how much do cats suck?

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mikal

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well, it's been over 2 months since my dog died(which i wrote a great country song to), and i'm ready for a new pet. i want a cat, but everyone tells me that cats suck. one of my friends actually used to kill wild cats for enjoyment as a kid, and said he may feel those homicidal tendancies again if he's around my cat too much.

so for those who have experience with cats, could you please tell me your stories?

sell me.

thanks.
 
I only had a cat when I was really young.

they're generally not as sociable as dogs, and they don't respond to affection. They're independant animals, and you get the idea from them that they couldn't care less about you aside from getting easy food
 
I love cats!!! :cute: We have three right now. I've had my one kitty Whiskers since I was 8 years old...she's my best friend. They make lovely companions. They get reputations as being independent and snobby...but some can be as loving and friendly as a dog. Whiskers stays in my room all the time...she often comes running to my bedroom door when I open it because she's happy to see me. She has to sleep as close to me as possible, usually sharing my pillows...and she gives me tons of kisses. :cute:
 
I hope this conversation doesnt turn into a cat bashing thread. The owner of the board as well as most of the mods are cat lovers ;)

Now, on the contrary, they are VERY sociable animals. You just need to know how to interact with them. They are different than dogs and more independant but can show you LOTS of love if treated right.

Cats use a litterbox, which is wonderful. No need to take them outside on walks or clean up after them when they poop on someone's lawn. Scoop their litterbox once a day and you're good to go.

You dont need to bathe cats. They always smell good (in my opinion). They groom themselves constantly and are very clean animals.

You can leave your cat all day or even 2 days alone and not have to worry about them. As long as you have food, water and a litterbox, toys.. they're happy.

My cat Saki plays fetch, which I think is really cool. Just like a dog actually. I throw balls, mice, various toys, he will bring them back and drop it at my feet, look up at me and meow to throw it again. Both of my cats do flips, and other various tricks. You just gotta interact with them. Start when they are young.

Having two cats is very entertaining. It's fun to watch them play together, chase each other, groom each other, sleep together.

Both of my cats greet me at the door when I come home. Both of them 'chat' with me on a regular basis. They cuddle up and sleep with you, give you head bonks, purr in your ear, lick your face. It all depends on what cat you get and how you raise them. My cats make my life complete.. I dont know what I'd do without them :heart:

That's my pitch!
 
There are cat people and not-cat people. It's pretty simple, I think.

I think cats are kind of cute, and some of them are really beautiful.

But I would never want one. I can't explain it, but they just creep me out for whatever reason and I always knew, since I was a small child that I didn't like cats. That doesn't mean I hate them - I'll go to my best friend's house and play with hers (boy, is he fat and plump!), but that's about the extent of me ever wanting to interact with them. I haven't had negative experiences or anything, it's just that I'm 100% not a cat person.

I love, LOVE dogs and could never live without one, so go figure.
 
I think it depends on the cat. My friend has two and one of them gives me the creeps and the other one is very sweet. The creepy one is very independant and doesn't like to be bothered by anyone, including my friend. She's mean to just about everyone. :tsk:

Her other cat is a lot of fun He plays fetch, likes to go on walks, runs to the door to greet you, and he's very outgoing and loves attention. He's a lot of fun to have around. I'm not one to really enjoy being around cats due to allergies but I kind of like the little guy so I just suffer when I'm at her house.
 
MrBrau1 said:
Your buddy is fucked up.

actually he's sober most of the time. he's just one of those angry conservatives. hehe

anywho, thanks for the info so far peeps.
 
Of course I love cats and have had much experience with them.

It bothers me, no, it hurts me, to see people write them off as 'sucking.' You know, I have yet to have anyone (talking about real life here, not the internet) be able to give me a real reason other than they 'suck' or they 'just hate them.' These people usually come from families that boasted of 'hating' cats, but the only real reasons they can even give is that one hissed at them once, or they were not friendly to them. This is natural. A cat has feelings and instincts too, and they can feel and sense if you like them or not, and if they feel bad vibes they are going to hiss. It's the same thing as a dog growling or snarling, even snapping, at someone they don't trust. People who think cats are all growls, hisses and scratches have probably never been close to one, and have scared the ones they saw away. They can sense people who think they 'suck' and fear you. If you knew someone hated you, would you be anxious to be near them? If you saw them coming toward you, trying to touch you, wouldn't you get defensive? That's how cats are, and dogs too.

Other myths that bother me are:

x-Cats are standoffish and don't get close to you.

No. Of course, like humans, and dogs, they all have their own personalities, but most cats are very loving to people who give them a chance. They love to cuddle, purr, snuggle, rub on you, or just be near you.

x- Cats are not loyal and don't care if you come or go

On the contrary, every cat I've ever had has always been loyal to me. Even roaming Toms come back to where the love is eventually if they are able. Right now, I have one outside who literally follows me to the car when I leave, and when I pull back up he is waiting in the driveway for me- just like dog. When I get out of the car, he runs up, purring and excited, rubbing on me, and wanting affection. My inside kitties greet me at the door and purr and love me too.

I had a cat once who held a grudge at me for leaving. I'd leave him in the house for 2-3 days while I went visiting, and when I got back, he'd be in the bathtub looking half dead, his food had only been picked at. I had a dog who had done this too, and the vet said it's 'separation anxiety'- dogs and cats both get it. I t means they LOVE you and miss you, don't understand the human concept of time and think you have deserted them.

Even though cats don't like being left, they are easier to leave for a few days because they don't have to be walked and let out like a dog. They use the litter pan.

My cats also come when I call them, just like dogs. The purr is the same as a tail wag in a dog, they love you.

x- Some people say cats scratch things up. Well, I've had both cats and dogs, and I'd rather have 4 cats in my house than one dog. Dogs chew things up, dig holes in the rug, rip up the cushions, and bite electrical cords. A cat might claw a couch or a curtain, but it really doesn't hurt it much compared to what a dog does. I do NOT believe in declawing. It's like amputating someone's fingers, not just cutting the fingernails!

Every cat, like every dog and every human, is different. Some are great, some are assholes. But if someone has had a bad experiene with one don't let it prejudice you to them all. Please give a cat a chance. You might just find one of the best friends you ever had.
 
I think cats do tend to be less maintenance than dogs. There are several types of cat personalities, and you have the best chance of knowing how they will be if you adopt an adult cat. Some kitties are more social than others - mine is constantly talking to me and if there is a free lap, she's on it :)

P.S. It's really fun to watch cats get high on catnip and chase the little red dot of a laser pointer on a wall :D
 
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I said generally they are standoffish...and it is scientifically true. I saw a little documentary on them.
Speaking from an evolutionary standpoint, dogs were bred to be companions whereas cats are evolved from the bigger cats. They have retained their primal urge to hunt and that is the most important thing to them.
 
You know, god forbid anyone insult dogs, the world would explode. I think you should get any animal that you wish you have. If you want a cat, dammit, get one. If you want a dog, get one.

I've always been a cat person, and so has my boyfriend. Cats are NOT the same as dogs, and that doesn't make them SUCKY or BAD. Not all people are the SAME, and you know, to some that is WRONG too.

Bottom line, your friend has a serious problem if he kills wild cats for sport. If you want a cat, get one, and take good care of it. They are very affectionate animals - obviously they are since SO MANY people have them.
 
my sister just got a cute cat and named him Walter P. Elliott
 
I love cats and dogs, but this is why I'd get a cat over a dog:

Dogs can REALLY smell :huh:

Dogs like to jump on you, put dirty paws on you, hump you, slobber in your crotch...

It takes less time to brush a cat

You pay WAY less for food

You don't have to scoop poop up from the yard or bag it (provided you follow the laws and KEPP YOUR CAT INSIDE)

Your cat is not exactly protective of you - you don't have to train it not to use the baby as a chew toy, or attack a friendly neighbor

Cats can be picked up, pet, held, and cuddled easier than most dogs

Cats are easier to litter train, in fact, most do it on their own, while training a dog is like having another child

You don't have to pay for obedience school

It's easier/cheaper to find a good kitten b/c so many puppies are in-bred, or from puppy farms and you really gotta to to a breeder for a decent dog


The thing is that if you want an affectionate cat, you have to pick one out with that personality. You can't expect ANY kitten to be exactly what you want it to be. You gotta go to a place that has a selection and try playing with them and holding them all so you can pick. I pick the ones that are quiet, content, and loved being held on their back. But other people like the wild ones that would rather play.
 
HelloAngel said:
Bottom line, your friend has a serious problem if he kills wild cats for sport.

*killed. he was 7. when i was 7, i thought i could fly like superman until i split my head open after crashing into the kitchen table from jumping of the counter.

my friend and i have both grown up considerably since then.

also, keep in mind. i come from wisconsin, you're dealing with a different breed of humans.
 
LivLuvAndBootlegMusic said:

(provided you follow the laws and KEPP YOUR CAT INSIDE)


So do people keep their cats inside in the states? :ohmy:

over here, kittens have litter trays, and then when they grow up they go outside to play and to poo

:shrug:

BTW, when I say they go outside, my ex-housemate has a cat, and we always made sure it was indoors when we went out and at night
 
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My cats don't go outside. I've had them all since they were kittens and they've never been outside so they're pretty content as indoor cats. :) Except for Jack who's our adopted/stray cat and refuses to stay in the house longer than a few hours. :shrug:
 
Yeah, I didn't mean all cats go outside. My friend's cat, who I mentioned above, generally likes to potter about the house, but he does like to go in the garden. He doesn't go beyond the garden though :)

As a general rule in the UK, though, cats wander around pretty much where they please - probably too much if the truth be known. I think there's a happy medium somewhere - eg a secure garden (it'd have to have very good fences :D ) and a cat flap that is micro chip activated and locks at night
 
I don't want my cats outside. It worries me. As many of you know, I have an ignorant, slack jawed yokel in a hot tub across the street who threatens to kill them just for walking in his yard. I have had cats disappear over the years, and I am a desperate worrywart. I'd prefer to keep them inside. The problem? I have 2 who disagree with this and cry and tear at the door desperately to get out. Yes, they are fixed. But they love the outdoors, laying on the rooftop among the outstretched tree branches, rolling in the grass, breathing the fresh air. Would you be happy to stay stuck inside forever? So if your cat is happy to stay inside, great, it's the best thing, but not all of them will be. If you do let your cat out, I hope you don't have any sick idiots like Mikhail's 'friend' or the asshole across the street from me. I honestly believe there are some losers so frustrated with their own lives that they take it out on helpless, innocent animals because they can't hurt or kill the person who is really bothering them. That's a real fuckwad and a coward and to me, just as bad as someone who would behead a person on the internet. There should be a special place in hell for a subhuman scumbag who gets pleasure from torturing and killing something. I cannot stand the macho, ignorant attitude of creeps like slackjaw that boast they will kill any animal who comes in their yard. :mad:

I try to keep 'tabs' on my inside/outside cats. I look for them several times a day, and have them in by dark, or at least if and when slackjaw is home. I will not go away for long and leave them out, even if I'm late getting somewhere, I will find them and put them in.(Bono is an inside cat) There is one who lives in my yard. His name is Squirrely, he looks and acts like a squirrel and has a gray tail that bend backwards over his back. He will NOT stay inside more than 15 minutes without having a major fit at all the doors and windows. He's the one who waits in the driveway for me. I wish I could live somewhere I know they'd be safe, I'd really love to have an animal refuge like Best Friends. Animals are so much nicer than people.
 
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LivLuvAndBootlegMusic said:

Dogs can REALLY smell :huh:


This is true, the dog himself smells bad. If you smell cat, it's time to change the litter box. But a cat's body does not smell.


It takes less time to brush a cat

Unless you have a long haired cat you really don't need to brush them much at all, except during shedding season. That's another thing, cats are self grooming. They spend a lot of their day washing themselves. They also can't stand to have their fur messed up and if it gets that way they will immediately fix it.



You don't have to scoop poop up from the yard or bag it (provided you follow the laws and KEPP YOUR CAT INSIDE)

Most places don't have leash laws against cats, some do, but not as many as do for dogs. But even if a cat does go out sometimes because he can't stand not to have fresh air (like I said in my last post) and even if he does wander off his property and poop, there is STILL no pile to scoop because cats BURY their shit! That's another reason I knew it wasn't my cat when slackjaw complained he found piles in his yard. Sure enough, the next day, I saw a little brown dog come by and lay a pile in his yard. The dog seems to like his yard and visits it every time he gets loose and wanders the streets.
 
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You can teach a cat a lot when it is a kitten mikal. If you are very attentive and caring when it is young, and play with it a lot, it will grow to be more social. Cats as a rule dont run up to people they dont know, which is why I reckon they are considered aloof. I've never had a cat who wasn't affectionate towards me, but most of them have never approached strangers willingly.
 
I've never had a cat not be affectionate to me either, it must be that they can sense I am a 'safe' person. I have even got cats to come up to me and purr that other people had called 'mean' and that ran from them:wink: They must have had a reason;)

I also want to say I like dogs too and I don't mean anything bad against them. I also feel sorry for them when idiot hicks shoot and poison them. I got so mad in the auto parts store the other day I wanted to do harm to this redneck asshole. I was looking for the antifreeze, and when he took me to the shelf I picked out the low tox and said it's the only kind I'd use with all the stray or free running dogs and cats in my neighborhood. He got this EVIL grin on his face and said it won't do no good, a dog'll die from it too it jest takes eem longer and he struggles more but he'd jest as dead! :mad: He sounded like he had experimented with this himself. I literally had to leave the store in a hurry to keep from blowing up. I HATE 'people' like that!! :down:

I've had both and cats work better for me. But I do hope to get another dog someday if/when I get to move away from here. I like having one bark so no one can sneak up on you. But I can't have one here. When I had a dog, bratty kids tormented him through my fence and threatened to sue me if he bit. They would throw things at him. An asshole across the street (or ironically lives where slackjaw does now) threatened to 'do something about' my dog because he barked when the electric meter reader was coming, which all dogs do. Other than that he really didn't bark unless someone was right there. He died at only 5 years old of lymphoma, which supposedly started from a bad internal infection, and I've always wondered if someone gave him something. :(

I feel like cats need me more, because they are so much more unfairly criticized and harmed by people who have never had one and really don't know much about them. So I have become sort of a cat advocate, and even feel it may be my calling. If I ever get my animal refuge, I will take both cats and dogs.
 
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I've had the best luck with cats. All of them have been loving towards me especially my latest cat...Mullen Kitty. She used to go where ever I went in the house. If I was sitting at my computer she'd be laying on the floor next to me or in my lap. She'd lay in bed with me, sometimes falling asleep on my stomach :heart: She'd give me these little massages with her paws, lay under the dinner table when we were all eating there. She was an indoor/outdoor kitty and she had a collar with a little bell on it and as soon as I got home I could hear her running from somewhere and coming up to me and meowing :cute: She was like my best friend. I miss her alot :(
 
Mulllengirl :hug: She sounds special. I hope you can get another kitty someday.
 
:hug: I hope so too but my fiance is allergic :( but he said that once we move into a house we can have one. When we do i'm going to call it Mullen Kitty Jr. :D :heart:
 
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