Favourite pet

[helene_t]

As someone who has no desire for a pet of any type, I should be interested to know what this "cat person" v "dog person" stress is all about? Is it because cats and dogs (at least those not from the same household) have a tendency to dislike each other that their owners seem somehow morally obliged to take on the preferences of their pets?

No. The idea is that since cats interact with humans in a different way than dogs, it says something about the owner's personality what kind of pet he likes. If you are looking for a partner who treats you the way dog owners treat their dogs, you should be looking for a dog owner.

 

Dogs are supposed to be submissive. Cats are usually not very social but to the extent that they are social they will generally be dominant.

 

Dogs need kind claps. Cats need soft cuddling.

 

Dogs get their way by manipulating people. Cats get their way by sneaking. Or they just do what they want without paying much attention to humans.

 

Dogs need your attention most of the time. Cats like your attention some of the time. Some cats more often than others. But very few cats depend on your attention, as long as you put food in their bowl.

[S2000magic]

At the moment, we own one dog, two cats, and two horses.

 

I've always liked dogs. We have a collie that we got from the animal shelter.

 

I never liked cats, until we got one. The two we have now are from the animal shelter, and they're a hoot.

 

I had no interest in horses at all until 10½ years ago when my wife made me take horseback riding lessons. Now, I cannot imagine not owning horses.

 

The relationship one has with a horse is much different that that with a dog or cat. I wouldn't call them pets, although they're included in the poll.

[Fluffy]

Back to the half-claw thing, my current cat was once playing with me, and donñt remember how we came to a position where the cat was flying towards my naked chest/shoulder. Instead of clawing into me to avoid the fall he opted to do me zero harm and face the fall to the ground. I am pretty sure that my former cat would had opted for clawing me as much as she could (as she actually did a couple of times) to avoid falling, so I think it just depends on wich cats.

[babalu1997]

THE PRIME CAT NEEDS TO RESIGN

 

BARRY

[mwalimu02]

am a dog lover. there is just a feeling of security with a dog around.

[y66]

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/aspnet/351465/circus.jpg

[y66]

Attention dog lovers:

 

Consider contacting your senators and asking them to cosponsor Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act, S. 2134.

 

This bill reclassifies military working dogs as "canine members of the armed forces" instead of "equipment," and ensures that responsibility for the health and well-being of the dogs continues after their retirement from service. It has three major provisions: The bill standardizes practices for adopting retired MWDs, directs the Department of Defense to designate a nonprofit entity to establish a system of veterinary care for retired MWDs, and establishes a formal means of recognition for courageous and meritorious dogs.

It takes about 60 seconds to email your senators from this ASPCA advocacy site -- less if you go straight to the Compose Message section halfway down and use your browsers autofill feature to complete the contact info.

 

p.s. to right wing cat lovers: No additional federal funds will be used to provide the dogs' veterinary care.

[jillybean]

I always saw myself as a dog person, I have had dogs most of my life and considered cats simply as a furry accessories, rather a waste of time.

Then, my daughter got a spca cat - "Spiritpool" :) (from the Warrior Cat series of books) I am now a dog/cat person and would happily live with a cat after our dear golden retriever is no longer with us.

 

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http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/6402/113eu.jpg

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Yes, My daughters room is painted 2 shades of lime green. The celing is orange :)

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[thanks to my daughter for the coding for this post!]

[y66]

In the news from the inaugural Internet Cat Video Film Festival, the Golden Kitty award went to Will Braden for “Henri 2: Paw de Deux,” about the existential angst of a black-and-white French puss.

 

http://youtu.be/Q34z5dCmC4M

[Quantumcat]

I like cats. While patting a cat that is purring on your lap, you feel warm and happy. On the other hand, dogs are so desperate for attention all the time and all you get for patting them is a temporary suspension of guilt. Dogs also smell. Every house I've ever been to that lets their dog in on a regular basis smells like dog, no matter how otherwise clean. Apart from houses with undesexed toms, clean houses with cats never smell like cat (not that there is such a smell, since they keep themselves very clean).

 

If you treat a cat with kindness and respect from kittenhood, it will grow into an adorable purry lap cat. However if you have small children or are sometimes mean to it, it will grow to be standoffish. Dogs on the other hand remain friendly no matter how much you abuse them. This is probably the main attractant to dogs. I think people who don't like cats have simply never met a cat that has always been treated well.

[chasetb]

I used to love dogs and really only love dogs. Then, the couple across the street bought a little lap dog bitch, and she barks at me all the time; she's terrified of me and I have never done a single thing to that dog. Around the same time, a female cat randomly showed up outside our door and apparently decided to adopt us after we gave her food. She has claws, and chases/kills mice and birds as offerings. Anyway, I still love dogs, but only dogs that have some use (hunting, seeing, seizure, helpful, etc.). Cats have moved way up, but only cats that don't meow a lot, and hunt.

[y66]

I like cats. While patting a cat that is purring on your lap, you feel warm and happy. On the other hand, dogs are so desperate for attention all the time and all you get for patting them is a temporary suspension of guilt. Dogs also smell. Every house I've ever been to that lets their dog in on a regular basis smells like dog, no matter how otherwise clean. Apart from houses with undesexed toms, clean houses with cats never smell like cat (not that there is such a smell, since they keep themselves very clean).

 

If you treat a cat with kindness and respect from kittenhood, it will grow into an adorable purry lap cat. However if you have small children or are sometimes mean to it, it will grow to be standoffish. Dogs on the other hand remain friendly no matter how much you abuse them. This is probably the main attractant to dogs. I think people who don't like cats have simply never met a cat that has always been treated well.

 

I like cats too but you're mistaken if you think they are less problematic than dogs in the aroma department or if you think these problems are confined to tom cats. Cats are territorial and when their routine gets disrupted, for example, if you move to a new location, there's a chance you will have a problem. The good news is that this type of problem is solvable if you understand what's going on.

 

I take your point about dogs smelling like dogs. But there are definitely exceptions to this. I would bet you a lot that 60+ percent of the readers of this forum who can smell would say that my dog smells better than your cat. Bring your cat to the next ACBL National in Washington DC and we'll see.

[y66]

A Cat’s 200-Mile Trek Home Leaves Scientists Guessing

 

Nobody knows how it happened: an indoor housecat who got lost on a family excursion managing, after two months and about 200 miles, to return to her hometown.

 

Even scientists are baffled by how Holly, a 4-year-old tortoiseshell who in early November became separated from Jacob and Bonnie Richter at an R.V. rally in Daytona Beach, Fla., appeared on New Year’s Eve — staggering, weak and emaciated — in a backyard about a mile from the Richter’s house in West Palm Beach.

[jjbrr]

didn't you seem homeward bound?

[y66]

I have not seen that one. I did have a dog as a kid who tracked my dad from the house to his office which required going up an elevator.

[Fluffy]

I think cats are awesome when young, but for my 4 cats, when they turned to middle age around 5/7 they were no longer that cool. ITs like they learnt that we will feed them no matter what and have nothing else to learn.

[y66]

Our cat bagged a full grown squirrel last night, dragged it into the house through the dog door and slammed it onto the kitchen floor while I was kibbing the last round of the Vanderbilt. Perhaps we should have named her Sabine.

[y66]

My dog just learned to head a soccer ball with his nose. He usually heads it right back to me. Sometimes he smashes it over my head. This is the same dog who once slipped out of his collar, ran onto a soccer field in mid game, grabbed the ball with his teeth and eluded all comers for the next 2 minutes. It was embarrassing, hilarious and impressive.