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Yes, we all see how high the Republican standards are by the clown car of loonies they have squabbling over the Presidential candidate nomination, hahahaha!! Pretty sad if your "high standards" include Donald Trump.
Visiting others is a real pain if they have dogs. Their dogs will either go psycho jumping and nibbling at you, especially when this unwanted, or want nothing to do with you when you try to pet them. Then you always get the comment "My dog is so nice; it would never hurt anyone."Dogs can seemingly do no wrong no matter how poorly they behave.
I just don't understand how obsessed people get about their dogs and it seems to be a growing trend with dogs seemingly everywhere you go. I don't hear about people being called crazy dog people but someone with a couple cats is automatically labeled a crazy cat Person.
Cats don't go around killing people, terrorizing them (to the extent that dogs do) and tend to be much quieter. There tends to be a double standard in behavior. A scratch or paw from a cat (without even leaving a scratch on your skin) is seen as pure malice while a dog mauling (i.e. jumping, scratching, snapping) you when you come over to it just means its "excited" or "it doesn't know better." Also somehow cats are seen as uncaring and selfish pets yet dogs are "man's best friend."
Anyone else notice this bizarre phenomenon?
A-freaking men. High five, back slap, "thank you TR25" or whatever.
For some reason people expect you to be tolerant of "pest" behaviors from other people's dogs and think there's something wrong with you for not wanting the behaviors to spoil your enjoyment of your own property. I don't want to hear your dog barking at every single thing. I don't want your dog in my yard harassing me over here because it's too stupid to realize my yard isn't its territory. I DON'T CARE that "it doesn't know better"--I DO, and as the owner YOU DO. I'm more tolerant of cats, yet at the same time, if I owned a $50,000 BMW and the neighbor's cats kept walking on the car and getting paw prints all over it, I'd not be fond of cats being over here either.
Suffice it to say, as I put it to people, I can be like Mr Wilson from "Dennis the Menace"--I'm over here on my place and I want your pet to LEAVE ME ALONE.
Heck, I have a hard time tolerating my OWN pets sometimes, and have had occasion several times to have one of my own pets rehomed. I expect a dog to do the following (a) never bark except MAYBE at someone you've never seen, and even then STOP IMMEDIATELY when told (b) come to me when I call, always (c) no chewing (d) don't nag me to pay attention to you if I'm just "around" but keeping to myself (this includes no scratching at the door and no "whimpering") and (e) no wandering into the neighbor's yard if you're not restrained by a tether or a fenced-in area.
Cats I'm more tolerant of, as one person said they don't require as much work and I want a pet to be as little work as possible Even with cats, though, I have expectations (a) no bugging me for things such as being let out, I'll let you out when I FEEL like it and no sooner (b) no excessive meowing (c) no pestering me when I'm eating, hop into my lap and you may end up thrown across the room, and (d) hopping onto the kitchen table, ever, I don't care if I've not fed you and I've opened a can of tuna, STILL you are to NEVER hop on kitchen tables etc. That (d) may be the big one. Another one is (e) no resisting me picking you up and holding you. I OWN YOU, if I want to pick you up I will and you'll just put up with it no matter how you feel about it, or you might find yourself thrown into the bathtub full of water and then kicked out of the house.
I like cats. I like all animals. But I love dogs. We have two cats and four dogs.
It seems that the "cat community" has it in for dogs. On Facebook, I see it all the time.
Yes. I like dogs a bit more. And NO. I do not think that they are dopey, stupid or indiscriminate in their affection. I am really tired of hearing that.
Many people in the "cat cult" really do not care for animals - other than cats.
General animal lovers - including most "dog people" - love all animals. If one - cat or dog - was in need of a home - dog people are way more likely to open their homes to a cat. Or two.
Cat people? Not so much.
I love ALL animals. But I do not fixate on one species.
I am a cat person. I love my kitty, he greets me when I come home and shows affection. That being said I will say I disagree with you. We "cat people" don't hate dogs or have it out for them. I love dogs but they are more work, and they cannot be left alone long (since they don't use litter boxes). Cats are easier pets to own. I think both bring lots of enjoyment in different ways. Dogs just require more work that is all.
My husband and I love both. However since dogs are more work than cats, we didn't replace our last 3 dogs when they went to Rainbow Bridge. We have 4 indoor-only cats and 1 outdoor-only cat and they're less work and expense than the 3 dogs were. Retired now, we may or may not get a small dog some time in the future.
I think some people love their pets more than they care about the safety and comfort of other people. My mother is one of those people...I had terrible asthma while I was growing up. After I moved out, it lessened and pretty much went away. I only have asthma attacks now when I'm in a house with cats. My mom always told me my asthma was caused by being overweight and out of shape. When I told her it was a cat allergy, she said it was good she didn't know that when I was a kid because it would have been difficult deciding who to keep and who to get rid of. (me or the cats)
Some people think that a cat allergy means you just don't like cats. For me, even if I take allergy meds, I will spend several days coughing up mucus and wheezing whenever I exercise, after I've been in a home that has cats.
There are people who are terrible dog owners too. A dog is not your child and is not more important than people. If your dog is bothering your guest, you need to lock your dog up. I am a dog owner and my dogs are well-treated, but they know they are lower in the pack order than any person, whether a family member or a guest. My dogs will not jump up on people or beg for food or attention.
One difference between a cat scratch and a dog scratch is that a cat scratch is much more likely to break the skin and much, much more likely to get infected. A dog will usually scratch because it's too excited and jumps up, or gets carried away in play. A dog can be trained out of this behavior. A cat will scratch because it's angry or defensive. Cats are also much more likely to bite, and less likely to be put down because of biting. I've had to seek medical attention twice because of cats (a scratch across my eye, when I was trying to get a sock out from under the bed, and a bite that got infected.) With dogs, if they scratch you by accident, you can generally wash the scratch with soap and water and it doesn't get infected or need further attention. I've never had a dog bite me, not even any of the strays or foster dogs that I've had. Dogs will give you plenty of warning signs before they ever consider biting...I've never even had a dog try to snap at me,even when I was treating an injury.
I don't think dogs get a pass. I do think they're more trainable and I'm more likely to blame the bad behavior of a dog on the dog's owner's ignorance or laziness, rather than a flaw in the animal's personality. A cat isn't trainable.
I think some people love their pets more than they care about the safety and comfort of other people. My mother is one of those people...I had terrible asthma while I was growing up. After I moved out, it lessened and pretty much went away. I only have asthma attacks now when I'm in a house with cats. My mom always told me my asthma was caused by being overweight and out of shape. When I told her it was a cat allergy, she said it was good she didn't know that when I was a kid because it would have been difficult deciding who to keep and who to get rid of. (me or the cats)
Some people think that a cat allergy means you just don't like cats. For me, even if I take allergy meds, I will spend several days coughing up mucus and wheezing whenever I exercise, after I've been in a home that has cats.
There are people who are terrible dog owners too. A dog is not your child and is not more important than people. If your dog is bothering your guest, you need to lock your dog up. I am a dog owner and my dogs are well-treated, but they know they are lower in the pack order than any person, whether a family member or a guest. My dogs will not jump up on people or beg for food or attention.
One difference between a cat scratch and a dog scratch is that a cat scratch is much more likely to break the skin and much, much more likely to get infected. A dog will usually scratch because it's too excited and jumps up, or gets carried away in play. A dog can be trained out of this behavior. A cat will scratch because it's angry or defensive. Cats are also much more likely to bite, and less likely to be put down because of biting. I've had to seek medical attention twice because of cats (a scratch across my eye, when I was trying to get a sock out from under the bed, and a bite that got infected.) With dogs, if they scratch you by accident, you can generally wash the scratch with soap and water and it doesn't get infected or need further attention. I've never had a dog bite me, not even any of the strays or foster dogs that I've had. Dogs will give you plenty of warning signs before they ever consider biting...I've never even had a dog try to snap at me,even when I was treating an injury.
I don't think dogs get a pass. I do think they're more trainable and I'm more likely to blame the bad behavior of a dog on the dog's owner's ignorance or laziness, rather than a flaw in the animal's personality. A cat isn't trainable.
I'm sorry that you are allergic to cats. That's almost a tragedy to me (but they are working on breeding hypo-allergenic breeds, so maybe you won't be left out if you ever do decide to give cats a go)! I have a friend who has asthma and had a similar situation with her mom at home. Her mom is a major dog lover and has about forty little dogs. My friend was always sick until she moved out of her mom's house, and it's because she was allergic to dogs (but not cats). She continues to be a cat lover to this day and has two lovely little kitties that share her inside and outside domain. She absolutely hates dogs, though, because they are a handful of responsibility and they upset her asthma.
Cats do have sharper claws and teeth than dogs do, but the behaviors are similar. A cat, like a dog, will bare its teeth and claws in play (all cats have a high prey drive, so they play rough). Some are really bad about scratching (I will admit it.) There are things cat owners can do to minimize risks, though, like explicitly teaching the cat not to scratch people (provide more savory alternatives, like a scratching post, and reward the cat for scratching there and nowhere else) and getting the claws trimmed (declawing sometimes increases the risk of cat bites and other unsavory behavior--like soiling outside the litter box---and should only be used as a last resort when working with a cat.) Cats also give different signals than dogs do; it's kind of like they read the dog manual in reverse! A wagging tail in a dog generally means good excitement, while a twitching tail in a cat generally means agitation. Holding the ears close to the head for a cat means that they are upset. A low growl (sometimes a certain pitched meow, too) means that they don't like whatever is going on and will probably attack if they continue to be provoked. A bark means it's hungry and is trying to hunt (this is rare cat behavior, though.) A slow blink and a silent meow means the cat likes you and has accepted you. Purring and trilling also mean the cat is relaxed and content. Kneading you with its paws (another big risk for cat scratches, too, especially with kittens) means the cat is comfortable. You also have to realize cats are nocturnal creatures (you can get them out of it if you give them plenty of attention during the day, but most people own cats for their convenience), so they are most active at night. This is where the terror cat stories come in. While you're asleep, your energetic cat is running around, pouncing, spying, hiding, and playing busily. Your feet, arms, head, etc. can become prime targets if you move a lot in your sleep! (like kenneling with a dog--or taking care of a teenager, it's best to let the cat have its own room--or space--to retire to so that it can play the night away without disturbing its owners.)
Cats are trainable (maybe not to the extent of dogs), but you can train them to do a variety of things, if you can speak the language. Cats work for people they trust, and earning a cat's trust is a little different than earning a dog's. For cats, pleasing is a negotiation; for dogs, pleasing is a lifestyle. That said, though, you can, with patience, train a cat out of unpleasant behaviors just by establishing new consistent routines. You can also train a cat to do a variety of stupid pet tricks and train them into new behaviors that make them more manageable (personally, I've had better luck training cats than some dogs. Dogs are awful at generalizing and often have to be taught the same thing over and over again when the situation changes, not so for cats; they teach themselves and you just shape the behavior into something you want.). For instance, if you don't like the litter box, you can train your cat to walk on a leash and go outside; you can also train your cat to use the human toilet (if I did this, I would probably have a spare bathroom or port-a-potty for the cats. It does provide more room than a litter box).
I used to want a dog but I never got one. I think a cat suits my lifestyle better. My cat is very sweet and very loving. Anyone who has a problem with her will not be a part of my life.
Dog owners are some of the most inconsiderate people I know. Maybe it's just me, but I don't find terrible smell, getting fur all over my clothes, incessant barking, or having my hand and legs licked by a creature who eats things off the floor to be in any way "cute."
I used to want a dog but I never got one. I think a cat suits my lifestyle better. My cat is very sweet and very loving. Anyone who has a problem with her will not be a part of my life.
Even though I do love cats, I will admit that dogs are still appealing to me, but I, like most single working adults, do not have time for one. Proper care of a dog is almost like caring for a child; they have to have constant stimulation and are not really good at being left alone. They're also a huge hassle to train. After they're trained, though, they make decent companions, but it's a ridiculous amount of never-ending work to get the animal to that point. Even little dogs can cause chaos, but it's easier to contend with because its on a much smaller scale. If your Chihuahua barks, snarls, and lunges at new people, that's less likely to be a lawsuit than if your Doberman Pincher does it! (On the other hand, though, I don't see a Chihuahua as being able to fend off an intruder or drag me out of a burning building.)
Dog hating is not really one of my hobbies. I've owned some very intelligent puppies. I had one dog that taught himself all kinds of tricks and would constantly get into trouble. He reminded me of a juvenile delinquent (some of his offenses included sneaking out past curfew, raiding dumpsters, joining a gang of vicious stray dogs, moving his girlfriend and their kids under the house without my permission, getting into fights with neighborhood dogs, playing too rough with a kitten, and taking unnecessary risks with his life--like climbing a twenty foot ladder and then jumping down. That was my dog; he was just too smart for his own good.)
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