When They Won't Play With You
A common side effect from raising kittens from birth is they think they're human.
Marley and Gizmo arrived at my rescue at only three days old. My sons and I raised them by hand, bottlefeeding through the night, changing diapers- without the diapers, of course ;) Did you know that infant kittens need to be burped after each bottle? Yup, you care for them just like infant humans.
So it's no wonder Marley and Gizmo believe I am Mom, and my son's are their brothers. And they act like it! Gizmo looks to me for approval, and hangs out with me a lot as the only other female in the house, while Marley chases after his "brothers". He plays Hide and Seek and tag with them, it's pretty cute.
Marley has a whisper, not a meow. It's like the beginning of a goats bleat, only much softer. His human brothers are at that teen boy stage where they shut themselves in their rooms a lot. Marley has been feeling left out and sits at his favorite boys door and cries to be let in and included. He is usually a very happy and chill cat- he's named after Bob Marley for a reason, lol. But when they won't play with him he gets so sad and just camps at the door and cries.
The problem is that his cries are so soft they are barely heard, so he's taken to putting his face in the space under the door to try to get B's attention. But his voice is still too soft, and he's too polite to scratch on the door.
There, in his usual let me in spot at B's door, was a sad but hopeful Marley.
He looked at me and meowed- but that wasn't his voice! This was a melodic "actual" cat meow!
Cats are the only animals who create a language to communicate with their humans.
I guess Marley thought if he sounded pretty, his brother would want to play with him.
I tried to capture his new voice on video, but he's camera shy ;) However, his sadness is caught perfectly... Please forgive the dust, we're renovating
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With Love and Light and Good Mojo to my Tribe!
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Awwww kitty!!! 😻
I'm about to get another rescue litter- I'll be posting lots of baby photos :)
Like brother like sister. She will do the same thing to me! Next time!!!
Lol! Yup!
Naw poor little guy, i feel so bad for Marley. sometimes it hard for them to comprehend what is happening and i wish there were some way to explain what is happening to them so they don't feel so bad about it.
i recently wrote a post about my kitty Checkas who bares a bit of a resemblance to Marley, here is the link if you would like to get to know Checkas
https://steemit.com/animals/@mfxae86/how-taking-in-a-troubled-cat-helped-me-become-a-better-person
I rescue severely abused cats and kittens. Many people will argue with me and say animals do not have reasoning and understanding, and although they do not understand why they are hurt or abused, they understand it is not right. And they suffer as much as we do...
I recently finished doing a Degree in Psychological sciences and one of the areas i focused on in some of my work was based on animal intelligence, feelings and consciousness, etc. There is a book, only published in 2016, which makes observations on the matter you may be interested in taking a look at to support your argument:
Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?
By Frans de Waal
Our understanding has evolved in this area, however some still think in the "old ways". this book may enlighten some of these people. Then again some will refuse to accept the new data because its "new age riff raff". realistically its just science :)
Thanks for the recommendation, I am ordering a copy!
I grew up on a horse ranch, and we had chickens, peacocks, a doberman and cats. Even as a child I could sense each animals consciousness. And each animal on the planet- not only domesticated, possesses a unique and complex personality. I honestly believe it's very dominating and masochistic to think nothing but humans have intelligence and feelings.. Especially when there is scientific proof as backing.
No problems, always happy to expose people to data which is of interest to them :)
Sounds like you had quite a variety of animals to interact with when growing up, would have been fun to experience that i imagine. I have always been able to connect with animals on "that level". i have had various encounters with animals at a friends place and they will say things like "they don't let anyone touch them" and 30 min later im cradling the animal like baby. I think we can all do this, its just if we choose to acknowledge the animal as a sentient being and connect with them at that level.
Many people treat animals like a possession, "i own it" and "its mine" attitudes. As you mentioned, its a very ego based form of thinking. This is what creates that kind of disconnect between pet and person. Some people go their whole lives not knowing the animal they live with. If we could all learn to develop a relationship with the animal and not treat it like the latest trinket to accessorize with the world would be a far better place for all of us. But us humans... we evolve quite slowly, lol.
You are so correct...
My oldest son came home just this week and hugged his cat. He looked at me and said, "Mom, I can't imagine how people can think their pet is not part of the family. What is wrong with them?"
He then proceeded to tell me a bunch of kids were talking about how they "get rid of" their cats and dogs after they grow up and aren't "fun" anymore. It seemed like the common thing to do- like it was normal. They were chatting about it in a dismissive attitude...
This disgusts me on a very deep level.
Yes, unfortunately we live in what i call "The Disposable Era". We have been socialized to get rid of something at the slightest inconvenience, the next better thing is only a swipe away. again this is driven by ego and the "want" and "own" perspective. it is quite unfortunate for the animals involved and i pity those who lack the ability to have empathy and compassion for other beings.
That being said I take solace in knowing that some of these animals end up in the care of people such as us and those commenting on our posts who are willing to do what is needed to bring peace back into the animals lives.
You and I need to get together in chat, we share so many ideals... Are you on Discord yet?
I call it "Throwaway Society" and as a relationship coach, I use it to refer to the state of marriages...
Not too long ago, when something was broken you fixed it.
Now? When it's broke you throw it away. Including marriages and families...
One of my dreams is to have a real rescue home. So far it's been in my humble home, so I can only take in so many. I want a house with a couple acres to take in horses as well. I even created a gofund me! I will accept veterinary interns who will both learn and have hands on experience with not only the medical- but with the important aspects of the heart. My children call our little rescue Rehealth. Reheart. Rehome. <3
The shelters here euthanize so many, and I can't save them all in my tiny rental :(
Lol! He did not want to talk to the camera, that's for sure. He was looking at you like, "why don't you just open the door instead of making me work so hard?" Too funny! I love kitties! :)
Yup! Poor Lil Man <3
The way these guys have bonded so closely with my boys is amazing to watch :)
Aww...such an adorable cat. I have a cat that loves to sleep in my bed but I can't sleep with her in it because she wakes me up too much. She'll scratch at my door and meow at 7 am hoping I'll get out of bed so she can have it. She has what I call a whisper meow because it is so soft.
Awe! So sweet <3
Yes, I've read that cats never meow at other cats, just humans. From my observations, this appears to be true. Always good to have others confirm, though. And what a cutie!
In the wild, they will only meow when in severe danger or to find their baby kittens. Scientists have determined the language they develop to speak with humans is similar to a human baby cry. Which is odd because they do this even in houses where they've never heard a baby...
I also feel the more we talk back, the more diverse their meows become. I swear my cat asks me questions sometimes. She has this meow that gets higher at the end. She only uses it when I'm in the kitchen. As if to say, "Got something for me?"
I totally agree. They are so very much like us. Cats are so intelligent :) It's no wonder the penalty for accidentally killing a cat in ancient Egypt was death!
Wow that escalated quickly.
From cat lovers to death penalty ^^
LOL!!!
aw they really are just like fam, beautiful cat I miss the two I had for 14 years perhaps time to go adopt again!
Get two- it's no extra work but double the fun and cuddles :)
The way you treat kittens in the early stages of it's life will render it's personality traits later in life.
Yes, that's why these two think they are human children :)
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Poor kitty!! Let him in B!
I know! How can anyone resist!
In B's defense, he's a fan of headphones, lol