តើវាងាយស្រួលរក្សាឆ្មាជាងឆ្កែទេ?

“Actually, I would like to have a dog. But since my husband and I both work full time, that is unfortunately not possible. That’s why we thought about getting a cat … ”

If you ask people what typical cats are, the answer is often the following: Cats are independent and do their own thing. Cats therefore just run along very well. You have no problem being alone with it. So they fit well in households with employed people.
When weighing up between cat and dog, there is another factor: I don’t have to go out for a walk with the cat three times a day. She can stay alone when we go on vacation. And we don’t have to invest time or money in training – cats cannot be trained anyway. – Really not? It is not just the last sentence that deserves a critical review. If you are thinking about something similar, please read on.

The Independent Cat!

Cats can really be quite independent. They are excellent hunters and can even look after themselves in a suitable environment, at least during the summer months. But have you ever wondered when the picture of the independent cat that is self-sufficient was created? That was at the time when cats didn’t live in the house, but usually, at farmhouses, the barns of which were teeming with potential hunted prey.

So these cats were largely independent of their humans for their livelihood. Not infrequently they were also poorly socialized. There was a lack of friendly handling by people in the first few weeks of life who spent the kittens in a hidden nest somewhere. As a result, many of these cats did not trust people and therefore of course did not attach great importance to their company. And the same applies to the more trusting cats: Those who spend a large part of their waking hours supplying themselves with food often have only one goal left when they make their way into the house, namely sleep! The cat that walks in from outside and sinks down directly at the next sleeping place actually doesn’t seem very interested in interacting with humans.

The Independent Cat ???

Of course, there are still cats today who lead this kind of life, but for many, the reality is very different. The frequently used stereotype of the independent cat is therefore difficult to apply to most modern indoor cats. To put it bluntly: Your house cat is unemployed because it cannot pursue its main natural occupation, hunting. And she is completely dependent on you and her other people for the satisfaction of her needs. She is dependent on being fed in good time and kept busy.

Cat Wishes

Since the world of an indoor cat is very small and many cats are fortunately at least reasonably well socialized these days, most indoor cats find their own human being the center of their universe. That doesn’t mean you have to be with him 24 hours a day. But it is said that cats often develop strong needs for interaction with their human.

What is it that a cat will often want from you? Does she love long hours of physical contact? Does she like to play hide and seek with you? Does she prefer to lurk extensively from a hiding place for the prey on a game rod, which you patiently move for her? Is she an enthusiastic paw fumbler and needs you to offer the “food” inappropriate food puzzles? Is she excited when you keep making her living space exciting and offering her the opportunity to go on a tour of discovery? Many cats would say: “I wish for all of this! Every day!”

Human-Cat-Time

Cats are amazingly adaptable. But they can only thrive and flourish properly under good living conditions. For people who go to work all day and then maybe want to go to sport in the evening or meet friends, there is little time to really actively spend time with their cat. And that’s what a cat needs from you: your full attention and real interaction. And often we humans are ready to sink into the sofa with the cat, cuddling up and down, but the cat is awake. Because she slept the whole long day and is now looking forward to some sociable action.
Calculate how many hours a day you could really give your cat on a regular basis. The needs of cats are quite different, but an hour of playing together, an hour of paddling around together such as wrapping gifts, and several hours of resting or cuddling together are not particularly long as the time frame to be planned. Compared to walking the dog, the time savings are negligible.

What About Training?

A lot of things happen almost automatically with cats. Nevertheless, indoor cats in particular benefit from having their humans train them a little. For example, if your cat develops anxiety, which is quite common, you should help her overcome those anxieties. You may even need professional support for this. You will probably also need to learn how to teach a cat a few rules of behavior without a water syringe and loud words, such as sitting on a cat stool instead of the settable or scratching at the designated scratching post. Indoor cats in particular often come up with creative nonsense when they are underutilized, and this should then be countered with constructive training. Finally, trick training is a wonderful activity for cats. Depending on the talent of the cat, you can focus on movement exercises or brain teasers. So if you don’t really feel like exercising, you should reconsider getting a cat.

Alone is Not a Problem?

If you realize how important their caregivers are for a cat, then it quickly becomes clear that keeping a cat severely restricts your own vacation planning. Even if someone comes two to three times a day to feed and play with the cat, the absence of loved ones should not last longer than seven to a maximum of fourteen days. Because for cats this time means: they are alone a lot, all their usual rituals fall away, and they don’t even understand why their people suddenly just don’t come in the door any more. For many cats, this is frustrating, unsettling, or even scary.

ទស្សនវិស័យ

“I’ll just take two cats. Then they have each other … ”
Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. Of course, cats benefit from being able to maintain a great friendship with a suitable partner cat by playing and cuddling together. But the relationship with other cats does not solve the problem of the lack of hunting opportunities. And like us humans, cats can form several close bonds. A really good day therefore always includes not only having fun with the cat pal but also being with the loved one. If you think you don’t have enough time to take good care of a dog, think again about whether you can do justice to a cat. Perhaps there will be a better time for it?