catmando.blog

Today, I answered a question about why cats might growl.  It was an interesting question and made me think.  We all know cats are funny (interesting and unique) animals and sometimes understanding their behavior is difficult.  I am not a cat psychologist, but I have had cats my entire life.  In fact for the next week, we are caring for our daughter’s cat.  We are cat grandparents and believe me, just like most grandparents, we are doing everything we can to spoil this little feline fur ball.

Today I even made a special trip to the store to buy “Temptations” cat treats.  Now all I have to do to make sure she is still in the house is rattle the bag.  It is amazing how good her hearing is.

This person’s question had something to do with why do cats sometimes growl?

Anyway, my response to this person’s question was something similar to:

They are experiencing some kind of distress. (That’s the very short version)

In reality, I went on to explain how cats are still simple animals and cannot reason like humans.  To them, when something is bothering them, they react in the only way they know how.  They change their demeanor and attitude.  They lick an area of their body.  Sometimes they may even quit grooming themselves. 

It is our job as their owner, or in a cat’s case, “servant,” to recognize this change in behavior and get them the help they need.  I would always recommend taking your cat or dog or any other pet to the vet if you notice even the slightest change in its demeanor.  It could be nothing serious or it could be something extremely serious.  Remember, you took this animal into your life and now your obligation is to provide for its basic needs.

To a lot of people a pet, such as a cat, can provide comfort, companionship and is very good therapy for someone who has lost a dear loved one.  They have a special purpose, and we must remember that.  Like I said, because they do not think like we do, we’re responsible to ensure they are kept safe and healthy.

Also, in my response to this question, I mentioned something about the cost of a vet visit and also how pet insurance is really a must.  I mentioned that it is something that can be customized to suit each individual situation and I even posted an article to this blog a while back about this topic.

So, the takeaways from this post are to remember what you have this cat for and how it can help comfort you, be your companion and even in some situations, your best friend.  We humans have an obligation to care for our pets and ensure their basic needs and even advanced needs are met.  Sometimes that might mean a visit to the vet, but most of us have not problems going to the doctor if we’re not feeling well.