Aren't we your friends too?

[anna_66]

I have to say I usually stay on the dog side or general and seldom venture onto the cat or pet sides. I guess it's because I only have dogs. But there have been times when I have crossed over because I do love looking at the kitties/bunnies etc.

I wouldn't say I feel unwelcomed or anything in the other sections, I just don't feel I have the same things in common with the kitty owners so I think I make myself feel strange when I post there.

I guess what I'm trying to say is dog people mainly stay in dog. That's where most of their friends are and the same with cat and pet, so I assume that's why they post there. Some people are lucky to have many different types of furry friends!

Don't exactly know why I had to post this, just felt I did

[Miss Meow]

I think some people have limited time to participate in every PT section and gravitate towards the places they feel the most welcome.

For example, I don't spend much time in the 'pet' section as much as I love rabbits, guinea pigs, horses, rats and all the other great animals there. Just because I'm not there doesn't mean I don't feel welcome. It just means I don't get there often.

Maybe some people avoid the this forum, 'other - general', because of all the seemingly innocent threads that turn into personal attacks, and maybe because they are pet people and don't have the time or interest to hang out here and chew the fat on other subjects.

Sometimes it's totally innocent: Catmandu got a lot of replies to his birthday thread in the cat forum but not in this forum. Why? Because he's well known on the cat side and those of us who know him know that he isn't able to spend long at the computer and come to the general side very often. While it might look a bit clannish to the casual observer, I thought it was a sweet gesture to make sure he saw the good wishes on his birthday.

You can always click 'view most recent threads' or whatever it's called to see what's happening on all the forums. I think it's great that Karen and Paul are relaxed in their moderator duties and allow things to develop organically in the forums. It encourages me to check as many forums as I can, when I can, in case I miss something.

[Tonya]

Well said, Miss Meow.

[Freckles]

Originally posted by Pam
Well when I come to Pet Talk I go to View Today's Active Threads. I very, very rarely go to a specific forum (maybe visit Dog Health or Cat Health if there is a sick little furry one ailing and I want to check on them) or if I start a thread I try to put it in the appropriate forum.

By only visiting View Today's Active Topics I get quite a mix to choose from as Dog, Cat and Pet are all there, just a bit jumbled together. I find it makes it easier for me and saves time to do it this way.

My sentiments exactly. It's often AFTER I have read a thread that I look to see where it originated.

I VIEW all over the board, but I don't post unless I have something specific to add.
FYI
49% of my posts are in Other
30% in Cat
24% in Dog and
4% in Pet.

[jazzcat]

I can see both sides of this too. Honestly for months I never looked at General and when I did I was like, wow, another world of PT. I know there are several on the cat side that just don't have time to visit anything more than Cat General and I'm guilty of that on my busier days.

I feel more welcomed on the dog side now but at first I felt like I didn't fit in because there seem to be favorites and certain groups. I rarely got many replies to any of my posts and gave up but now I feel more welcomed. The cat side has just always been more receptive to my posts.

I've tried going to Pet General and replying when I have time but so many of those posts are foreign to me since I have never even been around some of those pets before.

Anyway, I'm sorry if I've ever posted anything at Cat General that made anyone feel excluded and I truly believe no one does it there to exclude the rest of PT. I've just noticed that I don't get as many replies on General so I post on Cat General where most of my closer friends are sure to see but 99% of my post are about my cats anyway.

[Aspen and Misty]

I know exactly how you feel. When "cat people" come to genral I have noticed there post normally begin with "I don't venture much off of the cat side but..."

Hmm, o well. The cat side keeps to them selves. The dog side plays favorites, pet genral is for the birds and genral is where we all SHOULD come together.

Ashley

[Kfamr]

I don't get what you mean by the dog side plays favorites. I'm pretty sure we all have your favorite PT dogs, Cats, birds, etc... Not just the dog side.


I try my HARDEST to reply to everyone in Dog General.. lately i've been slacking though with the new pup and school. Please explain by what you mean about "playing favorites"

[wolf_Q]

I have to agree with you PCB.

[GoldenRetrLuver]

I can see what some people mean by playing favorites. I try really hard not to do it, and reply to everyone's picture threads, posts, etc. If I miss yours, I'm sorry; it's nothing intentional.

[Barbara]

Originally posted by Miss Meow

Sometimes it's totally innocent: Catmandu got a lot of replies to his birthday thread in the cat forum but not in this forum. Why? Because he's well known on the cat side and those of us who know him know that he isn't able to spend long at the computer and come to the general side very often. While it might look a bit clannish to the casual observer, I thought it was a sweet gesture to make sure he saw the good wishes on his birthday.

This is exactly why I started that thread on Cat General. Thanks Nicole for reading my mind.

I love cats and dogs (and in a life with less work and more space around the house I would probably have both) but actually it is the cat side where I found my closest online friends. I have no idea how I figured them out in the first year- and I still think it is a miracle that some of them turned out to be purrfect real life friends as well- my age, similar ideas about life- incredible


Now my time is limited- (we had that thread about everyone feeling guilty for not posting enough ) and so I try to follow the stories of people and pets who are closest to my heart.

However it makes me happy to see that there are many groups of friends here and I think in general they are open and overlap. Of course if you post in another forum (I will soon post some pictures of my mom's dog in DG) then you don't have the same status as a regular poster- but I think that's ok. It is the same when you start- you are a new kid on the block.

But daily there are people who become regulars. I enjoyed that the Chritsmas list was not constricted to one forum. Since then I know some more Dog people too.

[jenluckenbach]

I too, always come to Pet Talk home page and hit View Today's Active Threads. It is a great feature and helps you "see" the whole range of topics.

[Pam]

Originally posted by jazzcat

99% of my post are about my cats anyway.

Disney needs more coverage! LOL! I am just teasing really. I love seeing Disney in your signature and the pictures you have posted are precious! I am just sort of rattling your chain because I know that I post more about my dogs these days than my cats and some of the cat people have noted that too. It's not that I love Trevor and Andy any less but they are getting older and less active and don't really do too much that is newsworthy, but rather sleep a lot.

That said, the times that I do post on the cat side, with pictures, etc. I feel very welcome there. I guess what I am trying to say is that if one makes an attempt to stay "in touch" with all of the boards you get a better feeling about everything. Unfortunately with time constraints and the increase in members it is not possible. I have probably blundered what I have been trying to say and maybe made no sense at all.

[Rachel]

Originally posted by Pam
Well when I come to Pet Talk I go to View Today's Active Threads. I very, very rarely go to a specific forum (maybe visit Dog Health or Cat Health if there is a sick little furry one ailing and I want to check on them) or if I start a thread I try to put it in the appropriate forum.

By only visiting View Today's Active Topics I get quite a mix to choose from as Dog, Cat and Pet are all there, just a bit jumbled together. I find it makes it easier for me and saves time to do it this way, however I know I miss some good threads probably because they get pushed down, but there are only 24 hrs. in the day anyway!

That is what I do as well. I can only spend a very small portion of time on Pet Talk and can only read a few threads each visit. I enjoy the cat threads as much as the dog threads, even though I don't have a cat. I have posted on the cat threads and don't worry about whether that post is welcome or not. Whatever and wherever I post, it is posted with the best of intensions and I have to let it ride on that. Also whether or not someone replies is not an issue to me, because knowing my own time limitations, I realize that a person can enjoy the sharing aspect of another without necessarily responding. That said, it is absolutely wonderful to know that someone noted. agrees with you, or is prompted by something you have posted and I treasure each reference to something I have said.

I do envy those who are able to get acquainted and really know who is who and so much about one another's lives. When Pet Talk started out, there were only a fraction of regulars here that there are now. I was able to be in the mix and keep up with everyone. Now I do feel like an outsider and that very few people know me. In keeping things on the Cat Side, maybe those individuals are in a way staying in their smaller community because the *big city* of Pet Talk as a whole is just more than they feel they can get a grasp of.

PCP, I think your feelings were well articulated and you definitely have made a good point, but unless someone comes out and states or implies that you aren't welcome on the Cat Side, I think you should just go over and participate at will.

[Pam]

Originally posted by Rachel
In keeping things on the Cat Side, maybe those individuals are in a way staying in their smaller community because the *big city* of Pet Talk as a whole is just more than they feel they can get a grasp of.

I agree with this 100%!! Having been here since PT's inception I remember those days of fewer threads where one could keep up. Rachel, I think you have put my thoughts into words beautifully and you have done it without blabbering on and losing people in the process!

[RobiLee]

This is a very interesting and good thread, PCB. I sometimes feel like you also.

I've read all the posts and everyone has some great points. I guess it all comes down to where you feel comfortable at. I do think it would be nice if we could all mingle a little bit more. I know that I usually stay in Dog General and and I like go to General to see what the rest of the forum is up too. I have been to Cat General and have even posted some pics of my mom's kitty and I have to admit that I felt a little uncomfortable there. I think that is just because I am basically a newbie at that side. I am aware that the more you post the more people get to know you and then the more they will respond to your posts. That part just takes time.

I have to say that I don't understand what Cataholic means by "clutter" and I wish people didn't feel like there are favorites being played in dog general. I have a feeling that most people try to post to as much as they can but just don't have enough time in the day. I also know that there have been friendships formed outside of pet talk and I think that is a wonderful thing

I have so many thoughts running through my head and I can't seem to type out what I really want to say. I'm not making much sense...lol.

All I know is I LOVE PET TALK!! And...wish that we could all be friends and share in each others joys and sorrows!

Robin