# A lifetime dog person is considering a future cat **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 13, 2019, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503 "2019-02-13T21:45:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503/41 "2019-02-14T19:42:46Z")
> [@MoonMoon](#): > > Good call on the dog. I have no idea if he’d be into “Scooby snacks” or not, but I’d rather not find out. > > I’d love to put it in the bathroom, but there’s literally nowhere to put it. It’s very narrow, so all the floor space is walking space, and while I have long legs, I’d rather not step over it every time I have to do _my_ business. 🙂 Laundry room is good too if you have one. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503/42 "2019-02-14T19:56:24Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Laundry room is good too if you have one. Nope, I have a laundry “alcove” that’s barely big enough for me. 🙂 My house is tiny and adorable, but the builders clearly didn’t have litterbox placement in mind. If this happens, it’ll have to be in the spare bedroom or the office, which is probably fine. Like someone said upthread, having a space of its own is probably a thing a cat would enjoy now and again. Especially with the dog bopping around. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503/43 "2019-02-14T20:50:40Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > It doesn’t matter how clean you keep your bathroom, the cat knows that is where you are doing your deeds. You may have to put up with occasional communal pooping with your cat, it’s a family thing. My boy Theo comes into the bathroom when I’m sitting on the toilet and wants to play in my pants. But when he’s on the box in there, he gets upset and stops his business when I come in. 😛 OTOH, he’s right there on the sink when I finish my shower and loves to rub against my head while I’m leaning down drying off my legs. (Yes, I lean down far enough for him to do that and love him up.) And both cats have learned through experience that I DO NOT like it when they use the box and stink up the bathroom while I’m in the shower or immediately after. Oh yes, and get used to the idea of cat hair as a condiment. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503/44 "2019-02-14T20:57:16Z")
Regarding the litter box, if you have the space [this type](https://www.amazon.com/Petmate-Booda-Clean-Litter-Colors/dp/B0002DH8LE/ref=sr_1_7?crid=1QHT4AXQMB999&keywords=cat+litter+box&qid=1550175391&s=gateway&sprefix=cat+litter%2Caps%2C224&sr=8-7) is designed to reduce the amount of tracking (it builds up on the ramp, but I use a hand vac to remove it). The design also keeps curious dogs out, especially if you do as I do and use a bungee cord or suchlike to hold the top on. As for type/breed, after my previous [overlady](https://i.imgur.com/MctvLOd.jpg) of nearly 20 years had to leave us in April of 2017 I was hesitant about another one (if for no other reason than there’s a non-zero chance of the poor thing being orphaned). But the universe had other ideas, and on New Years Day of 2018 I was adopted by a [new overlady](https://i.imgur.com/pJqRaAX.jpg), a [Japanese Bobtail](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Bobtail). Which I wouldn’t mention but for the fact that like many of the breed, she’s actually a dog in a cat suit (that’s the consensus of pretty much everyone who’s spent time with her). Especially compared with her predecessor she’s affectionate, playful, outgoing and vocal. Especially the last. They’re not all that common, but one might be a good bridge between species. ETA: Apologies if the pictures aren’t available — this is my first attempt at using imgur. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503/45 "2019-02-14T22:19:31Z")
> [@MoonMoon](#): > > I’ve had dogs since I was a kid. Very rarely has my life been without a dog or two. But…I lost one of my dogs in August, and the other is getting older too. When I think about the future, I can’t imagine being without a pet, but I do concede that a cat might fit my current lifestyle better. Having never owned one, or really been around them too much, I have some concerns, though. > > 1. The litter box. I’m a little weirded out by a box of poop in my home, and horrified to be one of those people who are identified as a cat owner by the smell as soon as you walk in. > > 2. Related: cats stand in and pee and poop in a box, and then walk on surfaces in your house with their little pee/poop/litter feet. Do you just not think about that? Especially knowing they’re walking on your kitchen counters? > > 3. Also semi-related: getting mad and peeing on things…is that really as common as it sounds? > > 4. Cat owners seem nonchalant about cats’ inherent murdery-ness. Do they really bite and scratch their owners as often as it seems? I guess their unpredictability makes me nervous. > > I think I’d probably gravitate toward one of the “doggier” breeds, like Maine Coon, but again, we’re probably talking a few years in the future. Convince me, cat owners! (Or tell me to run far away :D) Cats can be just as affectionate as dogs, but most dont follow you around like dogs. However, Maine Coons sometimes do and we have two we raised from 1 day ld, and the often do. Get one more box than you have cats, scoop twice a day. Dump the whole box and clean one every couple months, you will be fine. Dogs clean their ass with their tongue. Rarely are cats aggressive, dogs are more likely to be aggressive than cats. If you get a kitten, do NOT play rough with it, that will teach it properly. Go to the pound, look at older, more sedate cats, and yes, maybe a maine coon. Get one that likes to lap sit. Maybe 4 yo? Or get a kitten. No need to buy a pure bred, just get one from a rescue or the pound. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503/46 "2019-02-14T22:33:33Z")
I’m in your position. I’ve always been a dog person. My dogs got old and died, and I’m too busy at the moment to train a new one, so we’re dogless for the time being. Our cat is great though. The litter box is no issue because he goes outside. His feet are no more dirty than anyone’s shoes. My cat fights with me because I let him. He does claw and scratch and loves it. He knows nobody else will let him get away with that though. And speaking of murderyness, he brings in carcasses and sometimes living victims all the time. Okay, at least once a month. So we have to deal with wiping up blood and feathers and fur from time to time. Other than that, he’s remarkably gentle and kind to people the rest of the time, even strange visitors. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503/47 "2019-02-14T22:34:44Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > … > I mean CLEAN THE BOX. Dump out all of the remaining litter and throw it away. Scrub out the box, let it dry, put it back with clean litter. I recommend doing this at least every 2-3 months. You’ll know when by the smell. > > I like the thicker, more rubbery-plasticy boxes, not the thin hard shell boxes. I dump it out, put it in the bathtub, put a splash of bleach (not too much) in it and fill it to the brim. A half-hour or more later, I scrub it with the crappy brush, rinse it out and let it dry. That removes the germs and the nasty ammonia smell. Then it gets refilled with fresh litter. > … > I don’t allow my cats to walk on the kitchen counters. Yes, sometimes it happens. But I’m not one of those people who assumes those counters are always sterile anyway. > > … > > 1. You’re going to have to get used to being lightly bitten and scratched on a semi-regular basis. Biting is part of play and they’re generally not going to bite you full strength. You’ll get used to your cat’s personality and learn when you could get scratched if you do something. … I do it out in the sun. Bleach is good, they also make special cat urine cleaners. Same here, they usually stay off. Train them not too and it\* mostly\* works. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503/48 "2019-02-14T22:36:33Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > If my life was too cramped to keep a dog I would get a pet rat. Much more adapted to apartment living than a cat, smart and trainable, affectionate, amusing. > . They are, but they have a 2 year lifespan, while many of my cats lived to 18 or even 20. I cant take the sadness every two years. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503/49 "2019-02-14T22:40:10Z")
I’m a cat guy, had cats at various times my whole life and prefer them over dogs. I’m gonna go against the grain here and recommend a bird or something for you. Your worries are justified, and your space as described may not be suitable for a cat unless it’s an innie/outie cat, when you take into consideration things like a litter box, the aforementioned FRAPs etc. Also, cats like to be up. Thats why they get on counters, tables into cupboards on top of or just on bookshelves etc. Some of this can be alleviated by moving shelves away from windows and putting a cat tree there instead. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503/50 "2019-02-14T23:56:13Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > And speaking of murderyness, he brings in carcasses and sometimes living victims all the time. Okay, at least once a month. So we have to deal with wiping up blood and feathers and fur from time to time. Other than that, he’s remarkably gentle and kind to people the rest of the time, even strange visitors. If only you would learn to hunt, dammit. He tries and tries to teach you, but you just don’t get it. He knows you’re not stupid, so why can’t you learn this? ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503/51 "2019-02-15T00:14:23Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > This is an[accurate science-based film](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbycvPwr1Wg)on the difference between dogs and cats. That was _perfect._ ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503/52 "2019-02-15T00:32:01Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > If only you would learn to hunt, dammit. He tries and tries to teach you, but you just don’t get it. He knows you’re not stupid, so why can’t you learn this? [Sequential Art reference.](https://www.collectedcurios.com/sequentialart.php?s=889) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503/53 "2019-02-15T00:46:04Z")
I don’t mind my cats getting up on things. I feed them on a small piece of counter top that turns from a odd corner. Away from the dogs. They jump up on any counter that has a sink because they like running water. They get up in the beams and on top of all the high furniture. I have 2 cat trees that they love. They hang out mostly in the laundry room, on the dryer. They have a bed there. So that is a big difference from dogs, who are normally below you on the floor. You’ll have reconcile that. ---
**Author:** ![bubba001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f17d59/32.png) [@bubba001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bubba001)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503/54 "2019-02-15T01:53:33Z")
Don’t do it. Run. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503/55 "2019-02-15T01:56:03Z")
> [@OttoDaFe](#): > > [Sequential Art reference.](https://www.collectedcurios.com/sequentialart.php?s=889) [A different take](https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2013-12-22) ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503/56 "2019-02-15T03:03:27Z")
Some more litterbox thoughts, since there are a variety of good solutions: I hear you that your bathroom is too small for a litterbox, but I’m a fan of keeping the box as close as possible to the toilet, because it makes keeping it scooped so easy. When the box is far away, scooping starts to feel like a chore. My cat’s litter box is currently right next to the toilet, and it’s the work of a few seconds to flush the latest poop away. I’ve heard the clumping litter many are recommending is great stuff. I couldn’t use it because my house has a cesspool. Instead, I use walnut shell pellets which are biodegradable. They don’t track at all. An adult cat used to other forms of litter might not like them, but my cat has never known anything else since I got her as a kitten. I’m also surrounded by gulches and it rains nearly every day - so I have taken to flinging the pellets into the gulch. I’m not worried about build-up of cat pee because of all the rain, and the waltnut shells are great compost. This would not work for everyone, of course. But it serves to illustrate that there are a variety of ways to deal with litterbox issues and there is almost certainly a type of box, type of litter, and location that will work for you. ---
**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503/57 "2019-02-15T04:43:06Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > I hear you that your bathroom is too small for a litterbox, but I’m a fan of keeping the box as close as possible to the toilet, because it makes keeping it scooped so easy. When the box is far away, scooping starts to feel like a chore. My cat’s litter box is currently right next to the toilet, and it’s the work of a few seconds to flush the latest poop away. Be cautious. Not all kitty litter is flushable; clay litter, for example, can make a nice solid clog in your pipes. Also, even flushable litters may not work well with low-flush (1.6 gallon) toilets, and can be very bad in septic systems. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503/58 "2019-02-15T06:16:32Z")
If you have the cash, I recommend the [Litter Robot](https://www.litter-robot.com/). I only have to empty mine once a week, and it’s always freshly scooped. Hardly smells at all since the waste is sealed in the bin within a few minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503/59 "2019-02-15T06:33:05Z")
> [@MoonMoon](#): > > … > > 1. The litter box. I’m a little weirded out by a box of poop in my home, and horrified to be one of those people who are identified as a cat owner by the smell as soon as you walk in. One cat, no problem, clean it every couple of days. Two cats, clean it every day. More than that, clean it twice a day. One box for each cat plus one extra box–although I think if you only have one cat, one box is fine. > [@](#): > > 1. Related: cats stand in and pee and poop in a box, and then walk on surfaces in your house with their little pee/poop/litter feet. Do you just not think about that? Especially knowing they’re walking on your kitchen counters? Every cat I’ve owned has known it’s not supposed to walk on the counter. Most of them have been fine about that. But we are messy and wipe down the counters a lot in any case. When the cats do jump up it often seems it’s because they want to get fresh water dripping right out of the sink faucet. Get your cat a cat fountain. Cats love those things. My dogs have seemed to kind of like them too. > [@](#): > > 1. Also semi-related: getting mad and peeing on things…is that really as common as it sounds? Have owned cats all my life and this has only happened one time, with one of my cats, and it happened in special circumstances. I had a friend with really smelly feet. He had a condition. Eventually he got treatment and it went away. However, before that… He came over and took his shoes and socks off. My cat peed on his socks. It was actually an improvement. She then tried to bury them. Appropriate. I had a roommate whose cat would pee on something of every new boyfriend she had. Like a test. Well, during the course of our cohabitation it was only two guys. Some kind of jealousy thing. So I would say in my vast experience it is not common at all. Now if the roommate had had more boyfriends I might have a different opinion. > [@](#): > > 1. Cat owners seem nonchalant about cats’ inherent murdery-ness. Do they really bite and scratch their owners as often as it seems? I guess their unpredictability makes me nervous. I had one cat claw me accidentally when he was reaching for a piece of meat I was about to give him. I was giving one piece to him and one piece to the dog and I think he was in a rush lest the dog get both pieces, not out of the realm of possibility. He ripped open my finger. Then the dog licked my blood. I got two kittens in November, and they have scratched me a couple of times, but they are just learning. It hasn’t happened in awhile. I would say since December. > [@](#): > > I think I’d probably gravitate toward one of the “doggier” breeds, like Maine Coon, but again, we’re probably talking a few years in the future. Convince me, cat owners! (Or tell me to run far away :D) My first cat was a Maine Coon, which I had from the age of 10 to the age of 28. She was a great, great cat. But then I think I would probably have thought that about any cat I owned for nearly two-thirds of my life. I will say, she was different. She liked riding in cars as much as any dog; she liked to be vacuumed; she would help me eat food I didn’t like when I was a kid and then begged at the table for the rest of her life. She even tried to eat broccoli for me. I was grateful. Oh, has anyone mentioned the carpet? We had this cheap carpet and two cats. They clawed it regularly, and it never showed a mark. We moved to a place, took out the carpet, and bought a nice area rug. Not cheap. These two cats ruined that rug in about a week. Got rid of the rug, kept the cats… We also never saw a lot of wear on the upholstered furniture. Really, much less damage from the cats over the years than from puppies. Although puppies tend to inflict the damage early in their lives while with cats it could happen any time. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503/60 "2019-02-15T07:19:00Z")
> [@slash2k](#): > > Be cautious. Not all kitty litter is flushable; clay litter, for example, can make a nice solid clog in your pipes. Also, even flushable litters may not work well with low-flush (1.6 gallon) toilets, and can be very bad in septic systems. I don’t flush litter down the toilet, only poop. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lifetime-dog-person-is-considering-a-future-cat/829503.md?page=4)