Having a cat is wonderful. But if you’ve never owned one before, there’s one thing you should know before you bring that adorable kitten or senior cat home.
Don’t buy them anything. Ever.
Sure, we get it. You want to shower your new snuggle bug with presents. But when it comes to cats, they’re not likely to appreciate it. Just ask all the other cat owners who’ve spent way too much money on toys, beds, and climbing towers…only to have their felines outright reject them.
Cats just have a way of marching to a unique beat. They don’t care you spent a lot of money choosing a present for them. That cat bed might’ve cost $60, but they can find a way comfier box. In fact, they can sleep pretty much anywhere. They can also climb and play with almost anything. So, they really don’t need any towers or toys.
When it comes to your cat, keep your money for other things and just enjoy the relationship. They’ll find plenty of things to do. And if you do ever get them a gift, don’t be surprised if they misuse it…or ignore it altogether.
1. Jungle cat’s watching you from the tree
That’s a comfortable cat teepee. What feline wouldn’t enjoy climbing in there for a snooze? Well, it looks like this one prefers things from a more elevated position.
Are you looking for a way to keep your kitty from drinking out of the faucet? How about a new water dish with its own faucet? Nah, just kidding. It won’t work.
You’d think a cat wouldn’t need to be told twice about a window perch. But I guess it hasn’t quite clicked. Or maybe it has and he just doesn’t care.
4. Just do whatever you want
If my cats did this, I’d just be happy they were using the beds. They’re using them wrong, but at least they’re using them.
If you get your cat anything that comes in a box, be prepared for them to pay more attention to the box than the present. More than likely, they won’t even notice the present.
6. The cat condo seems to be a hit
Like we said…anything that comes in a box will be a good present. Every cat loves a good box. Will they even notice the real gift? It’s doubtful.
Isn’t this just like a cat? She has a comfortable, clean bed where she can enjoy a warm, private nap. Instead, she chooses to sleep a foot away on the hard floor.
This cat got a nice new toy that should provide hours of fun…in theory, at least. But he’s decided it’s for sitting in, not for playing on.
This photo is a great summary of what it’s like to own a cat. They refuse your presents and then laugh at you for even trying. So rude.
Look at that wonderful, warm, cozy, new cat bed. It’s been roundly rejected in favor of a dustpan…a literal pan for holding dirt.
11. He prefers the homemade version
This cat had a homemade bed carved out of a box. It was only supposed to be a placeholder until his real bed came. But he’d already fallen in love.
12. He’ll use it how he wants to use it
Cats need to sharpen their claws, and ideally, they should use scratching posts rather than furniture or curtains. But this cat doesn’t care about your rules.
13. I hate your bed and I hate you
What an adorable little shark bed, this cat owner thought. The cat will love it. As it turns out, the cat hates the bed and doesn’t care how cute it is.
One cat owner stumbled across an ingenious solution. The best way to get the kitty to use the cat bed…put a box inside it. Works every time.
Sure, that cat tower was bought especially for him and it has everything he needs. But this box is HIS and no one can take it away.
16. Don’t tell me what to do
Give a cat a rule and you can expect them to break it or find a way around it. He doesn’t care the inside of this bed is cozy and warm. He only cares about doing things his way.
Is there anything ruder than taking a nap on the floor…three inches away from the cat bed? The sheer audacity of cats is unbelievable.
You buy your cat all kinds of toys that you think they’ll love. Then they destroy paper towels because it’s way more fun. Also, because they’re jerks.
19. “It’s just what I wanted”
Doesn’t every cat want a personal plastic bag to lay in? If it comes with a cat gym, that’s just a detail. We’re mostly focused on the bag.
20. Don’t waste your money
No matter how much you spend on what looks like an amazing bed, your cat will find somewhere else to sleep. It’s usually in a box. Or a bag. Or on the floor.
21. Doesn’t want toys, just underpants
This local pervert had plenty of toys but preferred to steal underwear from unsuspecting neighbors. Not only is he ungrateful, but he’s also a thief.
22. They found the best seat in the house
These cute little kittens have plenty of places to sit or snooze, but they’ve found a better one. That laptop is warm, which is ideal for small kitty butts.
23. As long as you’re comfortable
This cat doesn’t need a soft, comfy bed — though he almost certainly has one. He prefers to destroy a roll of paper towels and get fur everywhere because, well, he can.
24. Has a bed, prefers the pizza
This might just be the rudest animal in the entire world. You know he has a nice bed somewhere in the house, but where does he sit? On the pizza.
25. I’ll sleep in this garbage, thanks
This is why you should never buy your cat a bed: it’ll sleep anywhere but there. Yes, that includes crawling inside an envelope to make a sleeping bag.
Cats are very particular about their litter box, and this owner has thoughtfully supplied two clean ones. That didn’t stop the cat from being a total jerk.
27. They don’t care about their climbing tower
You spend time and money picking out a climbing tower for your cats, and how do they repay you? By scratching your screen door to shreds.
28. Doesn’t want toys, has his own
This cat had plenty of lovely toys, but he didn’t care about them. Instead, he stole more than 100 of his owner’s hair ties and stashed them under the couch.
29. Who needs cat toys when you can have kid toys?
It didn’t matter how many toys his owners bought him. He preferred to steal the kids’ toys and fight for his right to keep them.
30. Have a comfy bed but prefer toilet paper
If you supply your cats with everything they need, they won’t make a mess, right? Wrong. They prefer to make a nest of toilet paper instead of using their bed.
Why shouldn’t you buy your cat a bed? Because they prefer to sit in a box and chew the corners off. Isn’t that more fun?
32. Two water bowls? No thanks
This cat has two full water bowls that are just for him, but he doesn’t care. He prefers to steal water from the flowers regardless of what you think.
Buy him a cat bed? But he already has a cat bed. It’s called a planter, where he can burrow in the dirt and kill all your succulents.
34. “Thanks for the new bed”
Try as you might, you’ll never convince the cat this bed isn’t for him. And don’t try getting one for himself. He won’t use it.
35. Just nap on the toilet paper
Forget sleeping in a comfortable bed your owner bought just for you. This adorable kitten prefers to make a mess of toilet paper and then sleep in the destruction.
Having a cat is wonderful. But if you’ve never owned one before, there’s one thing you should know before you bring that adorable kitten or senior cat home.
Don’t buy them anything. Ever.
Sure, we get it. You want to shower your new snuggle bug with presents. But when it comes to cats, they’re not likely to appreciate it. Just ask all the other cat owners who’ve spent way too much money on toys, beds, and climbing towers…only to have their felines outright reject them.
Cats just have a way of marching to a unique beat. They don’t care you spent a lot of money choosing a present for them. That cat bed might’ve cost $60, but they can find a way comfier box. In fact, they can sleep pretty much anywhere. They can also climb and play with almost anything. So, they really don’t need any towers or toys.
When it comes to your cat, keep your money for other things and just enjoy the relationship. They’ll find plenty of things to do. And if you do ever get them a gift, don’t be surprised if they misuse it…or ignore it altogether.