--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When she bought the cats her mother asked…" description: "\"“When she bought the cats her mother asked her straight out if they were 'baby substitutes'. 'No,' Ruth had answered, straight-faced. 'They're kittens...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b64/elly-griffiths-32541_cats_when-she-bought-the-cats-her-mother-aske_2151276.jpg" --- # When she bought the cats her mother asked her straight out… ![“When she bought the cats her mother asked her straight out if they were 'baby substitutes'. 'No,' Ruth had answered, straight-faced. 'They're kittens. If I had a baby it would be a cat substitute.” quote by Elly Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b64/elly-griffiths-32541_cats_when-she-bought-the-cats-her-mother-aske_2151276.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b64/elly-griffiths-32541_cats_when-she-bought-the-cats-her-mother-aske_2151276.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b64/elly-griffiths-32541_cats_when-she-bought-the-cats-her-mother-aske_2151276.jpg) > ““When she bought the cats her mother asked her straight out if they were 'baby substitutes'. 'No,' Ruth had answered, straight-faced. 'They're kittens. If I had a baby it would be a cat substitute.”” [Elly Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elly-griffiths/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A woman humorously rejects the idea that cats can replace a child, highlighting personal choices about family and companionship. **In simple terms:** Cats are not baby replacements; she prefers pets. Key Takeaway Accept personal decisions about family. Themes family choice humor companionship Mood lighthearted conversational Type anecdotal humorous When to use this quote - adoption decisions - family planning - pet care - social discussions Key Concepts identity social expectations pet ownership Questions to Reflect On - Why do people compare pets to children? - What does this say about societal pressure? A Different Perspective May trivialize deeper feelings about childlessness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cats/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [“You need a break, a complete rest, recharge your batteries.' Recharge your batteries. What the hell does that mean? Nelson prides himself on not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elly-griffiths/you-need-a-break-a-complete-rest-recharge-your-batteries-recharge/) [Elly Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elly-griffiths/) > [“Nelson is glad to see a handler and her dog coming towards him. The recognises the woman as Jan Adams, famous in Norfolk for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elly-griffiths/nelson-is-glad-to-see-a-handler-and-her-dog-coming-towards-him-the/) [Elly Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elly-griffiths/) ## More by Elly Griffiths > [“Nelson's first thought is that Father Hennessey looks as bad as he does. The priest is still an intimidating presence, with his rugby player's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elly-griffiths/nelson-s-first-thought-is-that-father-hennessey-looks-as-bad-as-he/) [Elly Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elly-griffiths/) > [“You need a break, a complete rest, recharge your batteries.' Recharge your batteries. What the hell does that mean? Nelson prides himself on not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elly-griffiths/you-need-a-break-a-complete-rest-recharge-your-batteries-recharge/) [Elly Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elly-griffiths/) > [“What I'm afraid of," says Delilah suddenly in a high, strained voice, "is that one day someone asks me how many children I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elly-griffiths/what-i-m-afraid-of-says-delilah-suddenly-in-a-high-strained-voice-is/) [Elly Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elly-griffiths/) > [“As Ruth only knows one priest (one male priest that is) she's not that surprised to find Father Hennessey waiting for her at one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elly-griffiths/as-ruth-only-knows-one-priest-one-male-priest-that-is-she-s-not-that/) [Elly Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elly-griffiths/) > [“Maybe humans need animals to help them understand the world. Certainly it’s hard to see what else cats do for humans, aside from looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elly-griffiths/maybe-humans-need-animals-to-help-them-understand-the-world-certainly/) [Elly Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elly-griffiths/) > [“Sometimes,’ says Bob, trying to eat a falafel and balance his glass at the same time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elly-griffiths/sometimes-says-bob-trying-to-eat-a-falafel-and-balance-his-glass-at/) [Elly Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elly-griffiths/) > [“But for Ruth, that moment when she held Lucy in her arms was a turning point. She knew then that she would do anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elly-griffiths/but-for-ruth-that-moment-when-she-held-lucy-in-her-arms-was-a-turning/) [Elly Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elly-griffiths/) > [“Does the world really need another long essay on environmental archaeology and freshwater mollusks? Well, it's going to get one, whether it likes it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elly-griffiths/does-the-world-really-need-another-long-essay-on-environmental/) [Elly Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elly-griffiths/) > [“You know how thick I am. I don't even eat yoghurt because it's got culture in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elly-griffiths/you-know-how-thick-i-am-i-don-t-even-eat-yoghurt-because-it-s-got/) [Elly Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elly-griffiths/) > [“She’s unmarried but, as she confided early on to Judy, ‘not short of offers’. Nelson often thinks that Jo is not nearly as attractive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elly-griffiths/she-s-unmarried-but-as-she-confided-early-on-to-judy-not-short-of/) [Elly Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elly-griffiths/) > [“Perhaps it is just that she learnt the value of the maternal cliché, the love that is always the same no matter how many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elly-griffiths/perhaps-it-is-just-that-she-learnt-the-value-of-the-maternal-clich/) [Elly Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elly-griffiths/) > [“Nelson is glad to see a handler and her dog coming towards him. The recognises the woman as Jan Adams, famous in Norfolk for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elly-griffiths/nelson-is-glad-to-see-a-handler-and-her-dog-coming-towards-him-the/) [Elly Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elly-griffiths/) > [“Ah, DCI Nelson. He’s a fine man, I think. A man with morals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elly-griffiths/ah-dci-nelson-he-s-a-fine-man-i-think-a-man-with-morals/) [Elly Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elly-griffiths/) > [“Peter is suffering from an attack of nostalgia, she knows the symptoms. She mustn't join in otherwise she'll be swept away too, drowning in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elly-griffiths/peter-is-suffering-from-an-attack-of-nostalgia-she-knows-the-symptoms/) [Elly Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elly-griffiths/) [Explore all 15 Elly Griffiths quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elly-griffiths/) ## More Cats quotes > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I liked Cats as a kid, now its hard to say. I dont live in New York anymore so dont see so many.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-moennig/i-liked-cats-as-a-kid-now-its-hard-to-say-i-dont-live-in-new-york/) [Katherine Moennig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-moennig/) > [“The next day, Trixie pawed Maddie awake, patting her arm gently. “I’m up,” Maddie groaned, blinking sleep out of her eyes. “Mrrow.” Trixie peered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jinty-james/the-next-day-trixie-pawed-maddie-awake-patting-her-arm-gently-i-m-up/) Jinty James > [“So Nikki came aboard as Jaqueline's spare cat, presumably in case our prime cat, Eliza, goes on vacation, takes industrial action, or requests a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-s-wren/so-nikki-came-aboard-as-jaqueline-s-spare-cat-presumably-in-case-our/) Christopher S. Wren > [One reason why my memory decays is that I have three cats, all so loving and insistent that they play cat's-cradle with every train…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-townsend-warner/one-reason-why-my-memory-decays-is-that-i-have-three-cats-all-so/) [Sylvia Townsend Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-townsend-warner/) > [It's an interesting fact that fewer than 17 % of Real cats end their lives with the same name they started with. Much family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-s-an-interesting-fact-that-fewer-than-17-of-real-cats-end-their/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [The dog is guided by kindly instinct to the man or woman whose heart is open to his advances. The cat often leaves the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/the-dog-is-guided-by-kindly-instinct-to-the-man-or-woman-whose-heart/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [When I see things through my eyes, I don't want to ever just be really negative towards someone's performance. There are many ways to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stone-cold-steve-austin/when-i-see-things-through-my-eyes-i-don-t-want-to-ever-just-be-really/) [Stone Cold Steve Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stone-cold-steve-austin/) > [One cat just leads to another. The place is so damned big it doesn't really seem as though there were many cats until you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/one-cat-just-leads-to-another-the-place-is-so-damned-big-it-doesn-t/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“In the morning, when she wishes me to wake, she crouches on my chest, and pats my face with her paw. Or, if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/in-the-morning-when-she-wishes-me-to-wake-she-crouches-on-my-chest/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [Kittens can happen to anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gallico/kittens-can-happen-to-anyone/) [Paul Gallico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gallico/) > [“Curiosity killed the cat, but not before teaching her that honey bees are not sweet, tweeting birds are slow to react, mice can serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/curiosity-killed-the-cat-but-not-before-teaching-her-that-honey-bees/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“Quin took on the air of someone who has just realized it's time for the yearly visit to the spinster great-aunt in a desperate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-fecteau/quin-took-on-the-air-of-someone-who-has-just-realized-it-s-time-for/) [Amy Fecteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-fecteau/) > [“Save for the ancient Egyptians, he found, virtually no one kept cats as pets until the latter part of the 1700s. The first people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-mcauliffe/save-for-the-ancient-egyptians-he-found-virtually-no-one-kept-cats-as/) [Kathleen McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-mcauliffe/) [Browse all 3,253 Cats quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cats/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When she bought the cats her mother asked her straight out if they were 'baby substitutes'. 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