# My girlfriend is secretly trying to turn me into a cat-lover. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 18, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157 "2010-11-18T22:41:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157/21 "2010-11-19T20:55:15Z")
I saw a cat in Westport. It was a cat on a mission. It was strolling down the footpath, bowling we pedestrians out of the way. About 20 yards after passing us it went into a drive way. I have never seen such a determined beast. ---
**Author:** ![dobieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@dobieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dobieman)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157/22 "2010-12-06T17:52:41Z")
“So many cats…so few recipes.” ---
**Author:** ![Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tequila_Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157/23 "2010-12-06T19:11:59Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > I like to sniff the back of our cat’s head. She smells so _clean._ 😕 My cat smells like wet dog. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157/24 "2010-12-06T19:22:25Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > I saw a cat in Westport. > > It was a cat on a mission. It was strolling down the footpath, bowling we pedestrians out of the way. About 20 yards after passing us it went into a drive way. I have never seen such a determined beast. There’s a little Chihuahua that gallops down my street all the time, and he’s like this, too. He looks like he knows exactly where he’s going, he’s very determined to get there, and he even kind of looks like he’s smiling and he looks at you like, “Hey, how’s it hangin’?” ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157/25 "2010-12-06T20:19:02Z")
> [@dobieman](#): > > “So many cats…so few recipes.” I like cats. They taste like chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157/26 "2010-12-07T00:20:33Z")
Dogs have owners. Cats have staff. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157/27 "2010-12-07T01:58:58Z")
> [@Tequila\_Mockingbird](#): > > 😕 My cat smells like wet dog. Only when they’ve just finished cleaning themselves and are still damp, though. After they dry out, they’re scentless! Sweet kitteny fresh, self-cleaning pets! Compared to my droooly, stinky dog.. no comparison. Some cats and nice and cuddly and talky and some are not, though. Depends on the cat. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157/28 "2010-12-07T03:34:17Z")
If you do not make nice with a cat, it will eat your remains once you are dead. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157/29 "2010-12-07T04:01:06Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > If you do not make nice with a cat, it will eat your remains once you are dead. How exactly is that different from if you do make nice with a cat? ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157/30 "2010-12-07T08:14:09Z")
Well, if you make nice with the cat, it will be SORRY that you’re dead. But yes, it will still eat you. I am tempted to wake my husband up. All four Bodoni cats want attention NOW, and I only have two hands and one lap. ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157/31 "2010-12-07T08:43:06Z")
A G - you have this to look forward to…do not resist… [http://www.youtube.comcwatch?v=w0ffwDYo00Q](http://www.youtube.comcwatch?v=w0ffwDYo00Q) ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157/32 "2010-12-07T11:21:21Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > How exactly is that different from if you do make nice with a cat? If you make nice with a cat, it will offer you comfort in your last days. Once you pass, the cat will attend a funeral Eucharist hosted by you. ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157/33 "2010-12-07T15:23:18Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > They’ll what?? > > Oh no! They got to **EvilTOJ**! > > GAME OVER, MAN! GAME OVER! **Death of Rats** gets the extra bonus point for the ‘Aliens’ reference. My favorite line in the movie. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157/34 "2010-12-07T16:32:24Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Cats run away. Dogs don’t. That’s what I believed as a kid, and what I pretty much still believe. Every cat I’ve ever had I had to force to stay inside. My dogs (a chihuahua and a miniature dachshund) want back in within 5 minutes. Ah, yes, good old truth by anecdote. Well, my experience is the reverse. Every cat I ever had was indoor/outdoor. They came and went all the time. I had one that disappeared for about a week, then showed back up on her own. Most of them never went further than two neighbors away, and came back to the house frequently (daily). Whereas dogs - dogs get out of the pen, they run away and you have to go find them and bring them back. My parents had two dogs that got out together when a neighbor was sitting for them (one could unlatch the gate if you didn’t lock it). They disappeared. A week later, a neighbor reported to my parents he had seen them both over a mile away from the house. Dad was able to go find them, and they came back willingly, but they didn’t find their way back on their own. Plus, dogs slobber. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157/35 "2010-12-07T18:59:25Z")
> [@Vihaga](#): > > I agree with the people who said cats like you more when you’re not into them. Everyone’s cats like me, pretty much. They thrive on indifference. That’s really not necessarily true for owners in particular. While there are far more standoffish cats than genuinely standoffish dogs out there ( I have met a few of those, half of them Chows and Afghans ), I suspect _most_ pet cats are pretty affectionate and appreciate some attention. It is more true for strangers and comes down to “cat manners.” Looking away is considered “polite” to cats - it indicates relaxation and a lack of aggression. Strangers staring directly ( or advancing on them ) on the other hand will often trigger anxiety, because it looks like an assertive dominance play by an animal much larger than themselves. Not all cats - one of mine _loves_ people and is what is often referred to as a “dog-like” cat. But it is common enough for people indifferent to cats to attract them when visiting, because their body language appears non-threatening. Me, I like them about equally for different reasons. Cats are just lower maintenance on average. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157/36 "2010-12-08T14:26:47Z")
I’m a cat person all the way. Wanting to have a dog is alien to me, but now I don’t have a cat I’m somewhat miserable. _Opinionated rant ahead_: Dogs are in-your-face and aggressive (in the broad sense of the word). They take up physical and mental space I don’t want to share. When I get home from work, the last thing I want is something rushing to my feet, begging desperately for attention. I can’t concentrate on anything with dogs flailing around, while cats are a source of calmness. I can sit down and just watch a cat doing its stuff, all sweet and graceful. If I sit still long enough, the cat may come to me, look me in the eye, and hop into my lap, turning into a world-class stress toy, all soft and warm and affectionate. I don’t have to do anything but step through a doorway for a dog to run to me - where’s the challenge? When a cat likes human attention, it curls into a silly fur ball and purrs loudly. When dogs like someone petting them, they mostly just sit there. Dogs are hard and angular, they don’t fit into my lap or feel good against my hand, no matter what their size. As others have noted, cats smell wonderful. I often bury my nose into their fur. Dogs smell like sweaty tallow, from a good distance when wet. Then there’s the barking, which is noise pollution of the worst sort. Dogs are kinda like a jackhammer and aggregator combo - a useful tool but not something you want to have in your living room. To me, having a dog would be like having a drunken, obnoxious extra guy in the house all the time - noise, drool, ADHD and BO included. A cat is like a house genie, enhancing the place just by its sheer beauty. ---
**Author:** ![Makeitstop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@Makeitstop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Makeitstop)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157/37 "2010-12-08T14:35:30Z")
Lifelong cat owner here. Trust me, OP, your girlfriend has nothing to do with the cats shmoozing up to you. They genuinely want attention from you. It isn’t somethng that you can fight. One way or another, their cuteness will overpower your resolve. You can kick and scream all you want, but its going to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157/38 "2010-12-08T14:59:22Z")
All of them are different. I had a dog-like cat once too. He’d say hi & put up with visitors to an extent, but if they started messing with him & treating him too much like “you cat, me Steve Irwin, cat expert” he’d just give me a look. And I’d laugh and leave the room. And about 10-15 minutes later I’d hear “Ow…! That f-cking cat Bit Me!!!” :eek: Og, I miss him, especially around the holidays. 😉 My current Tuxedo thinks she’s a princess. Oddly enough, I don’t mind at all. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157/39 "2010-12-08T15:37:41Z")
Resistance is futile. I never had any use for cats until I started dating my future wife. That was 16 years ago and now I’m a “cat person” through and through. You _will_ be one of us, **An Gadaí**. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157/40 "2010-12-08T18:38:02Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > Dogs are in-your-face and aggressive (in the broad sense of the word). They take up physical and mental space I don’t want to share. When I get home from work, the last thing I want is something rushing to my feet, begging desperately for attention. You wouldn’t like my cat :p. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-girlfriend-is-secretly-trying-to-turn-me-into-a-cat-lover/561157.md?page=3)