My Purrfect Pets Series focuses on different bloggers and their families – including their furry family of course! We all have different lives and I find it amazing to get a glimpse into other peoples homes and connect with them on all levels so I put them under the grill and ask them some questions. As a pet lover myself, I’m always keen to investigate how other people are doing it. This is a pet-positive series that any families with a pet of any kind can take part in, send me an email if you’re interested in being the next featured purrfect family, or visit Why Do Pets? to read some very interesting and informative interesting articles about dogs as well as other animals.
Today we’re with Simone from Dog Days and Delights. You can follow Simone on Facebook and Twitter!
Can you tell us a little about the animals you have and your family?
There has always been a cat in my house. My parents got a Siamese cat two years before I was born, and we subsequently had three more cats – two of them Siamese – as each one used up its nine lives. When I bought my first home in 2001, the first thing I did was get a Siamese cat – sort of. Esme was sold to me as Siamese but she’s clearly got a bit of something else in her. She’s now an old lady of sixteen and has been with me through many changes in my life. Esme and I live with my husband and five year old daughter. When I first met my husband, she tried to get rid of him by peeing on his clothes, but he’s made of sterner stuff than that.
Do you think your daughter will benefit from growing up in a household with a cat?
I couldn’t imagine growing up in a household without a cat. Esme is like a member of the family. I think having pets helps teach children about nurturing and responsibility. My daughter loves cuddling the cat, and quite often helps me feed her. She wants to be a vet, though I appreciate not many of us stick with our primary school career aspirations!
Did you have any concerns about your cat and a baby before giving birth?
As a cat lover, I had always found it upsetting that some people insist on getting rid of the family pet because they have a baby on the way. I couldn’t contemplate getting rid of my pet of ten years. I bought a cat net for the Moses basket. I was a little concerned about how the cat would react to the baby but this was probably the least of my pregnancy worries.
How much extra work do you think is involved every day taking care of your cat?
Cats are pretty low maintenance. It takes minutes to feed her. Unfortunately, she insists on using a litter tray so I spend a bit of time cleaning it out every day. She also has a delicate tummy, and is sick from time to time. I probably spend an average of fifteen minutes a day feeding her and cleaning up after her.
What would you say is the most challenging thing about having your cat?
Being Siamese, she can be a bit temperamental. The challenge is reading her moods. If you’re unable to tell when she’s had enough of being petted, you’ll get bitten! My family and I don’t get bitten, but we have a few friends and relatives who are scared of her.
Do you have any advice for anyone who is thinking about adding a cat to their family?
Teach your children how to interact with cats. I mean things like: If you run at cats, it’ll scare them. If a cat is flicking its tail, it’s not happy. Most importantly, every cat I’ve ever owned has loved a tickle under the chin or behind the ears, but hated having its tummy tickled. If you’re getting a kitten, make sure that you spend plenty of time socializing it and getting it used to spending time with children. If you’re adopting an older cat, try to choose a cat that is already used to children.
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