Like Cats … and Dogs
I was with a group of guys a few weeks back when one of them … not a very violent sort, usually … launched into a diatribe about cats. He went beyond saying he didn’t like cats and he hates cats … he felt it necessary to add that the only way he can stand cats is as a food source. So, it’s Top Sites Tuesday #64 – and I have Two Thoughts on Tuesday on the subject.
It’s pretty obvious that I’m a cat person … just check out my gravatar or check out my first Monday Smiles back in September of last year which recalled the cats that have graced our lives and another on April 5 of this year featuring my son’s Siamese, Mr. P. We have a plaque in our kitchen that reads, Purr and the world purrs with you … Hiss and you hiss alone. Now, as much as a visit to your local park might convince you that dogs are more popular than cats, there are actually more cats kept as pets than dogs … but of course you don’t see your typical cat owner parading a cat around the park on a leash. For one, the cats we’ve owned would simply lie down and give me the are-you-kidding-me look if I put a leash on them. I know that one of the things people don’t like about cats is their independence but it’s a
quality I admire in both friends and pets. I’ve always loved big cats, especially cheetahs, so I appreciate the little bit of big cat that’s in our little cats. And my dog loving friend, Ron, was astonished to find that his wife’s new kitten used the litter box without training, something I take for granted.
So, just because I’m a cat person, it doesn’t mean I don’t like dogs. I may make a gun with my fingers and point it at the little yapper in the yard above my house, but I also go out of my way to make nice with my daughter’s dog, Roxy, when I’m there (she is my granddog, after all). I just like cats better. I get it when someone else likes dogs more than cats. What I don’t get is the vehemence with which people hate cats. My friend is hardly alone … I found a T-shirt online that said You love cats, too? Great! Let’s trade recipes. I saw a bumper sticker that said IDK THAT MIGHT BE YOUR CAT UNDER MY TIRE. Hilarious, right? Not considering that every cat owner know it’s best to keep your cats in on Halloween … or that a teenager in Florida recently mutilated and slaughtered 18 house cats. Yes, there’s a history of superstition about felines but in the second millennium, that’s just a weak excuse for sick minds. Personally, I think that cat-haters, unable to act independently themselves, resent cats’ independence and, unable to find enough love in their lives, can’t tolerate the feline style of affection. But that’s just the amateur psychologist in me talking. What I do know is that harming defenseless animals is sick … and joking about it only somewhat less so. What do you think?
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Older Eyes 
June 15, 2010 at 8:55 am
I love cats and I have had quite a few of them over the years. I can’t have one where I live but that is ok for now. I can enjoy my granddaughters cat instead. I am with you on people that hate cats. I have read somewhere that this type of person is not very affectionate so you theory of the not liking the love one gets from a cat is correct. It probably drives them crazy.
Here’s your click ………..
Love and Blessings,
AngelBaby
June 15, 2010 at 10:16 am
I have a dog and a cat.
I love Jasmine(dog) because I think she would protect me with her life…however…one thunderstorm and she is so vulnerable.
I love tom(cat) because he is so independant yet so very affectionate.
June 15, 2010 at 10:18 am
I have a cat I inherited when my daughter came back to live with me. She left without it. But Mr. Kitty, (yes, very original) has become MY cat. He will park his furry butt on my lap anytime I sit down. Follows me closer than my shadow, and talks to me. (Yes, I have slowed down my drinking) We have our morning rituals and he’s there to assist and assure nothing but his fur is on my slacks.
Let those who don’t enjoy cats lose out on thier companionship and coziness.
Now those hairballs…
June 15, 2010 at 11:04 am
I think one reason some people hate cats is that they can be quite obnoxious pests when allowed to roam all over the neighborhood. I believe in keeping domestic cats indoors for their own health and safety.
I also love the way our domestic cats mirror the behavior of the Big Cats. In fact, I wrote a children’s picture book that highlights that very thing. It will be published in spring 2011 by Sylvan Dell Publishing and is called Big Cat, Little Kitty.
June 15, 2010 at 2:12 pm
I’ve never found a cat, roaming or otherwise, to be obnoxious but we do keep our cats inside. And … there are certainly obnoxious dogs in my neighborhood, but I don’t go around talking about eating them.
June 15, 2010 at 2:35 pm
We have leash laws where I live so that there are no obnoxious dogs roaming the neighborhood. As to the barking, yes. It’s obnoxious. I love dogs. But I really HATE the barking (although I do not want to eat them…)
I do know that people hate it when cats dig up their gardens, leave paw prints or scratch marks on their cars, and kill the birds they are trying to attract into their yards.
I volunteer at my local animal shelter and the publicity committee flat-out told me that where I live is very much a “dog town.” In general, people don’t particularly like cats. I have run into that attitude in various places I have lived. It’s a pretty big turn-off for me when someone I’ve just met says something like, “I can’t STAND a cat!!!!” LOL
June 15, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Hi Bud!
I have to agree, harming an animal, just to harm an animal is sick! Cats are very majestic animals and their independence is pretty cool!
Awesome Post!
Happy Tuesday!
Wolf
June 15, 2010 at 6:28 pm
I’m a cat lover. Never knew it until one happened into our lives. A few years later, my parents’ cat adopted us. I’m a dog lover too, but I do love the unique personality of a cat.
June 15, 2010 at 7:56 pm
I’m really a dog person being that I’m more outdoorsy and active, but I do love my cats, too. (So far I have a dog, two cats, and two birds). I love my cats, too, but I have to remember to wash my hands after playing with them. Sometimes I forget and rub my eyes…and then my eyes get all puffy and red! LOL!
So do you ever watch National Geographic or Animal Planet? They have really interesting feature programs about wild cats that I enjoy viewing on occasion. Their skills and cunningness really amaze me!
June 15, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Anyone who follows my blog knows that I am not a cat fan. Thanks to my own cat going crazy some years back I have the first-hand knowledge of the damage a cat can do. Even though I was traumatized to the point that the sight of a cat makes me extremely anxious – I do not wish harm to any of them.
People who think that killing a cat, or any other animal, in such a cruel and thoughtless fashion are disgusting. I will never understand their thoughts or behavior. It’s just unacceptable.
Great post!
Clicks!
–Trina
June 15, 2010 at 8:54 pm
Years ago I would only have dogs. Then I discovered the wonderful qualities that cats have. I now have two of them. I still like dogs. I just don’t have any. Although, my boy cat sometimes act like a lap dog. 🙂
June 16, 2010 at 6:11 pm
Cats are the most adorable creatures around…I just dont understand how anyone could hate them. I love kittens more though and always hope they never grow into cats!!!
June 16, 2010 at 11:06 pm
actually, i have a soft spot for all animals. almost all kinds(sometimes, even insects). i remember reading one of your blogs when you said you had to get away from the sight of fishes being caught and gasping for air. that’s what i would have done if i had been in the same situation. i don’t know why i have this much compassion for animals considering i was born in a country that doesn’t even treat domestic animals very kindly (i’m ashamed to admit that. but it’s true and i’m telling you, this unfortunate reality has been breaking my heart all my life).
That is why i salute the american people and people from other countries who have genuine concern for animals. Because that is the real measure of a good heart.