ivancarlos said:
Like what? I am getting a vibe here that people who like cats do so because there is less commitment. If you mean cleaning up after them then if you had to then would you still want to own one?
Less commitment...
Let's see..
Several years ago (when Wafflycat Minor was small) I had a chronic illness which kept me virtually bedridden for the best part of a year. During that time Waffles (the now elderly black cat in my avatar) only left my side to eat, drink & use her litter tray. Then she'd come back to me. If someone closed the bedroom door when she was out on litter tray duties, she'd quietly wait outside until someone opened the door for her, then she'd come back to me, sit alongside me, put her head gently on my shoulder and *purr* ever so gently. In a time of great stress she was a wonderful relaxer and source of calm. She is a very, very special cat to me. She's my girl.
A few years ago, Waffles got into an argument with a vehicle of some kind. Cutting a long story short, she had:-
Blown eye (had to be surgically removed)
concussion
jaw 'moved'
broken ribs
pelvis broken in four places so it was completely detached from her spinal column
open fracture of the femur (now has metal pin in said leg)
After her ops, she had six weeks of cage rest. During the time she was at the vets' surgery, I'd go down every morning with a tshirt in which I'd slept, so it had my scent on it, and placed that in her cage, so she could have the scent of her family to help calm her.
I slept on the floor with my hand through the cage bars so she could sleep with her head cradled in my hand. It was the least I could do when she'd kept me going through a chronic, disabling illness.
Now, she is back to being a normal cat, but being elderly, she only has one fang left, as well as only one eye. Doesn't stop her catching mice & climbing trees...
Any animal that comes under my care does not get less commitment - it gets the commitment a family member would. I'm not under any illusions about my animals being my 'babies' they aren't but they are family members, albeit non-human family members, and they get care appropriate to species.
My cats get fed, watered daily, litter trays seen to, worming treatment, flea treatment, annual vaccinations, all are nneutered/speyed, wear collars with ID tags & bells. My cats will come when called (and not just for food) will jump on my knee for a good old cuddle and purr session. Each cat I have has its own disitinct personality - each is different, just like people are different. Waffles is very much my cat - she will seek me out. Francis is an abused stray taken in and he is the sweetest natured cat who acts forever grateful for getting him well (took over a year to get him back to full-health) and Marble, the feral rescue is different again. As for cats not caring about their owners - poppycock - but what is true is that cats are very different to dogs.
My two hens are rescues - came to me bald patches, broken feathers, could hardly walk, had never seen the light of day until I got them, and had been destined for slaughter to be made into stock cubes/pet food/ low-quality chicken pies... Now they are fully feathered, checked over every day for signs of illness, parasites - are wormed every month, hen house cleaned daily, run cleaned daily, fed & watered daily, allowed to free-range in the garden daily..
If anyone gets *any* pet because they are some sort of 'less commitment' then I would ask them to question this and think about whether they should have the animal at all.
. Cats still need their litter trays cleaning, any furballs or sick sorting out. Feeding. Fleas and checking regularly for other parasites or diseases, injections. Grooming. Most of them like human company regularly. Some people don't like their cats being out at night (they worry for their health or being stolen) and it can be a fair bit of effort looking for them. All right so it's not the same as dogs but some dogs are not the same as other dogs and cats vary a lot.
. Cats still need their litter trays cleaning, any furballs or sick sorting out. Feeding. Fleas and checking regularly for other parasites or diseases, injections. Grooming. Most of them like human company regularly. Some people don't like their cats being out at night (they worry for their health or being stolen) and it can be a fair bit of effort looking for them. All right so it's not the same as dogs but some dogs are not the same as other dogs and cats vary a lot.
