Cats & Cost and other cat info

[PitBullLove]

I have never considered the breed playing into the temperament of my cats, actually. All of my cats have been rescues and I just thought of them as individuals. I have always LOVED MY CATS. I have always been a dog person but I have always absolutely loved my kitties. I seriously suggest you adopt a kitten from the pound, if you have yet to visit a few cat rooms in animal shelters, it is heartbreaking how many cats and kittens there are and disgusting how many of them are put to sleep. The shelters around here give adult cats away for free and kittens are $50. You would have no problem finding a kitten you love at an animal shelter. They easier than dogs IMO just change the litter box twice a week. As long as they don't pee or spray all over your house! (I highly doubt a kitten would do that though).

[Whisper]

Originally Posted by Lilavati

Although cat lovers will kill me for this, cats are just NOT as smart as dogs (or at least, not as smart as smart dogs). Its not a trainability thing . . . the cats just have nowhere near the problem solving capability of the dogs. They are, however, quite good at training you . . . because following you around the house incessantly mewing is a great way to get you to do something.

No killing. But I do disagree. IME cats are extremely intelligent animals, smarter than dogs, absolutely not. But as smart as dogs (in most ways, not all), yes. My cats (well, cat. One of them is dumb, I won't deny that, lol) can open any door, including rooms around the house, cupboards, the refrigerator. They know how to open boxes using the "human" way of pulling back flaps, not even just chewing through them. Seeing as they started out having a problem (no access to those places and inside food boxes) and came up with a solution, I think that's pretty good problem solving.
I've taught them tricks, but that really goes along with trainability, and you won't find any argument from me denying cats are not as trainable as dogs. They just aren't.

[thehoundgirl]

Whoever said they are less demanding than dogs, I respectfully disagree.

My 3 are needy little buggers. Just because they may cost less than dogs or the same isn't a reason to get one IMO. You either love them or you don't.

The only thing I don't like about owning them is cleaning litterboxes, but if you scoop every day you shouldn't have a problem with smelly litterboxes. I scoop the 3 I have every day and wash them atleast once a week. It is a sacrifice you make. I wish they would use the toilet, lol. I may be more of a dog person and I will admit to that, but I ADORE my 3 and love them as much as I do my dogs.

Personally, my boys are more affectionate than my female and they like to go to bed with me. She wants to play at night, of course she will be 3 next month and Miagi is around 10 and Tiger is 11-12 so they don't feel the need to play at night.

Also all of my kitties are mixes of unknown origin, I find the males more affectionate than females atleast in my experience. But then it depends on the personality of the cat; not always the gender. I really have a soft spot for the tabbies (Miagi is one) and the bengals as Tiger is a tabby/bengal mix.

It's up to you to decide though and come on cats are pretty clever too. Yeah some can be kinda dingy trying to instigate a dog that wants to eat them but that doesn't make them dumb. There is this cat that is just a dork at the shelter and she is the office cat.

She likes to instigate dogs but will not move if they want to eat her. Of course we have control of the dog's leash so they will not eat her. But, I do not call her dumb. She is just weird.

[Jules]

My two cats are awesome! I was never a cat person but then Pumpkin just showed up at our doorstep one day. He looked skinny, we couldn't find the owners (I think he was abandoned since we lived in a military town and that seems to be quite common, unfortunately), there was a hurricane approaching... So we took him in. And he's the best! He is like a little dog. Very needy. Josephine is also needy and the most loyal little thing.

[Whisper]

Originally Posted by thehoundgirl

Whoever said they are less demanding than dogs, I respectfully disagree.

My 3 are needy little buggers. Just because they may cost less than dogs or the same isn't a reason to get one IMO. You either love them or you don't.

Most cats I know are a bit less demanding than dogs, but one my cats is just as much into following me, sitting in my lap, and demanding of attention as my dogs.
Your post brings me to one of my biggest pet peeves. A person wants a dog but they work 15 hours a day, don't have time for grooming or exercise, don't feel like training, they just generally are not the right people for dogs, and ask what breed would be good for them. So someone always says, "A dog doesn't sound good, get a cat." Like cats are stuffed animals that don't deserve the time of day. I despise that!

[thehoundgirl]

Oh yeah definately, that bothers me too!

[JessLough]

Originally Posted by Whisper

Most cats I know are a bit less demanding than dogs, but one my cats is just as much into following me, sitting in my lap, and demanding of attention as my dogs.
Your post brings me to one of my biggest pet peeves. A person wants a dog but they work 15 hours a day, don't have time for grooming or exercise, don't feel like training, they just generally are not the right people for dogs, and ask what breed would be good for them. So someone always says, "A dog doesn't sound good, get a cat." Like cats are stuffed animals that don't deserve the time of day. I despise that!

Oh man, I love when people get a ferret because they "don't have time for a dog" oh man, my ferrets take the same or more time from me than any dog I've met. And Rosey was NEEDY as a pup (hell, she still is, but not as time filling )

I always suggest they get a rock. Or a fish.

[Whisper]

Haha, that's one reason I don't have a ferret. I've heard some EPIC trouble-making stories when you don't occupy them properly, and sometimes even when you do. I think they're fabulous critters, though. I'll have one or two someday.

ETA: If it's really bad I think a fish would be even too much trouble. You know, cleaning a tank and all. Pet rocks and stuffed animals are the way to go in those situations.