Kitty-Rearing

My cat is licking the remains from my bowl of porage oats. I know it's a horrible thing to allow them to do, it creates all kinds of bad habits, but it's just so cute! I was finished, so why not let them enjoy a wee tasty treat? She also put her paw in my empty soy milk cup in hopes of getting a taste of that sweet, milky goodness, but there just wasn't enough left. I poured the last teeny drop in her dish so she could taste it, but she didn't quite get it. All she understood was me putting the glass away. No fair!

I'm really bad with the cats. By that I mean I'm way too soft with them. Scott is the authority figure - I am the cuddly figure, ie, pushover. They run in terror when Scott catches them being bad; they purr and rub against my legs when I catch them.

It's just that they are so darn cute! Rem is licking her paw (the one with soy milk on it) and Clem is trying to catch a bug on the other side of the window. And after all, they're cats. They're gonna be naughty whether you like it or not - it's just a matter of if they're going to bother hiding it from you.

Scott thinks this attitude of mine will spill over into our parenting. He imagines he'll be the authoritative one, and I'll be the softy. But I don't think it will be that way. Cats are cats; babies are teeny human beings with souls. I think I'll end up being a lot like my mom. She was kind, fun and sensitive, but whoa nelly, if you were bad, you better hide! (And I did hide, quite a lot, until she'd bellow out, "If you don't come out right now, it's TWO spankings!") My mom never realised this, especially when I was going through my horrible teens, but I always considered her one of my best friends. She was intimate and loving with us but had our respect too. This is how I want to be, and how I really think I will be. Or at least will try to be.

I don't think I'll be such a pushover with our kids. I truly believe in drawing the lines and not letting my children cross them (as much as anyone can, and we all fail). I know letting your cats eat out of your leftover bowl isn't an example that particularly crosses over to children (or is it?) but the principle remains - just because I let my cats develop a few bad habits doesn't mean I intend to let my kids do the same thing.

But on the other hand, maybe my cats are actually better practice than I realise and the leniencies I adopt now will naturally come out with my kids. I don't know. But in my mind there is such a stark difference between animals who live in my den and humans who will grow up to be independent adults who interact with the world at every turn and have eternal souls, which will one day face God. I really think I'll try harder with the humans.