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Saturday, January 11, 2014

Family

2006
This is my family. It consists of three people. Well one is technically a cat but that's exactly the point I'm trying to make. Families come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and living arrangements.
Mr. C and I have been together for over 11 years now and Rufus has been part of our family for the last 8 years. He's moved house with us, destroyed furniture, made us laugh with his crazy stunts, shed hair all over the place...
He can hear our footsteps the moment we open the front door of the apartment building and wait for us at the front door even though we live on 3rd floor! As far as unconditional love and acceptance go it doesn't get any more real than this.

2011

Mr. C and I jokingly refer to ourselves as mum and dad and some people can't get past it. And don't get me wrong, I'm fully aware that Rufus is a cat and not a substitute for a child. He's a cat and is treated as such though his living conditions vastly differ from a wild cat or a feral cat.
But still as a family member he gets treated like a member of the family not like some disposable commodity that gets thrown out the moment it's no longer useful.

2013
In the past I've had to deal with inappropriate comments and sideways glances when I mentioned the monthly costs of his upkeep. Some even had the nerve to propose straight out I get rid of him. I'm not a mean person per se but comments like that invoke a certain mischievous behaviour in me and I love to annoy people like that by proclaiming with a most serious face that Rufus is my baby and I'm his mummy.
Needles to say, they don't invite me over for coffee anymore. Fine by me.
Posted by coffeeaddict at 14:03
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10 comments:

  1. metteJanuary 11, 2014 at 8:09 PM

    Rufus is part of your family.
    Usually those, who never have had pets, don´t understand what role/ how important an animal is for someone.
    I have heard similar comments concerning our horses and dogs up to the stage, that I don´t even get annoyed any more.
    There are people who like animals and then there are those, who don´t.

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    1. coffeeaddictJanuary 12, 2014 at 4:40 PM

      I've learned to ignore people who've never had pets but in Slovenia people still often treat cats as inferior pets and the last time I hear a remark of such nature was from a person with a dog. And that makes it worse than coming from a no pet person.

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  2. sandaJanuary 12, 2014 at 6:37 PM

    Thank God there are responsible pet owners in the world like you and your Hubby! I for another cannot imagine having a pet without loving it unconditionally. Your Rufus is a real beauty and looks so playful. Lovely pictures of you and your Hubby holding him. One can never be in a bad mood when in the company of a beloved animal. As for the nasty comments others make, I try to ignore them and tell them of the wonders of being devoted to a pet. The next time someone makes such a comment we should tell them, "You should try becoming attached to an animal; it would make such a positive contribution to your personality." haha

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    1. coffeeaddictJanuary 13, 2014 at 3:24 PM

      Definitely! Pets improve us immensely and contribute to personal growth, taking responsibility as well as becoming more in tuned with your instincts. And they are such sweethearts, Rufus can brighten even the dreariest day :-)

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  3. Judith.January 12, 2014 at 9:29 PM

    You have described exactly how we treat Oska,we are his Mama & Poppop,glad you can't hear the baby voice I talked to him in!!!
    Have never heard anyone make a nasty comment about animals........we are surrounded by animal owners,dogs,cats,horses,donkeys.
    Great photos.

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    1. coffeeaddictJanuary 13, 2014 at 3:27 PM

      Oh, Judith, I'd love to be a fly on the wall to hear it. I bet Oska makes adorable loving sounds in return as well!
      As for nasty comments, it's quite possible the difference can be attributed to different environment and upbringing. In Slovenia alas animals are still too often treated as a commodity.

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  4. UnknownJanuary 13, 2014 at 12:25 AM

    Happy New Year Ana and Mr. C and Rufus! What a lovely family you are together :). Rufus is a beautiful baby and you are a good Mommy.

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  5. bead addictJanuary 20, 2014 at 11:13 PM

    Rufus is lucky to have such good and devoted 'parents' looking after him and wanting to spend out on his needs to keep him. A lot of cats don't fare so well. I say 'parents' when you know what I should be saying is 'servants' cats definitely have servants!! In the UK it is quite normal for people to splash out on their pets and some of the larger pet shops have special sections catering for people who have cats instead of babies - fluffy white kitten baskets, white soft snuggly blankets and all the kind of cute pastel things that wouldn't look out of place in a nursery!
    If that isn't enough cat craziness for you then google the 'ings cat hotel' - it's a designer boutique 'hotel' especially for your feline friend!

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    1. coffeeaddictJanuary 21, 2014 at 6:03 PM

      It's a good thing Rufus is currently napping and hasn't seen your comment on the luxe cat hotel or he'd insist I check him in for a couple of days of pampering ;-)

      yes, we do some crazy things for our cats, I try to keep it to a minimum as far as buying expensive useless things. He doesn't really play with toys, but loves to play with unusual thins like crumpled pieces of paper, cardboard boxes...

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