Hilarious and so true. Also, my cat hangs out with me when I’m sick or sad. His is the perfect kind of attention-- just being there, all warm and soft, asking nothing. And he greets me at the door and comes when I call.
I had dogs until age 20, then from 29-45 had cats. Recently I’ve joined the canine church again.
Cats and dogs are different. But hard to choose. Dogs are more work, and all our dogs had issues (my dog when I was a teenager had been abused as had my current pup). Cats are less work. But dogs are more fun.
One of our cats was a cuddler, the other was not. Dogs are much more affectionate and engaging.
My wife and I have no livestock in the house. All three of our children’s families, however, including our two adult grandchildren have an assortment of critters. A total of 5 households, 4 of which have dogs. Only our adult grandson has a “cat only” and in his words, “far, far less work!”.
Cats are among the most efficient of this planet’s apex predators; house cats are not excluded from this club.
I’ve had dogs and I’ve had cats and I’ve had rats. I personally far prefer rats to either dogs or cats.
Indeed not. Strange how one can acknowledge house cats causing “enormous destruction of birds and other wildlife” but not their status as apex predator.
Isn’t the meaning of “apex predator” the one at the top of the chain, which no other macropredator preys on the adults of?
In that sense, no, the cat isn’t. In one sense, in most areas, that would be coyote or wolf or one of the larger cats or the largest birds; all of whom will take housecats. In another sense, everywhere on the planet, it’s humans.
In their particular food chain, yes, and house cats are at the top of their particular food chain. House Cats Have More Impact On Local Wildlife Than Wild Predators.
Cats are better because they make that start-up bbrtprtprt? noise if lightly disturbed when resting.
I’m definitely a dog person, but I like cats too. I don’t presently own a dog because I live in a tiny third-floor condo, and going up and down the stairs multiple times a day to take care of a dog’s needs is more than I can handle now.
So why haven’t I gotten a cat instead? Mainly because I’m allergic, but also this:
ETA: You don’t need to click that; it’s just a headline with no story.
Cats know that they are gods, dogs think that you are.
They also make a great little hrk noise when they jump, a cute little erf noise when they land, and a dangerously seductive chirp when they see birds out the window. At least mine does. My husband and I make sure to report to one another about the cute noises our cat makes in the other’s absence, and do our best to reproduce them.
LOL!! When I read that in the original a few years ago, I laughed for ten minutes.
Some of them also make a very cool little chattering noise when they see a bird or squirrel or other small prey out the window. One of my boys used to do it, and it was adorable.
Well said.
Dogs are okay but I am very much a cat person for all of the reasons given in this thread.
But those reasons are justifications created after the fact. My adoration of cats is not a conscious choice on my part, any more than my sexual orientation is. I see a cat or a kitten and I feel instant attraction to it. My ex used to call me “cat slut.”
Somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but not entirely, I believe there may be a “cat gene” just as Richard Dawkins postulates a “god gene.” From an evolutionary perspective, it might be helpful to have a few people in the tribe who are “cat whisperers” since cats keep rodents at bay.
I know that neurological changes resulting from toxoplasmosis have been posited as the reason some people are cat-crazy. But I like the gene theory myself because I saw it so clearly with my son: his first word was “cat” and he was almost maniacally attracted to our cats from the moment he had enough agency to move his eyes to see them or reach out and pet them. I always say I have a strong copy of the “cat gene” and he inherited it.
If domestic rats weren’t so prone to their already short lives being cut even shorter by cancers, I’d seriously consider having a couple of them too. They seem like they’d be pretty neat to own given how smart they are for rodents.
Yes, their short lifespan is the worst part about having pet rats. Well-cared-for rats typically live about 2.5 to 3 years. And they get more friendly and affectionate as they get older, so they die when you’re most attached to them. Getting them from a good breeder with a long experience reduces the chance of getting one genetically disposed to cancer when young.
Rats do best in a group, so (except for a few months when I was experimenting with being petless) for the past 13 years I’ve gotten a new pair when the oldest ones in the group reach 18-24 months of age or so. So I always have (at least) a couple of young ones and a couple of older ones. Having the young ones somewhat softens the blow when the older ones die, but for sure, having rats will make you familiar with loss.
For me, the question is, would I rather have a wonderful rat for 2-3 years and then lose him, or never have known him at all? I think having several years of experience with a wonderful playful affectionate pet makes it worth dealing with the eventual loss. Seeing their excitement when I approach their cage every morning is a happy start to my day.
The term “apex predator” doesn’t mean just “very good hunter”. From the article you cited:
Apex predators have no natural predators in their ecosystem—meaning they are at the top of the food chain.
Considering only my area, and only current times, and not counting stray dogs: coyote are pretty common and definitely eat cats. Eagles and great horned owls eat cats. Small cats and kittens are at risk from fox, raccoon, and the larger hawks.
Cats are definitely not the apex predator in my area by that article’s own definition. Currently, if we leave humans out of it, that’s coyote; who’s filled that niche in a very great deal of the USA by now, coming into areas where larger predators were driven out; and including rural, suburban, and sometimes even urban areas.
Wolves, cougar, and the larger weasels are either extinct or extraordinarily rare around here; but there are sizeable areas of the country where they’re also common.
I’ve followed a similar principle with cats, most of my life; while they live a long time compared to rats, they live a short time compared to humans. When I was in my 20’s, I had a neighbor who had three cats. They were littermates, and they all died in the same year. I thought, I don’t know if I could deal with that; and have since had cats of staggered ages, 3 or 4 at a time; occasionally 2 of the same or very similar ages, but never all of them.
I’m now 70. The youngest cat is currently heading for 3. (Exact age unknown; he showed up at my door on a cold winter night, about a year and a half ago.) I’m not at all sure I should add in another one when he hits middle age, since as it is he stands a significant chance of outliving me. But of course somebody else may show up at the door, it happens from time to time.
I like both cats and dogs and get along fine with both. But deep down, I am drawn more to cats than dogs, for many of the reasons laid out in this thread.
When it comes right down to it, my observation is that cats remain wild animals at their core. Owning a cat is the closest you can come to a friendship with a wild animal, a predator at that.
As someone with the authority to make the statement said:
The appeal of the cat lies in the very fact that she has formed no close bond with [man], that she has the uncompromising independence of a tiger or a leopard while she is hunting in his stables and barns: that she still remains mysterious and remote when she is rubbing herself gently against the legs of her mistress or purring contentedly in front of the fire.
Konrad Lorenz in Man Meets Dog
And, while cats are definitely social animals, they are not pack animals. Any bonds with a cat must be earned, and being earned, are more satisfying. (except some cats over-anthropomorphized by their owners, which IMHO creates more of Stockholm Syndrome)