It’s not that your pet doesn’t like your company. It just happened that they want to be away from you. Most cats value their alone time; it is their natural instinct and shared personality to be like that. Like humans, if you violate personal space, cats would learn to distrust you. So if you want to maintain a healthy relationship with your cat, you would acknowledge when they want to be held and when to just leave them on their own. This respect would mean so much to them.
Recognizing boundaries reinforces a stronger bond with your cat, and it also trains them to respect yours. After all, you can’t always commit to giving them that 100 percent attention most people expect cats (or animals in general) to give you. Of course, not everyone understands precisely when their feline friends want to be left alone and when they would be interested in playing with you. For these reasons, this article will discuss what a boundary is for cats and how to give your cats space when they need it.
What Boundaries?
For animals, a boundary reminds people that even pets want to diverge from human activity and just be themselves. It’s their chance to quit blending with people and conforming to their expectations. Think of it as taking a break after adhering to all these rules, limits, guidelines, and other restrictions that were already hard for them to follow.
When you don’t recognize their boundary, it is the same as telling them to pretend they are humans when they are not. In fact, animals get physically and mentally stressed when human behaviors are imposed on them. Cats are not stuffed toys under people’s control. They are animals with specific needs that will keep them healthy and happy.
As a pet owner, your responsibility is not to control your pet but to understand them further and treat them like your real friend—with respect. When you set boundaries, you realize more things about your relationship with them, including what your pet likes or dislikes about you.
Don’t believe that personal boundaries are crucial for cats? Here are more reasons why you should care about them and respect them:
- Boundaries provide cats a safe and nonthreatening environment where they can just let loose and relax the way they want to.
- Boundaries give cats time to practice self-care by sleeping longer, eating more, meeting others, and enjoying solo playtime.
- Boundaries contribute to a cat’s recovery from specific injuries and traumas they may have experienced in the past. (Note: Rescue cats will initially be distant and may exhibit aggressive behavior until you earn their trust.)
- Boundaries promote independence and voluntary interaction. Instead of forcing your cat to sit beside you and play ball, give them space. They would surely come to you of their own volition to ask if you can play ball with them.
- Boundaries let cats solve questions and learn from things that have been piquing their interest and curiosity. Doing this is value-adding to their cognitive experience.
Giving Your Cat Personal Space
It may seem strange and unusual if you’re doing this for the first time. Still, you’ll eventually learn how to appreciate this strategy in the future, especially when you become busier with school, work, and other errands. If you’re not used to incorporating these habits, then just take one step at a time and keep the following matters in mind:
- Cats should never be forced to socialize. Doing this will cause your cat to be scared and aggressive toward you and other people.
- Cats should not be taken out of the environment they put themselves in. If they are sleeping or hiding somewhere, just leave them there or call them to come over. Should your cat refuse to follow, just give your furry friend some more time to be there.
- Cats should be separated from animals they don’t want to see. It’s not healthy to bring animals that are not looking for each other in the same environment. Chances are, they will fight over the territory, compete over resources like space or food, and hurt each other.
Seeing things from your cat’s point of view shouldn’t be taxing. All they ask is to be left in their comfort zone until they are ready to interact and spend another regular day with you. Want to make sure that your cat doesn’t hurt themselves while you’re away? Select an area such as a spare bedroom or basement with all the essential pet care items stationed there (e.g., litter box, food and water bowls, toys, and bed). If your cat is nowhere in sight, at least you would know where to find them and where they possibly went.
Perfect Petzzz: Developing Boundaries
Transitioning from closely interacting with your pet to just leaving them alone can be hard if it’s something you’re not quite used to doing. That’s okay because it’s never too late to develop a sense of respect for your cat’s boundaries.
Perfect Petzzz’s lifelike cats can simulate a real pet’s boundaries. Since our cats would be sleeping throughout the day, you’ll be able to test your patience and personality around 6-week-old kittens that only want to sleep. Before you know it, you’ve learned to appreciate and uphold the relevance of a real-life cat’s personal space.
The only difference between our products and live pets is that you can skip the pricey visit to the vet and dodge chaotic cleanups. Our bundles consist of one new plush pet bed, one collar with a pet tag, one pet brush, and one adoption certificate to complete your fun-filled pet ownership simulation.
Are you ready to understand more about your cat? Start adopting a kitten from us through our Amazon shop today!
For any further information, contact us, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can!