Aren't we your friends too?

[popcornbird]

Just something I've been observing for quite awhile now, and had to post about. I wasn't sure where I was supposed to post this.......in General, the Dog House, or in Cat General , but I ended up deciding to put it here.

I have been lurking around Cat General for the past few weeks, and noticed MANY threads that have absolutely NOTHING to do with cats there. These threads include the announcement of new babies (human babies), the need for prayers for some members, tours of peoples' homes, *congratulations of such and such number of posts*, asking about missing members, and just general discussion threads. All of these threads, in my opinion, belong in General. Its no wonder that General has been so quiet lately. While there ARE certain people who are sadly missing from PT, the fact that so many cat people choose to stay amongst themselves leaves an emptiness in the rest of the board. It makes members without cats feel left-out.......like the cat people only want to share their happiness and joy, and everything in life with the cat people, and not with the rest of us.

What did we do to not deserve to be informed of the joyous news of several new grandbabies? And what did we do to have the prayer requests for PT'ers that needed them hidden from us, just because the ones who needed prayers were cat people? I know that I have sadly missed out on praying for several members that were ill or had surgery, because their threads were in Cat General. When the cat people suddenly decided to share pictures of their homes with everyone, I also found it sad that they posted that on the cat side, when those of us without cats would have LOVED to participate too. I don't mean to whine or anything, but I want you all to know that it hurts. It hurts because many of us who don't have cats consider you all to be good friends. When you are having a joyous event happening in your lives, we want to know too, and when someone needs prayers, we are just as concerned as the cat people, and want to have a part in praying for the person that needs them the most. We would also have enjoyed your house tours just as much as the cat people, and it would have been nice if the non-cat people were invited to join in too. Instead, the non-cat people felt the need to make house tours of their own in General, away from everyone else.

I just can't understand why its like this. The dog, bird, rabbit, rat, reptile, mulit-pet people, etc. all seem to grow close to each other despite the differences they have in pet-choice. Why do some of the cat people feel the need to keep a gap between us. I'm definitely NOT implying that all cat people like to stay amongst themselves, but I've noticed it SEEMS that many do. I have many very dear friends from the cat side, so I'm not saying everyone on this board with cats likes to refrain from becoming friends with non-cat people. I'm definitely not saying that. My point in making this thread is just to tell you that the non-cat people share your happiness and joy, and consider you all to be friends. Why do we have to be left out? While I do go to Cat General to see pictures of all the gorgeous cats and respond, I don't feel comfortable responding to *General-related* threads in Cat General, because it seems those threads were posted there to avoid the rest of us. Sometimes I suddenly notice a member that I think is new, and to my surprise, that member has thousands of posts. Because some members stay on the cat side only, sadly, it is like many of us don't even know several of our valued members.

I'm sorry if my posting this offends anyone, but I've been feeling this way for sometime, and had to let it out. Pet Talk is not a Cat-only board. Its a board for people with ALL animals, and I feel we should ALL be friends, no matter what animals we choose to have in our lives. Posting general topics in the cat side only makes the people without cats feel left out. I love many, many (actually most) of the cat people here, and I feel left out when their threads un-related to cats are posted away from the rest of us. I noticed people posting general topics in the cat side saying they're doing so because all of their friends are there. Aren't we your friends too?

And before anyone says anything........I ***love*** cats, so I don't mean to offend anyone at all. I'm only posting this because it makes me sad to see some of you share things that have nothing to do with cats, with your friends that have cats only.

[GoldenRetrLuver]

I have to agree, Pops.

I really don't feel welcomed over on the Cat boards, even though I have cats. Maybe it's because I'm more of a "dog person". I really feel like they're a seperate board then the rest of us.. and I, too, have probably missed out on alot of threads that I would have loved to see.

I'm not saying that it's all of the cat people, but I've been noticing it alot with a good amount of members here. We all love, and have a special bond with animals, and I would think it would bring us together, despite what type of animal you have.

[Kfamr]

Amazing but it is so.. I agree with everything stated above.
I've felt this way for a while and have discussed it with many of my close friends here. I just don't feel as if the Cat Section is an actual part of PT anymore. It's like a completely different forum to me now.

I always try to reply to each general forum, and sometimes the other sections.. but since not recieving many replies or comments when I was cat-sitting, yet recieving tons of rude hurtful replies (among many lovely, caring posts ) when considering the adoption of a cat.. i've just been pushed away.


I've also noticed more and more things being done on the cat side (Like the Cat Houses, wanting a Cat only Gift Swap) that others would LOVE to participate in.. but it's "Cat Only"

I felt bad about there being a "Dog Only" contest in the dog section, so I was going to hold a Cat One as well.. but I decided against it because I figured no one would bother to reply.

[Tonya]

I can't speak for everyone else, especially since I just recently begun hanging out on the catside. But I can tell you what attracted me to the cat side. The atmosphere over there seems to be alot more relaxed and nonjudgemental. For the most part, everyone seems to get along well. I've yet to have my blood pressure rise on the cat side. When I want to relax and be guaranteed that I'm not going to read any drama, I just check out the cat side.

[slick]

PCB:

While I am a cat person, I love all animals and I put the onus on myself to make sure that I visit and respond to all other forums. While I have not done that much lately because of some stresses in my life right now, I do at least lurk at the Pet and Dog section EVERYTIME I log on.

I go agree that there are some threads in the Cat General that belong in General but I don't see that as intentionally keeping information from others and purposely only sharing it with other cat people. I think it's just a mistake on their part. Why don't you PM Karen and have her move them?

I would hate to think that if I want to start a thread on making a bandana for my cat that I would have to post it in Cat General and General so the Pet and Dog people can see.

Just my opinion, and yes PCB, I do consider you a friend.

[popcornbird]

Originally posted by Tonya
I can't speak for everyone else, especially since I just recently begun hanging out on the catside. But I can tell you what attracted me to the cat side. The atmosphere over there seems to be alot more relaxed and nonjudgemental. For the most part, everyone seems to get along well. I've yet to have my blood pressure rise on the cat side. When I want to relax and be guaranteed that I'm not going to read any drama, I just check out the cat side.

That's the problem. If they all posted those nice relaxed, nonjudgmental threads in General, when those threads aren't cat-related, General would be a much better place. After all, Cat General and General are part of the same forum, and have the same people, so why post those things in Cat General?

Slick.....a bandana for your cat is a total cat-topic.

[catnapper]

I don't know... to be honest, the cat side feels soooo much better. Tonya is 100% right. I don't visit dog side much, and post less because it "feels" so different. So cliquish (sp?) Nicki's posts get like 5 answers, and they are always the same 5 peope (thank you, you know who you are... it means the world to me that you respond.)

As for the threads in cat general that belong in general, as for baby ones, I know they were in BOTH places because a lot of people never stray from the cat side to even venture into general. They were just announcing a major life event. The cathouse threads were totally not meant to offend anyone! They were meant to be fun! I posted my "cathouse" in cat general because I honestly felt more comfortable opening my doors there. The atmosphere is warmer and closer. I know the majoity of those who post in there, and I do not know them as well in general. My renovated third floor went there because the cathouse threads began there. You know I've posted things I've been working on in general... my daughter's room went here as I was working on it and after I was done. I'm not playing favorites here.

Also a ton of people only go to cat general. When I first started posting, it was MONTHS before I realized there was other borads here! (darn favorites tab!) and I asked for prayers before I knew I could ask for them in general.

Also, there might seem to be a lot of "uncatlike" threads, but if you went to cats a lot, then you'd notice there is a lot that are part of a running "inside" joke. If they were posting in General, the response wouldn't be the same and there would be a lot of people left clueless as to what was going on. To me, that would be more insulting to post something in general as an inside joke that would leave others confused.

[jenluckenbach]

I kinda see both sides of the "argument".

If it is not about cats, should it be in cat general?

On the other hand, I know of a few people that ONLY read cat general due to time restrictions and THOSE are the people that would miss items put anywhere else. If I have (what I would concider) a "MAJOR" announcement that I did not want my cat friends to miss, I would be tempeted to do the same thing.

I don't know which is right and which is wrong, so I just post to the threads no matter where they are.

[CamCamPup33]

I completely agree PCB.

Most of the people from Cat general *ONLY* post there. Some of them I haven't even seen here before, or on any other part of the forum.

I wish they would post here too, we would like to get to know them just the same..

[DogLover9501]

Okay, well I don't spend most of my PT time on the cat-side, actually not alot of time at all, I read stories and things and thats it, but it's still always a nice experience.

I don't want to get into everything, but I want to say something about what catnapper said...

I post alot of "pointless" things, even stories(which is SUPOSED to be part of sharing your pets) about Tigger on the cat side and usually get a decent ammount of replies.

A story on the dog side gets 0-5 replies, so there is just *SOOOO* many things that I don't bother to post about.

But I do post them about Tigger, because I always get more replies on the cat-side.

*SOMETIMES* To me it seems like the cat-side is a bit more friendly, because sometimes it seems on the dog-side that SOME people play favorites, and reply to 'friends' threads or 'favored' dogs and not others, while on the cat-side Im sure some people are closer than others, but they still don't let that effect their posting.

Just my 2 cents...

[binka_nugget]

Interesting thread..

I sometimes stray onto the cat side and feel the urge to reply to a picture thread and leave a nice comment but I don't because I don't really feel welcome. It seems like everyone is so much closer, as a whole (although, I wouldn't disagree to the clique comment about the dog side).

It would be nice to see some more cat people venture over here.

[Kfamr]

Originally posted by catnapper
I don't visit dog side much, and post less because it "feels" so different. So cliquish (sp?) Nicki's posts get like 5 answers, and they are always the same 5 peope (thank you, you know who you are... it means the world to me that you respond.)

That's exactly how I feel about the cat section. It's like you have to have cats to actually get replies there, or post something that someone doesn't agree with. But, then again, I know many who feel the same way as me, and DO have cats... it's very unfortunate we have to feel like this either way.. on either part of PT.

It's PET Talk.. not Cat Talk, Dog Talk, Bird Talk, Bunny Talk ect.. Everyone should be included and welcomed no matter if they have dogs, cats, or nothing at all.

I try to contribute to the cat side, but as I said it just pushes me away when no one bothers to reply... but then I get replies from people who haven't bothered to reply to ANYTHING at all of mine, just to put me down about wanting to get a cat.


I just looked in Cat General, and I noticed about 4 threads on the first page alone that should have been but in general instead of Cat General.

There have been on some rare occasions that someone posts about something in Dog General that should be in General, but That's only maybe once or twice... it's constantly done in Cat General.

I'm just glad someone's finally said something about this more out in the open because it's how I and many others have felt for the longest time.... Maybe we can start acting like a "PET talk" and stop seperating the cat lovers from the dog lovers, from the bird lovers, etc.

[Tonya]

The simplest most innocent threads turn into a holy war in dog general. I think instead of worrying about who posts what where, we should start worrying more about making PT a happy place. There's way to much cattiness and drama.

[Amber]

I noticed it too poppy.

If you guys would get to know the dog side, you would see that we do care about people, and there dogs. We give advice, and share pictures. We do not argue all the time. hardly ever.

[micki76]

I've noticed that too. I've posted a few times in Cat General, but I usually don't really feel comfortable there. Kinda like I'm intruding in their world. It does feel like the cat people are separating themselves from a lot of others on the board.