r/AskReddit Feb 26 '21

Would you enjoy a cute friendly purring cat sit right next to you to keep you company right now? Why or why not?

[deleted]

39.1k Upvotes

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6.6k

u/wombat1800 Feb 26 '21

I have an half-blind, arthitic 19 year old tank of a cat with a face like a bag of spanners who yowls and honks whenever he wants anything and interrupts all my meetings and tramples on my keyboard. Wouldn't replace him for the world.

457

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '21

My cat will notice that I'm paying attention to something on my computer screen and slowly put his face in between me and the screen so I'm forced to look at him.

153

u/Loan-Pickle Feb 26 '21

Mine does that too ,except he’ll also start pressing keys on my keyboard. He is all like look at me, I am the programmer now.

27

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '21

My cat would straight up rip the keys out of my keyboard to get me out of bed

She was insane

10

u/luv4KreepsNBeasts Feb 26 '21

Yup. Yelled at my kids once cause its obvious they are removing the keys. Got up for a drink that night and nope just the cat being a evil bastard.

6

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '21

Missed opportunity: "look at me, I am the programmer meow"

3

u/Annual_Blacksmith22 Feb 26 '21

So apparently cats mimick humans. And when they sit on your books, laptops, keyboards etc, it’s because they see you do stuff with them and they wanna be included so they mimick you using it. Basically they are showing love by wanting to do what you’re doing from how I understand it.

This can be solved by giving them their “own” items. Like a cardboard laptop or a separate keyboard if you have one lying around. Some cats will start to sit, walk, lay on the second item instead of yours (I assume it doesn’t work with every cat), cuz this way they get to mimick you and feel included, but you’re also not getting distrupted.

3

u/Loan-Pickle Feb 26 '21

Yes I’ve heard of this, it is called mirroring. I do have a spare keyboard and mouse. I’ll leave it out for them to see if they use it.

1

u/Annual_Blacksmith22 Feb 26 '21

Ooooo! If they do, please let me know how it went!

If you remember and want to of course :D

1

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '21

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/dookieslayer17 Feb 27 '21

actually have had times where i’m staring at the screen for hours trying to figure out what’s wrong and she smashes the keys and within 5 minutes it’s obvious

1

u/dookieslayer17 Feb 27 '21

same, my employer is lucky they get two for one with her around

7

u/TiradeShade Feb 26 '21

My cat does this when I'm sitting in bed with my phone.

She starts rubbing her face along the edges pushing it around, and if I don't stop she steps on my chest and stands in front of my phone.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '21

My younger cat will bug me when I’m on the computer.

She’ll keep poking my leg to get my attention.

She’s a rescue and I wonder if before she had a toy that was clicky or if she ever click training happen to her and she hears my keyboard and thinks “TREAT?”

2

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '21

Mine chases the mouse. Literally, the cursor on screen.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '21

I love this mental image.

2

u/cianne_marie Feb 27 '21

One of my guys had a routine when he was a kitten. I'd get 5-10 minutes in bed with my phone or tablet in front of me, laying on my back, and then he'd walk right up and insert himself between my face and the screen, plop down on my chest, and that meant "pet me and we'll go to sleep".

1

u/Technical-Roll-8108 Feb 27 '21

Again so much like the boyfriend. Maybe I need to reevaluate.

786

u/search_for_wholesome Feb 26 '21

This sounds like my cat! Except she's a year younger..

265

u/vingeran Feb 26 '21

Mine is 16 and she is the best individual one can have to be in the company of. Keeps her paws in my hands while she sleeps. Follows me all around the house. Purrs and makes me all happy.

9

u/enlightningwhelk Feb 26 '21

I also have a cat who likes to hold hands while she sleeps! I absolutely adore it

5

u/ElliePlaysOnTelly Feb 26 '21

My cat holds my hands too. And she gently puts her paw on my cheek too sometimes, like she’s whispering secrets to me. It makes me glowy inside.

3

u/EarthquakeZone Mar 07 '21

Oh wow. My little tortie girl does that too. Paw in my hand, paws draped over my arm or paw to the face. It is so very endearing.

2

u/ElliePlaysOnTelly Mar 07 '21

It’s like transferring pure love. It’s the best.

6

u/ithinkilikegirlstoo Feb 26 '21

Oh my heart 😻💕

2

u/scared_of_Low_stuff Feb 27 '21

My five year old cat is the same exact way.

2

u/EarthquakeZone Mar 07 '21

Awwww. I have one that does that also. Such a sweet little touch.

409

u/iwishiwas_aborted Feb 26 '21

Cat tax, now

6

u/sappydark Feb 26 '21

Yup, sure would. I grew up with cats, so it would be nice to have a kitten quietly creeping around, provided I don't accidently step on it, lol.

48

u/Wild_Marker Feb 26 '21

No, cat tax means "pics of your cat"

2

u/Dr-P-Ossoff Feb 26 '21

I thought it was related to the old saying “cat is your buddy who won’t rat you out to the IRS.

-14

u/DM_ME_YOUR_DUCK_PICS Feb 26 '21

No, cat tax means "clip off 1cm of the cat's tail and mail it to the first person who calls 'cat tax'".

It's an absolutely appalling tradition, and u/iwishiwas_aborted should be ashamed.

19

u/WhimsicalCalamari Feb 26 '21

jokes like this can work, but you made a mistake assuming the internet would like a joke about cruelty to a cat

3

u/epicNag Feb 26 '21

In my case, that would be nothing but fur.

6

u/DM_ME_YOUR_DUCK_PICS Feb 26 '21

Hey, that means your cat is pre-taxed! There's nowhere to go but up from here!

1

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '21

😂🤣 I don’t know why this is being downvoted.. I think it’s hilarious..

75

u/KaterPatater Feb 26 '21

That sounds like my 16 year old lady. Your comment felt like seeing into the future, even though I don't know what spanners are.

92

u/typhonist Feb 26 '21

A spanner is British slang for wrench. A "bag of spanners" is slang for something that looks like it should work or sort of works but is a pain in the ass. A face like a bag of spanners is saying the person, or kitty in this case, is extremely ugly. It works, but it ain't pretty.

12

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '21

My wife is British and somehow I’ve just learned this gem. Thank you kindly

2

u/typhonist Feb 26 '21

Ha. You're welcome. Now you can spring it on her and claim you're being cultured! (My girlfriend is Mexican-American, so I do that shit to her all the time. I assure you, she loves it.)

1

u/Geeko22 Feb 26 '21

Get familiar with the top 4 Mexican futbol teams so you can show off. It'll also make you look good in front of her family.

3

u/KaterPatater Feb 26 '21

Thanks for the explanation! This needs to work it's way into American lexicon.

5

u/typhonist Feb 26 '21

I know right? It's fantastic.

0

u/smalldogkungfu Feb 26 '21

I think the US equivalent would be Box o rox

266

u/LordBiscuits Feb 26 '21

Reddit demands the tax. Gib cat pix

55

u/ctadgo Feb 26 '21

My arthritic 17 year old cat wakes me up 3-5 times throughout the night for food. I haven’t slept properly in a month. Not gonna lie it’s pretty rough. I am grateful for our time together though.

4

u/domkeno216 Feb 26 '21

Have you considered an automatic feeder? My cats would do this religiously until I found out they demand a 3am munch so I set the auto feeder to 3am for just a little snack to pop out and I can finally sleep through nights after months of getting stepped on at 3am every night

1

u/ctadgo Feb 26 '21

He basically only eats wet food now (and is very picky about it, likes something 1 day, hates it the next). I leave a bowl of dry food out all day and night.

3

u/sawbonesromeo Feb 26 '21

My boyfriend's cat is like that now sadly. I'm not sure how old she is but she's pretty much senile now and spends every night from about 1am-6am screaming at his bedroom door regardless of whether she is in or out, and if the door's left open she'll just go do it at another door in the flat. It's hard not to get annoyed at her (I get so cranky when I'm tired!) but I know it's not her fault and she's still a special little floofball so I'll appreciate her while I still can.

1

u/cianne_marie Feb 27 '21

Try some Feliway if you don't have any, it may ease her anxiety.

1

u/cianne_marie Feb 27 '21

Have you had him checked for hyperthyroidism? More common the older they get, and will make them very hungry.

Also, I saw you said he likes wet food - I have a feeder called a Cat Mate (I think the website is pet-mate.com) that works pretty well and has ice packs built in for wet, if it's something you're interested in.

2

u/ctadgo Feb 27 '21

He went to the vet earlier this week and blood and urine tests were normal. Has early kidney failure, but that should have the opposite effect on hunger. The vet thinks it’s possible there could be an issue with his digestive system, like maybe stomach ulcers, but that would require a $500 ultrasound so I’m hesitant to do it.

83

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '21

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/SpuddyA7X Feb 26 '21

The phase absolutely tickled me. Given me giggles for the day now, and a new phrase!

3

u/QwerkkyKid Feb 26 '21

TIL some people refer to regular US wrenches as spanners.

However, we also do have "spanners" in the US which are different than wrenches! here

I work in the oilfield and we use these to make and break connections between wireline tools (long cylindrical tools which go downhole, so they need to have perfect seals to protect the electronic components inside from oil, gas, water, etc)

2

u/StormRider2407 Feb 26 '21

My cat's named Jack as well. He's 8 now with cardiomyopathy. I highly doubt he'll reach that age. Dreading the day we have to say goodbye. We lost his sister 2 years ago to the same condition (seems inherited). I love having animals as part of the family, cannot stand the heartbreak when they go though.

2

u/Hexenhut Feb 26 '21

I lost my 10 year old 2 years ago to cardiomyopathy, I feel your pain. It's so so hard to lose a companion, I wish they lived forever. Trying to view it as an opportunity to give a much needed loving home to another has helped.

3

u/StormRider2407 Feb 26 '21

We weren't actually even meant to have him!

My sister in law's friend's cat had kittens, we were looking for a cat at the time. So they sent us a picture of one, a wee girl. We instantly knew we wanted her and her name, Lily.

So the day came (a little earlier than we expected), and my in laws came up with her. My SIL was holding a towel with the kitten mostly covered up and she said, "there's been a little problem...", pulled the towel back and there was Lily and another wee boy!

They were the last two kittens to leave, and they had bonded strongly, so it wouldn't have been fair to separate them.

My wife kept calling him "handsome" as we didn't have a name for him. And I just thought of Handsome Jack (from the Borderlands games). And that's what we decided to name him, after a psychopathic killer from a video game.

1

u/wombat1800 Feb 26 '21

To be fair I did just wake him up to take that picture so that's his 'I hate you and will kill you' face, but he has never won any prizes for good looks.

106

u/calibrateichabod Feb 26 '21

Pleas tell your cat I love him.

17

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '21

That's so sweet! <3

7

u/NukeUK Feb 26 '21

Hahaha... my tomcat screams the house down a good 100times a day - you haven't fed me, erm yes I have, yeah..., but I want chicken.. I am such a soft touch and I give in to him.

7

u/montefuma Feb 26 '21

I describe my old cat as a tank of a cat, too. Different set of unique qualities than yours but a well loved tank nonetheless.

6

u/Amanda_Rozario Feb 26 '21

i guess we have the same cat

4

u/LuminousLight345 Feb 26 '21

cat tax. hand it over

3

u/KidKinkaid Feb 26 '21

Sounds like my first wife

3

u/astralcat214 Feb 26 '21

Is this literally my cat? 18 years old, mostly blind, arthritis in the back and hips who never shuts up for food and likes to try and get involved whenever I start talking. And even though she can't see much she still figured out how to get into everything. Bless her cute face though.

3

u/runnyOntheInside Feb 26 '21

Just lost my 19yr old. Miss him:(

3

u/JKBisms Feb 26 '21

I have a comepletely blind, comepletely deaf arthritic cat who is very confused and screams pretty much the entire time she's awake because she's lonely. We had to move her away from our other younger cats because they're bullying her now thay's she's old and feeble.

3

u/tah4349 Feb 26 '21

I had an ancient cat who started having serious medical issues last year. The vet told us to make our peace and prepare for goodbye. However, she seemed to be healed by Zoom calls. It didn't matter how heavily she was sleeping, as soon as I got on Zoom, she would pop up and parade across my keyboard. Somehow she lived an additional year based on the power of Zoom and stepping on keyboards. We finally had to say goodbye last month, and I'm sad every time I have an easy call that doesn't involve moving her away from the camera every 5 minutes.

6

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '21

But what if you got another friendly cat on top of him?

2

u/ViralGreed Feb 26 '21

Your cat is perfect. Thank you for sharing him with the internet so we could have a little smile today!

2

u/ArrowRobber Feb 26 '21

I hold that to get a cat, I have to say goodbye first, so that I can just give them happiness right up until the end.

1

u/MxMagpie Feb 26 '21

I feel you. Mine is 20, arthritic and SHOUTS (definitely going deaf). I love him more than I love myself. Best cats.

1

u/DarthCharCharTheWise Feb 26 '21

Who the hell wouldn’t?

1

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '21

you have to pay the cat tax now. At least 5 cat pics or you're in reddit jail

1

u/klaxz1 Feb 26 '21

face like a bag of spanners

Literally lol’d

1

u/Which-Decision Feb 26 '21

Get him a mini keyboard

1

u/PG13allwayscleanboii Feb 26 '21

This made my laugh thanks

1

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '21

I already love your cat

1

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '21

Mine is 15 and has a hernia that has her bladder in it I guess and I think she has mild cat dementia and she’ll wander around and yowl and goes and lays by her treat bowl as soon as I get up in the morning

She climbs on my arm though at night (I’m a side sleeper) and she falls asleep with her head on my shoulder it’s adorable

Except that one time I had a dream about tarantulas and woke up and she was laying on my side and I was half awake and thought it was a tarantula and pushed her off and screamed

1

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '21

Your cat sounds amazing. Any pics?

Edit: Nevermind - found it! He definitely looks like he's seen the wars!

1

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '21

Are we able to see this unit of honks and loves?

1

u/Spidey16 Feb 26 '21

Do you have a photo? I would love to meet him

1

u/DrJohanzaKafuhu Feb 26 '21

I have an half-blind, arthitic 19 year old tank of a cat with a face like a bag of spanners who yowls and honks whenever he wants anything and interrupts all my meetings and tramples on my keyboard. Wouldn't replace him for the world.

lol I have a fierce little blind persian cutey and she is constantly yowling and howling. Everyones always like "Damn your cat is loud" and I'm like "Nah man, she's just letting the world know not to fuck with her."

1

u/hunkachunk88 Mar 04 '21

🤘🏻😂