Being a PPP - Pretentious Pet Parent!

Have you heard of being a DINK as a couple with a double income and no kids? Well, being a PPP is being a pretentious pet parent. That is an owner or owners who are hopelessly and practically in love with their pets. Having great hopes for the lives our of pets means we want them to live as our companions for a long long time. At a recent vet visit, we heard that the record life of a dog is 39 years. The record life of a cat is 38 years. One of family members had their cat for 33 years. A PPP who is best friends with their pets want their lives to be as fulfilled as they can be under their roof.

This leads one to question what is a fulfilled life for one's pet? Well, as for people, it falls into the categories of having a positive social life, a healthy lifestyle, getting regular doctor visits, and having work life balance. This PPP has 4 cats and that is because she likes to have a social life in the house. The 4 cats provide each of them with their feline society of friends. There's two senior cats and two junior cats. Our situation is new. I have mother-like love flutterings for my youngest. This is not unlike those of new romance. So for each little mess-up we fall into from the smallest exploring his surroundings, I fix it up and fawn on him adoringly. It's wonderful to see life through the new experience of a baby family member.

Did you know that normal cat food is too high carb? If a cat goes on eating the same diet for a long time, it is exceedingly sure they will get diabetes. We have one with diabetes. She is a trooper. She comes fore her shots, climbs in the chair, and waits. She gets her shot. Then, she gets a massage. This works the insulin in. Finally, she gets off to have her morning treat of wet cat food. Everyone participates. Everyone benefits. Working the shot into the morning routine of what is normal to get the day started makes it a positive routine. As cats age, they tend to have special diets to conform to their changing bodies. They become special needs cats. However, that extra special care leads to deeper bonding with the owners. It is a two way reward.

Cats need regular visits to their doctors. In a multi-cat household, this is where with the business of life, there can be issues. Particularly for older cats, the vet visit is a method of catching early any signs of onset of disease or sickness. It is catching ailments early that permits them longer quality filled lives.

For each cat, they need about 15 minutes of attention a day. We probably give our cats more. We hang out as a pride. We migrate as a group. Where we go the cats go and where the cats go we go. Where we have to monitor ourselves is that work-life balance key to happiness. We have to stop work to play. Hopefully, we fit the profile of a PPP in playing with our cats. The cats can play by theirselves. That is a sign they are well adjusted and happy. However, the play with the cats maintains the cat-owner bond. Lunch hour is play time here. We use the halls to send the cats running after balls, or set them up with cardboard boxes in which to play hide and seek.

In the end, the activities are destressors for both the cats and the owners. There are positive health effects and more positive outlooks from these healthy relationships. Here's to PPPs playing with their pets!