I feel like a transgressor posting here, lol... Moi invited me so I'll opine. On my conception / admittedly, a preconceived notion of house cats... 'inherently furtive animals not bonding to a humans, surreptitious by nature (even when it comes to defecation)'; ... luxuriously coated mammals and pretty to look at in a horse barn or windowsill ~ over stuffed beautiful rats basically. OK, I hear the lynch mob approaching so I offer up my one and only salvo to save myself... I shared an apt. in Boston after graduating & there were x 2 cats w/ the three of us living there. In the absence of a GSD (a childhood fixture) at my side I did long for that unique bond. Perhaps it was one in a million chance with a very special cat ~ but that one cat in a million was 'Lammie'. Acted like a damn dog & actually listened to me, wanted to be near me, sleep at my side (much to the probable chagrin of my roommate who owned the cat). We actually had a bond. I was shocked, me having an attachment to a white and tan 12 pound ball of this unfamiliar "pet" thing that I believe loved being around me, that followed me around the apartment & was actually happy to see me when entering. Ok so I did eventually come to luv 'Lammie' ... begrudgingly of course 'Lammie' was by far the hardest "one" to say goodby to, at that time, when I moved back to the west coast for a new job
I thought as the thread is about the stigma of being a cat person, a few dog people might enlighten us. Isn't sleeping with a cat wonderful? You were lucky to have the Lammie experience. My current one of three Orange & White tuxedo cat loves new people. One never knows who a cat may like. And not like. The runt dark gray tabby hisses at my room mate for over 1 year. Doesn't do that to any other person. Not even once. Being use to cats, I am always surprised at how solid a dog is. Moi Cat whisperer and they whisper back
As much as I may have had "luv" & received "luv" from Lammie, our cat - there is just NO substitute for a GSD! (having Both a cat & dog is absolutely BEST) ... ~ playing 'Switzerland' on this one... Anke Liede (previous pup)
I'm considered a "dog person" but I've always loved cats. The harmonics of a purring cat are known to stimulate bone growth. So if you have a fracture a cat laying nearby and purring can speed your recovery. I've always been impressed by a mother cats willingness and ability to protect her kittens. I've personally seen mother cats send dogs five times their size fleeing when the dog gets too close to the kittens. Even saw a video once of a mother house cat chasing a full grown bear away in a similar manner.
It is absolutely a different relationship. You don't have to train a cat. You don't have to exercise a cat. Just put down the litter box and keep it clean. I think there is the same affection for each, but cats are better suited to more sedentary people who want some companionship without much effort.
Do you agree that one can own a cat or two and not be a "cat person"? I live in a rural area that is regrettably becoming the suburbs thanks to encroaching sprawl. Several people have seen our house and apparently thought it would be a good place to drop off their unwanted animals so we have done our share of placing and adopting other people's unwanted animals. We currently have 2 dogs & 2 cats but that could change by sundown. One of the cats is an affectionate, little, female adoptee and the other is a pure breed, male Siamese that my mother could no longer keep in her retirement community because he was not content being confined. He, too, is very affectionate and is quite a character but it goes without saying that he does not suffer silently when he's hungry or wants attention. Fortunately, neither of our cats bother the songbirds that I feed in the back yard. I'm grateful that they are content to just watch the birds while alternating time in my lap with the dogs. All of them get along very well and sleep with me and my wife at night. Even though I'm a cat owner, I wouldn't classify myself as a "Cat person" because I'm equally attentive to all our animals. Thanks,
@Grau You have been programmed. The cats have had their mind altering effect on you. You are now a cat person! Moi
Dogs, in general, are affectionate with little to no work on the human's behalf. Leave the room, and come back in two minutes later, and dogs will greet you like you've been gone for a week. Cats take time and attention to win their affection, but when you do, it's absolute. When they feel like it.
Cats are cool. I have 2. I'm also cat sitting my friend's cat, have been since August 2020, and with London under lock down and the cat's owner sorta' flaking out on me... I'm not expecting that to change anytime soon. Love them all though. This place is big enough, I have a garden, I let them out, there's no natural predators here and it's normal for cats where I live to be outdoor access. My friend has a neutered mature girl cat, long haired, but even hairier than my rag-doll mix tom cat... She seems to love my boy cat, he's likes her, but likes my other girl cat more, and my girl cat and this girl cat... Sorta tolerate each other and they both through their weight around with each other, but they tolerate each other. My friend's cat lives in a tenement a couple of floors off the ground and has been known to get out and sit on other people's balcony's; she's a very shy but loving/beautiful cat who loves attention from me since I'm like the only human around, and I love it when she gives me attention, she's the only cat here who likes sitting on someone's lap, and the only cat that clings on to the surface she's on whenever I've ever picked her up, and I've known her for 8 years now. She's a mature cat, age unknown, estimated to be 10 or older, so I buy her a mixture of senior cat foods for ages 7+ and 11+. She's a good hunter, reminds me of a tiger based on her colouring and hunting ability, and I got her used to going out like an outdoor access cat, because at her place, this tenement on a high floor, she would get out, but she wasn't allowed out, she never had a garden, just an outside window seal of a neighbour there stupidly high from the hard ground there.
I visited family for Christmas. Someone's new puppy disliked me, and only me. I told them it was because I smelled like cats. My family said no, that the puppy was just an astute judge of character. So, 3 cats. The boy, a black cat. An adopted stray. Starving-skinny when he arrived, but he made up for missed meals, and now he's a little chunky. And he's kind of a sh it. He says hello by slashing me as I walk by. It draws blood. He's a big strong boy with some wicked claws. The two girls, I got from the shelter after my previous girl cat died at age 17, and I though my boy cat was lonely. He won't tolerate other boy cats, so girls it was. I asked the shelter for a cat who would have difficulty getting adopted, and I got a pair of 6-year old girls, brown and white tabbies. Supposedly bonded, sharing the same little cage at the shelter, but once I got them home, they decided they hated each other, and that hasn't changed. I guess it was a "I PUT UP WITH YOU FOR MONTHS IN THAT LITTLE CAGE, AND I'M NEVER PUTTING UP WITH YOU AGAIN!" situation. One was sweet and clingy from the start. One was a screaming hissing psychotic beast. That was the "difficultly getting adopted" part. I had patience with psychokitty, and now she'll flop over to receive belly rubs.
17 seems to be it, for our cats. When I was a kid, it was 13. A few years ago I managed hospice for 3 cats one after the other all 17. 2 were Siamese - renown for longer lives. The third, an Owlkitty (ref Youtube) - sequentially a stray. Rat eater. The one I miss the most. Not only the advantage of being so black, but the wisdom where to be secure, like she had an escape but, the coyote could not fit. I let her out in the morning and called her in at night, when she did not appear on her own. Moi Cat Whisperer And They Whisper Back
Quick update, my friend who owns the cat I'm cat sitting got back in touch with me yesterday and we agreed because of this lock down we're in in London that it's safer if I continue looking after her cat (along with my 2) until lock down ends whenever that will be - Not gonna lie, I like having this cat around, she's sweet and everything, so I'm happy at that too, if I'm honest. Also, I believe I caught Covid from a family member last Christmas and experienced a minor cough with something on my chest and a blocked up / congested nose and a sore throat that felt like it was squeezing my windpipe (it was annoying, more of a muscle pain on my windpipe than actually sore, it wasn't comfortable, and the shortness of breath reared its ugly head on occasion), thankfully yesterday marked 14 days since Christmas and me catching whatever it was/still think it was Covid, had passed almost text book (with the amount of days I had it and everything) and I felt much better yesterday than I had all year, since a few days after Christmas. If it was Covid, I got off pretty ****ing lightly, lighter than family members who are left with a regular cough / if it wasn't Covid, I pray I never get it and don't want to know what the **** it was that I had.
I love cats and believe those who downtalk cats are just jealous because they do not understand the cat and deep down wish they were a cat themselves. The cat embodies grace, elegance and cleanliness. It is confident, silent and calm. I love cats.
Data and Barclay were also highly intelligent/genius. Even though Data is an android. I've always heard that intelligent people have cats. Everybody else has dogs. No offense......thats just what I've heard all my life. I know it's not true. Or is it? LOL
