ADVERTISEMENT

Even if you are generally a happy person, everyone has bad days and sometimes you don’t even know the reason why you are feeling down. Even if you can’t find out what is upsetting you right away, it is more important to know what can lift you up.

For Twitter user Elle Em, it is cats. They went on Twitter saying they weren’t having the best time and asked people to not just show their cats, but also expose their vices and naughty behavior in a form of an AITA from a cat’s perspective.

Image credits: ellle_em

People voluntarily shared the photos of their pets and came up with some amusing AITA questions, so if you are also having a bad day, the list might be the right medicine for you.

More info: Twitter

Elle Em, also known as Elle Maruska, was born and raised in New Jersey. They are an American currently living in southwestern Spain with their husband and soon 13-year-old daughter. They have a degree in MA in World History "which is obviously very useful for running a cat sanctuary" as Elle says in her introduction to Bored Panda.

Apparently, there are a lot of stray cats in the city, so the shelters are always overwhelmed and there are more cats in the streets than people willing to help them, so Elle accidentally turned their house into an unofficial cat rescue/sanctuary. 

Elle describes how their family came into that situation on their Patreon: “When my family and I moved to Spain, we thought it would be fun to foster a litter of kittens. Which then became another litter. And another. And some adults. And more kittens. And more adults.”

Elle tells us more of the history of turning their house into a cat sanctuary. Turns out, their family moved to Spain in 2018 and because they didn't know anyone there, they started "perusing local facebook groups and noticed there was a real need for people willing to foster unwanted cats."

ADVERTISEMENT

Elle reached out to a few people and offered help, but the "litter of four bottle babies ended up much, much bigger." The word spread about Elle taking care of cats so they even found kittens left on their home doorstep. They really got involved and actively started searching for abandoned cats and helped to control the feral colonies.

Over time, the family got more serious about this matter, "In 2020 we moved into our current home and my husband and I started working on an actual physical sanctuary for our cats. We built a large Cat Area attached to the back of our house and we’ve been improving it ever since. Our most recent project is a smaller, heated area for quarantine purposes, so that we could continue safely helping sick cats."

The family doesn’t keep the cats forever and tries to find them a new home. Elle told us, "My family and I try very hard to find forever homes for the cats in my care and I am so happy whenever I can bring a cat and a family together." They try to find loving families through friends and then their friends, so some of the cats Elle took in currently live not only in Spain, but also Germany and the US.

ADVERTISEMENT

On their Patreon Elle says that They also try to control the growing cat population in the streets by neutering them, but it is hard as the only help they get is financial and moral support on the internet.

It sometimes gets frustrating, but Elle says that their family keeps going: “helping cats is the little bit of good we can do to make our small piece of the world better.”

#8

Aita-Cats-Twitter-Thread

ellle_em Report

Add photo comments
POST
delphinum4 avatar
Zophra
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, you are the AH who should also get fixed and then continue to be loved.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT

Sadly, what Elle sees in the town of Cadiz is a reality in many places in Spain. Elle doesn't think that "Spain has more of a problem than anywhere else. Cats breed very quickly and their populations can grow exponentially. Add this to abandoned pets or irresponsible owners who don’t spay or neuter their cats and you get a very sad situation."

While for most of us, that breaks our hearts that there are many cats without homes, some just want them eradicated as they are compared to pests that smell and carry diseases.

ADVERTISEMENT

However, there is a more humane method of controlling stray cat and dog populations. It is called Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) and as the name suggests, people trap cats to perform the neutering surgery and then release the animals after their wounds are healed. Depending on an animal's condition, they might vaccinate them to prevent them from spreading diseases.

Elle is also familiar with this method and likes "to focus on spaying and neutering strays--the fewer kittens, the fewer cats."

#11

Aita-Cats-Twitter-Thread

mikenealis Report

Add photo comments
POST
delphinum4 avatar
Zophra
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

NTA, need one of those maze-like feeder bowls that slows down eating. Worked wonders on our own NTA cat.

moconnell avatar
M O'Connell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I tried that. He found it too difficult to eat out of and would scream at me until I provided a more bowl-shaped vessel from which he could gorge himself.

Load More Replies...
h-illum avatar
WA2DK
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

NTA. My hoomans bought me a slow feeder to see if they could trick me, so THEY'RE TA. Now I have to struggle to scrape out all my food from various angles and gather it all before I can inhale it all and THEN throw up (chewing food is for losers).

nathaniel-garrett avatar
Who the What
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yta, cleaning up cat barf is the most unpleasant thing literally ever.

rolo6262 avatar
Rolo 6262
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wife (f58) is angry at me for having to clean up barf for my trying to teach Jimi da cat (m4) to count to 10 by giving him treats one at a time and loudly and clearly meowing at him the appropriate number of times per treat. He is very intelligent, I think he will eventually get it. Please inform my wife I am not aitah here.

Load More Replies...
janet-burnett88 avatar
Wyndmere
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You could learn to chill a little more. M42 could give you several bowls w/ smaller portions in quick succession, so you can’t scarf it all at once. Initially, it will be more work for M42, but you should soon learn the benefits of eating slower.

rjsevering avatar
Minecrafter
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Perhaps feed more often so he's not so famished at eating time

k_a_bortner avatar
Kelly Bortner
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

we free feed our four cats and two eat so fast they do throw it up almost daily. Since the bowl is kept down and normally at least half way full, there is no reason to pig out and eat so fast.

Load More Replies...
philblanque avatar
phil blanque
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is in so many cats....they eat like they do not expect another meal soon. Then they are hungry and need more food! They are still hunters, with hunter instincts, even if they have lived with humans for ten years.

poppycorn avatar
poppycorn avatar
Nikole
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And to keep it up overnight, I have an autofeeder set to dispense a small amount of kibble at 4 am.

Load More Replies...
bobbiemeyers avatar
Bobbie Meyers
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Don't feed kibble, raw or canned food so much better for pets.

mariedeclue avatar
Marie De Clue
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Maybe you need a raised food dish so you don't have to lower your head as much.

amyhook avatar
Amy H
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The cat is 19 years old, no maze bowl will cure that! She is an antique! Might want to check the thyroid though since so ravenous!

amyhook avatar
Amy H
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Would explain vomiting, so would kidney disease, common with age.

Load More Replies...
camaroaustin avatar
Keisha
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not the AH but your roommate needs to find a dish that will slow down the pace of your eating so no more messes and no more wasted food.

samanthamelvin avatar
Samantha Melvin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Those Eyes! *swoons* So it seems that you don’t like maze feeders… Maybe, if you eat kibble, you’d like the little mice feeders that I give my little buttholes. “Doc & Phoebe's Cat Co. Indoor Hunting Cat Feeder Kit” they get to hunt and get some kibble in a bowl. They get wet food too, but I put it in a low wide dish or small plate and kind of spread it around. No more pukes. Plus the mice help keep them mentally stimulated and fit! They have the puzzle feeders too. But those are just for treats or when I need them kept busy and out of the way. Anywho, lots of love to you handsome boy!

alexiscscott1994 avatar
Shoto Todoroki
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You're not, just eat a bit slower. But I understand that feeling. Soba is really good that I eat it quickly

lisasamuelson avatar
Lisa Samuelson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Never!!! He wants to clean up after you, it's just such a joy that he has trouble understanding, WHY?

shar333 avatar
QueenRhye
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They have all different styles of maze feeders. Look for one you think she can deal with. Online would be your best bet for widest choices. Good luck!

c_w__1 avatar
C. W.
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nope daddy can get a $9.99 slow feeder online or Walmart

mouseman884 avatar
April Taylor
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel that. I'm def gonna get a maze feeder. And bandages. My cat's gonna be pissed.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#12

Aita-Cats-Twitter-Thread

1cleancat Report

Add photo comments
POST
lahemly avatar
Whawhawhatsis
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not at all. It's a cat's job to customize the blinds. If the human won't open them enough for you to enjoy Bird and Squirrel TV, then you have to do it yourself. NTA!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Most often the cats living on the streets are feral so they aren’t capable of adapting to living in a cage in a shelter or in a home. Living on the streets is all they know and know well, so they gladly go back to their territory. That is why the last step of the method is 'return.'

But what is most important, they can’t breed, so the population keeps declining. Unspayed cats can have up to 18 kittens a year, so if a city is inhabited by 1000 of such cats, by the end of the year, the cat population might increase up to 18,000. Controlling the birth rate is key for humanly clearing the streets of cats.

ADVERTISEMENT
#14

Aita-Cats-Twitter-Thread

spookybabe23 Report

Usually TNR is conducted by an organization, but Elle is doing it alone; however, even their own effort can make a difference and it also might inspire other cat lovers to join. Elle needed some inspiration of their own and started a wonderful thread of cute cat photos and stories of them being their annoying selves.

The thread got almost 30k likes and 5k comments. People seemed to love the idea of sharing what their cats were up to in the form of an AITA, which is a Reddit format of people describing a situation and asking if they were a jerk for behaving in a certain way, as they all played along.

#16

Aita-Cats-Twitter-Thread

MicroFlashFic Report

Add photo comments
POST
mheidt0 avatar
Okatango
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What a cutie. The post is cute, but bring kitty to the vet: Could be a sign of problems like crystals in urinary tract. It is very painful, and the cat starts to think the problem is the litter box. Or could be very stressed by a new cat, whether in home or coming around outside (pheromones can help with that).

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#17

Aita-Cats-Twitter-Thread

ellle_em Report

Add photo comments
POST
teresaklein avatar
Grouchy Bear
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You look like a grumpy old man! Keep those youth off your lawn! NTA.

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT

Elle revealed to us that she loved reading through the thread and shared with us which stories amused her the most, "The stories are all hilarious and they really demonstrate how much people love their cats-even if we may not love every single thing they do. From cats that eat their fur to prevent the Big Ugly Cats stealing it, to cats who like to sit on their dog friends, to cats who may or may not have cost their roomates a security deposit. There are so many creative ways for cats to obviously be NTA."

Which AITAs did you like the most? Upvote them and share your own AITAs from your cat’s perspective in the comments!

#19

Aita-Cats-Twitter-Thread

Beavs Report

Add photo comments
POST
cjm avatar
CJay M (They-them)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

NTA this cutie pie deserves to eat the pants. Not too much cloth tho. You don’t want to get a belly ache

View more commentsArrow down menu
#20

Aita-Cats-Twitter-Thread

ellle_em Report

#24

Aita-Cats-Twitter-Thread

ellle_em Report

Add photo comments
POST
mje700510 avatar
RainWingRoyal
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Okay, so by my count, she has at least TEN cats, this is the only one I've seen not named after a Pokemon.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
See Also on Bored Panda
#28

Aita-Cats-Twitter-Thread

amandadnama88 Report

Add photo comments
POST
josephinereinders avatar
Josephine
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

NTA, food is important! How dare they not feed you in time! May I suggest loud miauwing and sitting on their heads? That might do the trick.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#30

Aita-Cats-Twitter-Thread

ellle_em Report