Superstitions

Black cats were brought up recently. I've known some very nice black
cats in the last few years. Fedders (RB) and Schwartzie were very
friendly boys. Fedders more outgoing, Schwarzie is still a little shy.
Not quite so shy he won't occasionally roll over on my driveway for a
belly rub.

I'm reminded of when Persia first came to live with me back in my
apartment in TN. It was a unique apartment setting, more like duplexes.
All on one level, only two adjoining apartments together.

There was a woman and her husband living in the apartment next door.
They had a little boy, about 3 years old. Persia would sit in the front
window waiting for me to come home from work. The woman told me her
little boy *loved* seeing Persia sitting in the window. He wanted a cat.

She told me he couldn't have a cat because she was pregnant and the cat
might "smother the baby". (Years ago, cats were accused of "sucking a a
baby's breath".)

http://www.livescience.com/22449-do-...ir-breath.html

I barely knew her so I didn't say this to her, but my first thought was
ever heard of baby monitors?! Just keep the door to the nursery closed.
Don't let the cat in the room with an infant. What's so difficult
about that concept?

I remember thinking the little boy would probably have a hard time,
having been the apple of mommy's eye. He would have probably
appreciated having a sweet cat to love while her attention was on the
baby. It wasn't my place to say anything, but thinking about it still
sort of ticks me off. And it was all due to old wives tales rather than
using a lick of common sense.

Jill

On 10/5/2014 2:08 PM, Judith Latham wrote:
In article , jmcquown
wrote:

I'm reminded of when Persia first came to live with me back in my
apartment in TN. It was a unique apartment setting, more like duplexes.
All on one level, only two adjoining apartments together.

There was a woman and her husband living in the apartment next door.
They had a little boy, about 3 years old. Persia would sit in the front
window waiting for me to come home from work. The woman told me her
little boy *loved* seeing Persia sitting in the window. He wanted a cat.

She told me he couldn't have a cat because she was pregnant and the cat
might "smother the baby". (Years ago, cats were accused of "sucking a a
baby's breath".)

http://www.livescience.com/22449-do-...ir-breath.html

I barely knew her so I didn't say this to her, but my first thought was
ever heard of baby monitors?! Just keep the door to the nursery closed.
Don't let the cat in the room with an infant. What's so difficult
about that concept?

I remember thinking the little boy would probably have a hard time,
having been the apple of mommy's eye. He would have probably
appreciated having a sweet cat to love while her attention was on the
baby. It wasn't my place to say anything, but thinking about it still
sort of ticks me off. And it was all due to old wives tales rather than
using a lick of common sense.

Jill

I do agree with you on how seemingly intelligent, rational people just
accept such nonsense without even considering checking the facts. It
really is beyond me how they can do it without feeling an idiot. It makes
me angry and frustrated.

As you say, I bet life would have been easier for the little boy and
therefore the family if he'd had a cat to have as his own when the baby
arrived.

Judith

The little boy may have been fine with the baby, although from her
demeanor I didn't get the feeling he was being "included" in the
process, if you know what I mean. Just my impression.

I didn't (and still don't) understand the big deal about not letting the
boy have a cat. Maybe he was a tad young, but isn't that the age to
teach children to be respectful and gentle with pets? Besides, audio
baby monitors have been around for decades.

Seems to me, even with the door shut, she would still hear the baby
crying. I didn't have children but my ears were fine-tuned to hearing
Persia. If she wasn't sleeping on the bed with me, she could wake me
out of a dead sleep with a simple meow. Heaven forbid if she yowled as
if she was in some sort of distress... I was out of bed in an instant!
What's wrong?! :-D

Jill

When I was a child, it was well known to put a net over a small infant in
case a cat settled over its face. Not that the cat was sucking the breath,
more that it might like the warmth and smother it unknowingly.
Both my brothers had nets over their prams just in case.

We had no cat at the time and the likelihood of a random cat coming along
and smothering my baby brothers was remote. Especially as we had a dog
which wouldn't have allowed a cat anywhere near the place.




I don't know whether I did too, probably I did.
The olikel

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
Black cats were brought up recently. I've known some very nice black cats
in the last few years. Fedders (RB) and Schwartzie were very friendly
boys. Fedders more outgoing, Schwarzie is still a little shy. Not quite
so shy he won't occasionally roll over on my driveway for a belly rub.

I'm reminded of when Persia first came to live with me back in my
apartment in TN. It was a unique apartment setting, more like duplexes.
All on one level, only two adjoining apartments together.

There was a woman and her husband living in the apartment next door. They
had a little boy, about 3 years old. Persia would sit in the front window
waiting for me to come home from work. The woman told me her little boy
*loved* seeing Persia sitting in the window. He wanted a cat.

She told me he couldn't have a cat because she was pregnant and the cat
might "smother the baby". (Years ago, cats were accused of "sucking a a
baby's breath".)

http://www.livescience.com/22449-do-...ir-breath.html

I barely knew her so I didn't say this to her, but my first thought was
ever heard of baby monitors?! Just keep the door to the nursery closed.
Don't let the cat in the room with an infant. What's so difficult about
that concept?

I remember thinking the little boy would probably have a hard time, having
been the apple of mommy's eye. He would have probably appreciated having
a sweet cat to love while her attention was on the baby. It wasn't my
place to say anything, but thinking about it still sort of ticks me off.
And it was all due to old wives tales rather than using a lick of common
sense.

Jill
we don't seem to have the same discrimination here about black cats. They
are supposed to be lucky.
I don't mind a bit whatever colour cat I have. They are all cats and the
suggestion that colour matters needs thinking about.

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...



there is anti cat propaganda going around on facebook!

Matt Ferrari wrote:
"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...


there is anti cat propaganda going around on facebook!

Well, you know the old saying - people who don't like cats were rats in
a previous incarnation!

On 10/18/2014 5:36 AM, Matt Ferrari wrote:
"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...



there is anti cat propaganda going around on facebook!



Who cares what people on Facebook think?

Jill

"Matt Ferrari" wrote in message
...

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...



there is anti cat propaganda going around on facebook!



I didn't say that.

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
On 10/18/2014 5:36 AM, Matt Ferrari wrote:
"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...



there is anti cat propaganda going around on facebook!



Who cares what people on Facebook think?

Jill

I didn't say that - too much snipping. I have no idea who said it.
Not me.

On 10/21/2014 3:09 PM, Christina Websell wrote:
"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
On 10/18/2014 5:36 AM, Matt Ferrari wrote:
"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...



there is anti cat propaganda going around on facebook!



Who cares what people on Facebook think?

Jill

I didn't say that - too much snipping. I have no idea who said it.
Not me.


It was Matt. Yet another reason to avoid Facebook, IMHO.

Jill