Pac_Man Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 Cats have more of a live-and-let-live attitude, but most cats are very affectionate to the people they're close to. They do things on their own terms, but for most cats these terms are pretty reasonable. I like the fact that cats are less maintenance than dogs. Also, cats are good at catching rodents, moles, and other vermin. If you've got two or more kittens, watching them chase each other around the house and rough house with each other is one of the most entertaining things you'll ever see animals do. Their level of agility, grace, and athleticism is much higher than any human athlete can achieve. I once saw two half-grown kittens run towards each other from opposite ends of the room, at full speed. As they raced towards each other, they both jumped--it happed too fast to see whether one responded to the other's jump, or if it was a mutual, simultaneous decision. They met each other in the air. One of them had a slightly higher position than the other, which caused them to somersault. Needless to say, they both landed on their feet. I've never seen any other kind of animal, let alone a human being, do something like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 Cats have more of a live-and-let-live attitude, but most cats are very affectionate to the people they're close to. They do things on their own terms, but for most cats these terms are pretty reasonable. I like the fact that cats are less maintenance than dogs. Also, cats are good at catching rodents, moles, and other vermin. If you've got two or more kittens, watching them chase each other around the house and rough house with each other is one of the most entertaining things you'll ever see animals do. Their level of agility, grace, and athleticism is much higher than any human athlete can achieve. I once saw two half-grown kittens run towards each other from opposite ends of the room, at full speed. As they raced towards each other, they both jumped--it happed too fast to see whether one responded to the other's jump, or if it was a mutual, simultaneous decision. They met each other in the air. One of them had a slightly higher position than the other, which caused them to somersault. Needless to say, they both landed on their feet. I've never seen any other kind of animal, let alone a human being, do something like that. 336039[/snapback] The thing that really sets apart dogs and cats is pretty simple: dogs evolved as pack animals, cats evolved as solitary. It makes for very different personalities. Even so, there are independent dogs out there, and one of my cats is of a breed (Manx) that's known for being extremely loyal and affectionate, almost to the level of your average dog (she's curled up on my desk next to my keyboard right now. If I go upstairs she will follow. She's as dedicated to me as any dog I've ever owned). And there's even decent evidence that the domestic house cat has evolved under domestication to be less solitary and more of a pack animal over the past five millenia... Now if I could just get my cats to stop raiding the liquour cabinet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROSCOE P. COE TRAIN Posted May 13, 2005 Author Share Posted May 13, 2005 the reports that are flooding are promissing as to cat behavior. i am close to revoking my stance that cats are pissclams. the writers of the puportings are articulate and make compelling statements. tell us more about cats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crackur Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 when someone is breaking into your house.........a cat doesnt bark =P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROSCOE P. COE TRAIN Posted May 13, 2005 Author Share Posted May 13, 2005 crackur - excellent counter point. cats serve no pragmatic security purpose. dog do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyDingo Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 an oldie but goody- EXCERPTS FROM A DOG'S DAILY DIARY: EXCERPTS FROM A CAT'S DAILY DIARY: But I can wait, it is only a matter of time .... 335814[/snapback] Now THATS funny stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 the reports that are flooding are promissing as to cat behavior. i am close to revoking my stance that cats are pissclams. the writers of the puportings are articulate and make compelling statements. tell us more about cats. 336058[/snapback] Nothing against dogs (I like both), but cats are more subtle and complex. You really can't appreciate a cat until you own one (I didn't really)...or better yet, two. As someone else pointed out, it's very entertaining watching two cats play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pac_Man Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 when someone is breaking into your house.........a cat doesnt bark =P 336063[/snapback] I'll agree that a big dog could really do something to a burglar. But some 5 pound Yorkshire terrier would just get used as a soccer ball. Well, you say, the terrier's barking could alert you so that you could do something to the burglar. But it's been my experience that a lot of little dogs yap all the time anyway, so there'd not necessarily be a reason to be alerted by the terrier's barking. If I was going to go through the trouble of maintaining a dog anyway, I'd want a big dog that could provide some protection instead of a little dog whose constant noise would drive me and my neighbors crazy. But a big dog--or any dog, really--isn't going to be as effective as a cat when it comes to catching small animals. Moles can really destroy your lawn, just as they've done a lot of damage to my mom's lawn. But my sister's cat was at my mom's house for a few weeks, and he killed several moles. My aunt and uncle had a mouse problem, where every night the mice would come into one of the bedrooms, do their thing, and be gone by morning. They hired an exterminator, whose efforts to kill the mice proved unsuccessful. After pursuing that for a while, they decided to let their outdoor-only cat into the house for a few nights. The mice were soon dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROSCOE P. COE TRAIN Posted May 13, 2005 Author Share Posted May 13, 2005 i got to honest, i just read this for the first time, i was provoked to do by reading the last posters interest in it. IT IS FREAKING HILARIOUS! haaaaaaaaaa, you did not make this up, right? an oldie but goody- EXCERPTS FROM A DOG'S DAILY DIARY: 8:00 a.m.Oh, boy! Dog food! My favorite! 9:30 a.m.Oh, boy! A car ride! My favorite! 9:40 a.m.Oh, boy! A walk! My favorite! 10:30 a.m.Oh, boy! Getting rubbed and petted! My favorite! 11:30 a.m.Oh, boy! Dog food! My favorite! Noon- Oh, boy! The kids! My favorite! 1:00 p.m.Oh, boy! The yard! My favorite! 4:00 p.m.Oh, boy! To the park! My favorite! 5:00 p.m.Oh, boy! Dog food! My favorite! 5:30 p.m.Oh, boy! Pretty Mums! My favorite! 6:00 p.m.Oh, boy! Playing ball! My favorite! 6:30 a.m.Oh, boy! Watching TV with my master! My favorite! 8:30 p.m Oh, boy! Sleeping in master's bed! My favorite! EXCERPTS FROM A CAT'S DAILY DIARY: Day 183 of My Captivity: My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another house plant. Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded; must try this at the top of the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair, must try this on their bed. Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, in an attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was. Hmmm, not working according to plan. There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary confinement throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the food. More importantly, I overheard that my confinement was due to my power of "allergies." Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage. I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The bird, on the other hand, has got to be an informant, he speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the high metal room, his safety is assured. But I can wait, it is only a matter of time .... 335814[/snapback] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 crackur - excellent counter point. cats serve no pragmatic security purpose. dog do. 336064[/snapback] As I said before, Manx's have some dog-like qualities. Territoriality and a willingness to defend their owners are two of them. Mine wouldn't, but there have been more than a few cases of Manx's aggressively defending their owners from harm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 But a big dog--or any dog, really--isn't going to be as effective as a cat when it comes to catching small animals. Exactly -- rodents and such are much more likely to get into your house than a burgler (statistically). We live in new construction, and apparantly there were some field mice living nearby that were disturbed/displaced by other houses going up around ours, as one day we found a dead mouse in the middle of our kitchen. One of our two cats had obviously "played" with it for awhile, then killed it. Never saw any more mice in our house. In addition to rodents, they're excellent at catching bugs -- spiders, ants, mosquitos, etc. We had a bunch of bugs in our house until we got our first cat -- then they all disappeared (not sure if the cat ate them all or if the smell of the cat scared them off, but they definately reduced in numbers). My "less social" cat is sleeping next to me on the sofa right now too. Bah to those who say cats aren't loving like dogs are. CW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROSCOE P. COE TRAIN Posted May 13, 2005 Author Share Posted May 13, 2005 You have framed a well argued response as to why some dogs have little security value (i.e., the boy who cried wolf theory). And you made a sound effort to show that cats serve in custodian like duties (kill moles, play mouse security). But I think the god value in security outweighs the cats pest policing. I mean, come on. Dogs are a deter criminals and cops even use them as partners. Cats can’t do this. One can buy mole repellant and mouse traps at a store, to remove the need for cat yard patrol. Dogs are better deterents than security alarms. A bark is a scary thing. I'll agree that a big dog could really do something to a burglar. But some 5 pound Yorkshire terrier would just get used as a soccer ball. Well, you say, the terrier's barking could alert you so that you could do something to the burglar. But it's been my experience that a lot of little dogs yap all the time anyway, so there'd not necessarily be a reason to be alerted by the terrier's barking. If I was going to go through the trouble of maintaining a dog anyway, I'd want a big dog that could provide some protection instead of a little dog whose constant noise would drive me and my neighbors crazy. But a big dog--or any dog, really--isn't going to be as effective as a cat when it comes to catching small animals. Moles can really destroy your lawn, just as they've done a lot of damage to my mom's lawn. But my sister's cat was at my mom's house for a few weeks, and he killed several moles. My aunt and uncle had a mouse problem, where every night the mice would come into one of the bedrooms, do their thing, and be gone by morning. They hired an exterminator, whose efforts to kill the mice proved unsuccessful. After pursuing that for a while, they decided to let their outdoor-only cat into the house for a few nights. The mice were soon dead. 336097[/snapback] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopsGuy Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 crackur - excellent counter point. cats serve no pragmatic security purpose. dog do. 336064[/snapback] Depends on your definition of security. The Ancient Egyptians thought cats to be gods. Why? Because the greatest threat to health back then was the disease spread by vermin (mice, rats). Cats were the natural predators of these vermin. Their mere presence added to the overall health of the populace. Presence of cats = healthy community. A couple of years ago, a reporter asked one of the maintenance guys at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia why there were so many stray cats roaming the stadium. They guy said, "It's either the cats or the rats. We prefer the cats." Yes, I'm a cat person. I've got nothing against dogs. In fact I like dogs. I may just own one someday. I just don't get the comtempt people have for cats. To each his own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROSCOE P. COE TRAIN Posted May 13, 2005 Author Share Posted May 13, 2005 this thread is really turning into something interesting and wonderful. so why the hell do cats get such a bad name? you pro cat poster have made highly compelling posts as to why cats are pretty cool. i stated cats as pissclams and 'suck' as an ignorant cat person. why is society against cats and so pro dog? did the dog food lobbyist brainwash us? is alpo a huge business? are dogs marketable? intersting indeed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 The Ancient Egyptians thought cats to be gods 336108[/snapback] their religous beliefs also included ramming somethingn like a coathanger up your nose to liquify your brains, cutting out your organs and putting them in a jar, drying your body out and leaving a snack in your tomb in case you got hungry To each his own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pac_Man Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 Nothing against dogs (I like both), but cats are more subtle and complex. You really can't appreciate a cat until you own one (I didn't really)...or better yet, two. As someone else pointed out, it's very entertaining watching two cats play. 336096[/snapback] You're right. I'd like to add to this by saying cats have a different set of social rules. If you stare at a dog and talk to it in a loud, friendly voice, the dog will be encouraged. A cat would consider this behavior a threat. My own feeling is that a lot of dog people get turned off by cats when loud, direct communication techniques fail to produce the intended result. Other felines also prefer subtle communication techniques. I've read of a group of cheetahs that formed an alliance. These cheetahs would go off to hunt in a horizontal line, with a good 20 - 30 yards between each cheetah. The line would move forward, with none of the cheetahs moving too quickly or falling behind. Under similar circumstances, dogs would be constantly looking at each other to make sure things were holding together. The cheetahs looked in every direction except at each other. Yet the line maintained its cohesion, even as the animals crossed a hill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 this thread is really turning into something interesting and wonderful. so why the hell do cats get such a bad name? you pro cat poster have made highly compelling posts as to why cats are pretty cool. i stated cats as pissclams and 'suck' as an ignorant cat person. why is society against cats and so pro dog? did the dog food lobbyist brainwash us? is alpo a huge business? are dogs marketable? intersting indeed... 336111[/snapback] Like I said, dogs are pack animals, and are usually more appealing because of it. Cats are solitary, and hence standoffish, which doesn't sell nearly as well. Dogs are also more easily trainable, since their pack instinct makes them want to please the pack leader (i.e. the owner). Cats aren't nearly as easily trainable - you CAN train one, but since they don't aim to please, you need to use different techniques and LOTS more patience. Ideally, though...own both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 You're right. I'd like to add to this by saying cats have a different set of social rules. If you stare at a dog and talk to it in a loud, friendly voice, the dog will be encouraged. A cat would consider this behavior a threat. My own feeling is that a lot of dog people get turned off by cats when loud, direct communication techniques fail to produce the intended result. Other felines also prefer subtle communication techniques. I've read of a group of cheetahs that formed an alliance. These cheetahs would go off to hunt in a horizontal line, with a good 20 - 30 yards between each cheetah. The line would move forward, with none of the cheetahs moving too quickly or falling behind. Under similar circumstances, dogs would be constantly looking at each other to make sure things were holding together. The cheetahs looked in every direction except at each other. Yet the line maintained its cohesion, even as the animals crossed a hill. 336114[/snapback] You sure that was cheetahs? I've heard of lions showing hunting behavior that complex (and even more so...like complex ambush tactics). But cheetahs are EXTREMELY solitary, and because they rely so much on speed are actually hampered by cooperative tactics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VABills Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 Like I said, dogs are pack animals, and are usually more appealing because of it. Cats are solitary, and hence standoffish, which doesn't sell nearly as well. Dogs are also more easily trainable, since their pack instinct makes them want to please the pack leader (i.e. the owner). Cats aren't nearly as easily trainable - you CAN train one, but since they don't aim to please, you need to use different techniques and LOTS more patience. Ideally, though...own both. 336117[/snapback] Yeah that way the dog can eat the stupid cat when it doesn't want to learn quick enough. Of course only to please the pack leader. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of BiB Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 The thing that really sets apart dogs and cats is pretty simple: dogs evolved as pack animals, cats evolved as solitary. It makes for very different personalities. Even so, there are independent dogs out there, and one of my cats is of a breed (Manx) that's known for being extremely loyal and affectionate, almost to the level of your average dog (she's curled up on my desk next to my keyboard right now. If I go upstairs she will follow. She's as dedicated to me as any dog I've ever owned). And there's even decent evidence that the domestic house cat has evolved under domestication to be less solitary and more of a pack animal over the past five millenia... Now if I could just get my cats to stop raiding the liquour cabinet... 336050[/snapback] Bad enough they unwrap and eat rum cake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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