. So I sit with him for about 15 minutes and finally manage to get him wrapped up (in the towel) in my arms. Walking back out to the waiting room, people were jumping up to open doors for me!!! LOL Apparently, they were scared shitless of my boy and couldn’t wait to get he (and him) outta there. He was a treasure, with a bit of an attitude – as befitted an alpha male cat.

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      7. It was weird because a cat comes in with major injuries, not saying a peep, and all the other cats are quiet, including Bud, but that one cat was screaming bloody murder about something.

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  3. Ever look into natural calming stuff like Zyklene? Chewy has it. A pair of siblings stopped fighting. And if one thing i would like my cat to know is why i do not let him in garden. To protect him. He was abandoned by someone and showed up in my garden about 2 years of age.

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    1. Tysm Gilda, I’ve tried it but it just upset Oreo’s belly. I’ll try it again on the outside chance he may have been nervous & fed off of how I was feeling. Maybe I’ll retry it & just see how he reacts on a day when he knows all is fine & well & we’re going nowhere 💕💕🐾🐾🐾🐾

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      1. Hi Deborah. I had no clue. Maybe half a pill? My client put half a pill of powder in her foster cats wet food and seemed to work.I hear he is doing well in new home.Zyklene was stopped. He was only on it for a month.I never had to use on my cat.

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  4. Great article! I’d like my cats to understand the same thing, that they’re safe from harm and abandonment forever. And that bringing them to the vet and/or giving them nasty medication are for their own good, not torture.

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      1. No kidding on the pill avoidance. One of my cats needs to be pilled daily and she’s usually very good about it … except when she isn’t. I’ve found half digested pills she spat out, making another pilling necessary …

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  5. Yay Big Buddy!!! Same here with Spunkmeyer! Even if he did crawl all over me when Tim said “Don’t wake mom up!” and woke me up which to me is always amusing but Tim must think I need my beauty sleep. Ok, I do need “Beauty Sleep” (although it hasn’t worked yet…) But it is so sweet to feel the fur in my nose and elsewhere knowing that I am adored! Even IF I can’t throw a ball worth beans! He loves his mom! And he is Dad’s Buddy! You know how that goes Big Bud! What would we do without them? Horrifying thought! Forget I said that! Sincerely Tim, Sherri and Spunkmeyer 😂😎😹

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  6. Extremely cute pictures of Buddy! I’d love to convince my crew of everything mentioned. Along with a few details like, Boys, stop chasing your sisters. They actually don’t enjoy it. The screeches should tell you.

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      1. Hi Leah. I wonder if it would be good for me.🤣🤣Last vet visit i was in tears. My friend had to shut bedroom door and wrangle him in cat box. I took him in a cab and he was crying all the way there. Good thing is he never attacks the vet or vet techs when picked up.

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    2. The photo of Bud with his claws out is one of my favorites. It was probably the 348th time he got his claws stuck on the screen door, and every time it happens, he starts crying and meows for me to help him get unstuck.

      Er, I mean, he bravely faces down the evil screen door and roars in grudging acknowledgement that I might need to assist him. That’s more accurate, definitely.

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