10 Dating Tips For Cat Lovers

As a cat parent, dating could be a little difficult and awkward, especially if you are very close with your feline. If you are wondering what you need to do to explore the possibility of dating and how you should make your dates more successful then here are a few tips that can help.

Introduce Your Cat

One of the biggest mistakes cat owners make is not discussing their pets at the start. Whether you meet somebody through a mutual friend or online dating sites, the one thing you should always be clear about is that you have a pet and you are proud of him/her.

The reason you should always introduce your pet as soon as possible is that this will save you from building up unrealistic expectations from someone without them knowing the full story. It would be really devastating to find out that the person you’ve been seeing for a couple of months hates cats or is allergic to them.

While you don’t have to make every conversation about your pet, you need to subtly introduce your pet to your potential partner before you take a step further. It also helps you get a clear understanding of whether or not your potential partner is a cat lover. While dating someone who is allergic to cats could be tricky, there is no reason why you shouldn’t date someone who dislikes cats. If you really connect with the person, there is a definite chance of that person coming around to eventually liking your pet.

Make A Good Impression

People often look at cat owners as someone who is socially awkward or someone who doesn’t interact too much with others. Whether or not you are an extrovert, your love for cats has nothing to do with your nature so don’t let people think otherwise.

There is no reason you should be ashamed about owning a cat and the only way you will be able to let people see how confident you are as a cat owner is when you manage to make a good impression. People often believe that cat owners are shabby and lazy. When you go out on your first date, make an effort to look your best and don’t try too hard to impress your date. You should also remember that when you invite someone home, your home should be neat and tidy. Even though you are a cat owner, you don’t have to keep your cat’s litter box in the living area. In fact, this is something every cat owner should do irrespective of whether they plan on dating or not. Let’s face it, no one wants to see poop as soon as they step into your home.

Do Not Push It

Like in every other scenario, dating has its ups and downs. Sometimes, you come across people who are amazing while other times they could be complete jerks. Even if it takes you a couple of dates to figure out the true nature of a person, don’t force yourself to accept someone with a cruel nature.

While not everyone loves cats, even the ones that dislike a cat have no reason to treat them badly or hurt them. If you notice that your date is being mean to your cat, even if it is just verbally, make sure to put your foot down and ask them to leave. You should never tolerate someone who abuses animals.

If your potential date is a great person, but dislikes cats, do not push your cat onto them and force them to like him/her. While they will eventually come around, it needs to happen at its own pace. As long as they don’t mind having a cat around and your relationship with them is great, give your cat and your date sufficient time to get to know each other and things will work out just fine.

Share The Love

As a cat owner, it’s only natural for you to feel possessive about your cat and there could be times where you may want to grab all the attention your feline has to give. A major aspect of your date accepting your pet is to show affection and care towards it.

Do not be afraid to allow your cat to share a little of their love with your date. This will benefit you in the long run, especially if you decide to take a trip with your friends and you need your date to cat-sit for you. It’s also a lot easier to plan a future when your pet is accepting of your partner.

Have An Open Mind

This is something everyone should remember, irrespective of whether or not they are a pet owner. Do not go on a date with a preconceived notion of what you expect from your date in terms of their reaction to you having a cat. As long as you share interests and like each other, give them a little wiggle room to deal with the fact that you have a cat.

Even if they have a pet of their own, this doesn’t rule out the fact that you can still make a terrific pair. Cats do tend to get along with other animals when taught correctly. Always have an open mind if you genuinely like someone and don’t hold back just because you have a cat.

If you have a cat who is possessive and not one to open up to the idea of having other pets around, it still doesn’t mean you should give up on dating people who own pets. A little help from experts goes a long way in helping change your cat’s temperament and making them open towards the idea of dealing with another pet.

Don’t Shy Away From Your Love For Cats

As a cat owner, it comes naturally to try and hide your affection towards your feline. Unlike dog owners who have their pets all over them most of the time, cats are more independent and people often believe that they don’t need attention or affection. Only a true cat lover knows how to please their cat and show them affection.

Just because you’ve met someone doesn’t mean you need to stop showering your cat with affection. Even if you believe your pampering techniques are unconventional and weird, it doesn’t matter. Someone who wants to be with you will find that cute, irrespective. Make the most of the time you spend with your cat and teach your partner to show affection to your pet the same way.

This is however based on the assumption that your cat likes attention from a stranger. If your cat purrs at the sight of a new person in the house, then don’t force the person or your cat to get along with each other. Give them time and space to accept each other at their own pace.

Accept Your Partners Approach

There may be times where your partner may want to deal with your cat differently than you do. Whether or not your partner has a pet, as long as their approach is not harmful to your cat there is no reason why you shouldn’t be open to it.

Allow them to interact and mingle with your pet in a way they feel most comfortable. Don’t pressure them into doing things they may not like, and this goes both ways. While it is important to educate your partner on your cat’s likes and dislikes and any other information that you feel is important, don’t restrict them from doing things just because you are not comfortable with it. Sometimes new things can be good for your pet too, and this is also a great way for them to bond with each other. The more space you give the two and the less interfering you are in their relationship, the better their relationship gets.

Find Mutual Ground

While finding someone who loves your cat would be an ideal situation, this may not always be the case. There could be times you are attracted to someone scared of cats, allergic to them or simply dislikes them. You could also be attracted to someone who has a pet who dislikes your cat. Irrespective of the scenario, it is important for both of you to work together and find mutual ground.

While this is not something that will happen instantly, if both of you are into each other you can always work with your partner to learn how to be together and sort out the differences. In such scenarios, the most important thing is to take it one step at a time.

Be Confident

One of the major reasons cat owners miss out on good dates is because they hold back. Owning a cat doesn’t mean you need to hold back or feel conscious about dating. If anything, you should consider owning a cat as a matter of pride and when you look at your fur baby as part of your family, it only shows you have a beautiful heart.

If you plan to register on dating sites, you can always highlight your cat in one of your pictures and also mention a line or two about being a cat owner in a subtle yet powerful way. The reason it is important to try and highlight your cat in some way is that it automatically helps you filter out any person who has no interest in dating a cat owner. This saves you any embarrassment or heartache on the first date and prevents you from having expectations from a situation that might not work out. Also, having common ground is better because it can help you connect with other cat lovers, and when you have someone with shared interests; it becomes easier for the relationship to blossom.

If somebody makes fun of your cat or puts your cat down while approaching you on a dating site, be bold enough to shut them down. You shouldn’t tolerate people who speak badly about your pet and you certainly shouldn’t date them since it wouldn’t be a healthy relationship and you wouldn’t trust them.

Be Experimental

It is common to step into the world of dating with a certain set of expectations. However, your expectations could be very different from what the world out there has to offer. If you want to date someone with an open mind, the best thing to do is to have as little expectations of the person as possible and see how well both of you work together.

While attraction is important, this seldom boils down to how the person looks. It is usually a lot to do with the nature of the person, their characteristics, sense of humor, intelligence, and how open they are towards your cat. Someone who may come across as a boring individual could end up surprising you with wit and humor once they open up. So if you think there is even a slim chance of something working out or if someone genuinely expresses interest in you, giving them a chance is only fair.

If you have been asked out on a date, it is an opportunity you shouldn’t let go of because someone who is out to impress you will always try harder to pay attention to things that are important to you, including your cat. These are the kind of relationships that don’t need too much work.

Dating isn’t something you need to put a lot of effort into or contemplate too much about – especially your first date. If things work out in your favor, you might have a beautiful relationship, if not, it will add to your experience and you may even learn a thing or two from it. While it is no big deal to date when you have a cat, it isn’t something that should be the focal point of your relationship or the foundation or it, for that matter. Chances are if someone likes you they will make an effort to like your cat too.