Title sums it up. What do you reckon?

Call me crazy but I'm convinced cats are really small children in personality but in cat form. They're not animals the way a hedgehog or a mouse is. They have human-type emotions and behavioural patterns.

When I go to sleep at night my cat often lies near my pillow. She looks at me and it's like looking at a person. Without wishing to sound cheesy (oh go on then I will sound cheesy ) I can see her soul in her eyes. The is no way they're really animals, we just think they are because they can't talk, have limited emotions but deep down cats are really small children in cat form. It's obvious, really.

Cats are human beings in cat form. 100 percent.

Anyone arguing this fact is clearly a cat-hater! So there.

anthropomorphism at is finest

I'm a cat lover but they are cats. Not 'small children in cat form'

How many small children are skilled hunters capable of eviscerating their prey without tools?

How many small children are skilled gymnasts capable of death defying leaps?

Cats are independant creatures capable of surviving without us. Everything they do is 'for us' is to fill needs in themselves.

To suggest they are small children is to do them a great disservice.




Yes, I am grumpy this morning. But I'm not 'clearly a cat hater' just because I have more understanding and respect for cats than to think they are like small children.

And what's wrong with a bit of anthropomorphism.

I'm sure we're all guilty in some ways in crediting our pets with unique abilities & characters & it's lovely that owners are so caring & recognise that their pets do have emotions that are in many ways similar to ours. We all know that our pets feel fear, enjoyment, contentment, excitement etc etc.

I went to a conference on Compassion in World Farming a few years ago & there were some fantastic speakers, accredited scientists at the top of their field. The topic for the conference was whether animals are sentient beings. Many of the speakers described in detail how farm animals kept in dreadful, cramped conditions showed severe health & behavioural problems ~ this was supposed to be a huge pointer to the fact that the animals had emotions but how difficult it was for scientists to prove that they had emotions. The last speaker was Marc Bekoff & he strode onto the stage & said what was the point of trying to prove that animals had emotions ~ we all know they do! Surely scientists should work from the assumption that animals DO have emotions, rather than from the assumption that they don't have emotions & trying to find proof that they do! It was quite an inspiring talk.

The only downside in being anthropomorphic (unless you are a scientist perhaps) is that we can sometimes tend to treat our pets as little people in furry coats to the detriment of their natural behaviours & this can create welfare issues. As long as we still recognise deep down, that they are cats/dogs/rabbits etc, each with their special needs & requirements, then why not love them as we would our human relatives.

I agree with every word of this. I dislike children and don't find anything remotely childlike about my 3 adored cats.

My cat is very much part of the family and I'll confess she is my little furry baby!!! But she is a cat, she eats cat food and sleeps in her cat bed (well she doesn't she sleeps with us most night but she is supposed to sleep in her cat bed )

Point being as much as we love her - and we absolutely adore her - we're not about to start dressing her up and pushing her about in a pram

Cats are cats not kids. If I wanted kids I would be using a yoghurt pot and a turkey baster.

have you read the book 'cats have Aspergers' very accurate!

thats the same in my family! even though they seem to act like humans though! instead of knocking on the front door the either maow or climb the window still and also are a bit rebelious! one of our cats is obessed with my mum. follows her everywhere once inside our house

I agree with OP, i think of my cat as a human because i care for his needs like a child.

The more time i spend with him i notice that hes not stupid, he has feelings and he loves receiving affection and giving it back.

i love cats!! my two cats are gorgeous and were indeed like babies...until the baby came along...now i have to stop him terrorising the kittys!!

They can be like children but can be father, mother, sibling, friend etc. too. I've always found cats to be my friends - just love them. Currently on to my tenth pet cat - best pet I've ever had - he's intelligent, loving, funny, sleek and stylish, beautiful looking and a good friend. Cats ROCK!!

Completely agree with this.

Cats stick around as long as you feed them and cater to their needs... you know my dad would say that that sounds just like children

I love my kitty and can tell she loves me back. She is definitely part of my family. But she frequently 'chirrups' at me, like a mother cat does to a kitten, so she may think of me as her child, rather than the other way around!

My cat is more like a teenager. Comes in only for food, grunts at us, then goes out again.

Sleeps all day, is out all night doing goodness know what, teenager most definitely.