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Today we adopted a cat
Her name is Blaze
I’ve always been a cat guy. Dogs? Well, they are OK, but I can take them or leave them. But, I always feel that I need to have a cat.
At times, while living in the Philippines, we had as many as 4 cats or so, as best I can recall. My son, Aaron, is also a big cat lover, and many of the cats we had in the Philippines were cats that he found in some kind of trouble (like he found the kitten in a dumpster) and he rescued them and brought them home. My wife, Feyma, did not really like it sometimes when Aaron would show up with another cat. But, for me, there is always room for another cat around the house.
I have felt lonely here
Since moving to the States, I have felt lonely. During the late afternoon and into the early morning hours, around 2 AM, I am alone here at the house. Feyma, Chris, and Jared are all working during those hours. I am working too, but I work here at the house, and being here all alone is much different than the way life was in the Philippines.
I have been wanting a pet pretty much since moving here. Today, we finally decided to get a cat! Last weekend, Feyma, Chris, and Jared were at the pet store (not sure why they went there) and saw some cats there that were up for adoption. These were cats that the local animal shelter placed there to see if anybody would adopt them. The three came home and told me about one cat that they liked in particular.
Today, we decided to go take a look at the cat, Blaze. I liked Balze, and several other cats there. The other family members all wanted to get Blaze, so that was fine with me.
Why are USA cats better than Philippine cats?
Cats in the USA are a lot more social than cats in the Philippines. The cats here seem to enjoy the interaction with humans. We had a lot of cats over the years in the Philippines, and I can’t think of a single one who was genuinely happy to spend time with me! They did not like to be held, petted, or played with. I like cats, but I want to interact with my cat!
In the Philippines, we had several cats who were downright mean, and would attack me if they had an urge to do so. There were lots of times that cats would cut me with their teeth, scratch me badly, etc.
Today when we got Blaze
We went and picked up Blaze while we were on the way to Tyson to drop off Feyma, Chris, and Jared. Blaze was in a box for transporting her. Chris and Jared were riding in the back seat and they took Blaze out of the box and played with her while we were on the way to work.
When we arrived at Tyson, I told Jared to put Blaze in the box, and close it nicely, because I did not want her getting out of the box while we were on the way home. Within 30 seconds after the 3 got out of the car and headed to work, Blaze had broken out of the box and climbed up on my shoulder for the ride home. LoL
After coming home, Blaze wanted to be held and petted for most of the evening. I had work to do, but no matter how I tried to do it, she was there, wanting more attention!
This is just so different from any of the cats that we had in the Philippines.
My discussion with Aaron
Aaron lives in Atlanta. I sent him a text message telling him that we got a cat, and sent a picture. He called me, and one of the things we talked about was the difference between cats in the USA and cats in the Philippines.
Aaron and I felt the same about the difference in cats between the two countries. We came to the conclusion (this may be right or wrong, just our opinion) that in the Philippines, most people don’t consider the cat to be “theirs” or part of the family. Usually, cats are just strays who show up at your house and hang around. People let the cats hang around, but don’t necessarily adopt it into the family. This is a general statement, of course, some people in the Philippines do take the cat in, but I find that most don’t.
Cats in the USA, on the other hand, become part of the family. They are loved and treated almost like another person, not an animal. This kind of treatment has led to a closer bond between people and cats in the USA, compared to the Philippines. I believe that this close relationship with people is bred into cats here, and it is a natural part of their disposition now.
Welcome to the family, Blaze!
My Wife Joanne is from the Philippines and agrees with you.
Thank you for passing that along, and please give my best wishes to your wife.
I watch Cat videos on YouTube . They are hilarious! Glad you got a feline companion.
Hi John, I hear that cat videos are one of the most popular things on YouTube!
Many a cat hater has been smitten by a kitten. Unlike dogs who can be socialized, I think you need to get a cat as a kitten. Feral cats are tame and never really become tame. We have had both dogs and cats. While all of the dogs have been rescue dogs and were older, all the cats were kittens given to us.
Blaze looks like a keeper.
Hi Tony! I hope you are doing well.
Blaze has undergone a name change! She is “Nikki” now. LoL
I would tend to agree that to truly make a cat yours forever, you have to raise her from a kitten!
I think ? it’s just to hot for cats ? to socialize or cuddle in the Philippines.
Interesting, but I tend to disagree. Even we lived in an air-conditioned house, the cat just didn’t want to socialize at all. he was an indoor cat, hardly ever went outside at all, lived in air conditioning, and just was not very friendly.