#cat - #I think my dad isn't a fit to take care of cats.

I think my dad isn't a fit to take care of cats.

So two years ago. My dad got a cat from his neighbor. She was a 4-year old tabby domestic medium-hair. Back then, I personally didn't want one, as doing so was a huge responsibility. My dad places the litter box in the kitchen and would lock it every night. Eventually one day the cat would throw up, and I ask him whether we should take the cat to the vet. His response? "Cats have a strong body, they are independent animals. No need" he would scoff. I let him be though, since he was responsible for it, and said that he owned a cat before, plus I was busy with college to be interested in the animal.

When winter came, I also asked him to let him out of the kitchen, his response? "Cat has fur. Keep them warm. No need." I was pretty ignorant about how to take care of pets, but even I had common sense, to know that is not true, so I bought a cat bed for her to keep her warm at night as well a scratching post for her claws (she was scratching the wooden door). One day, as I go to the kitchen, I see my dad promptly throw cat food on the floor. shocked I asked him why he doesn't put it in the food bowl? His response? "Cat throw up. Spread food around, makes it easier on the stomach". I didn't approve of this, for obvious reasons, but Dad said he took care of cats before so I naively believed him.

However, I noticed that the cat would follow me around and go into my room, meowing at me. I was annoyed, but couldn't resist the cute face, and began to play with him...soon leading to me buying cat toys, more scratching posts), give her water (I asked him that, and he says that we don't need to as she gets it from food - the problem is that we feed her DRY cat food) and spending more time with the cat. It was that point that I was the one who pretty much took care of her basic needs (except food and the litter).

This would continue on until last week, I notice that she was leaking some sort of discharge from her bottom. I alert my dad to this, but his response is, again, "No need". I become fed up with that excuse, however, and took her in a carrier to the nearest vet who asked for her name. I realized that dad never named her and so I said she was named Kitty. She diagnoses her with pyometra, a uterus infection that can be potentially fatal. The next day, I asked my dad to take her to the vet - we got lost (as we couldn't follow the instructions on Google Map and none of us had a GPS or GPS app). The next day we decided to take a Taxi there instead. The vet there stated that she needed surgery quickly, me and dad agreed to it, but she died.

I was in tears. I realized that though I originally dislike Kitty, I felt she was an important family member (closer than any relative outside of my immediate family). My dad and mom said we did the best we could. The next day, my dad ask for getting a new cat. I ask him why? He said. "To get rid of mice. Cheaper than hiring exterminator".

It was then that I realized what this nagging feeling I had the whole time was. That my dad wasn't interested in the cat other than it getting rid of some pest and that he wasn't emotionally invested in them and that his whole idea of how to take care of cats is basically "Feed them and that it." which is how he took care of a black cat in China.

So we got a new cat, named Hera, this Sunday from an animal shelter. Only this time it's was under my name and I paid for it and planning to take responsibility for it.

Submitted November 14, 2017 at 09:09PM by fbiuzz
via reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/cat/comments/7d1jhn/i_think_my_dad_isnt_a_fit_to_take_care_of_cats/?utm_source=ifttt