Sell me on cats

[Drago]

Don't confuse trying to protect the environment with "haters". I used to have a cat (when I lived in a city for a time) but had dogs a lot longer yet a thread discussing dogs and I'll be arguing for responsible ownership eg too many dog owners think they don't need to pick-up the poo when on farm fields but dog run on farmland may be infected with Neosporosis which is harmless to the dog but is passed on to farm animals through dog poo and is a major cause if farm animal abortion (and an animal once infected is infected for life). Similarly with Sarcocytosis.

There are lots of ways to lower the damage we do to the environment, just happens this thread is discussing different aspects of cat ownership and environmental impact is one of several considerations.

nb Dog attacks are very unusual. I'm periodically chased by dogs when cycling and it's funny - they don't want to catch you: I slow down, they slow down, I slow more ... I stop and they stop and dog sitting 5 m away on road feeling "err what do I do now". Often in campsites I'll meet unfriendly dogs that growl when you get. close (which is good), so I make friends with them and they stop growling (and caravan owner becomes friendly and offers coffee and biscuits).

Ian

The problem with such discussions is that conscientious people as well as a-holes all own dogs, cats, cars, shotguns, stereos, etc etc...

It's a problem of utter bellendery, not a problem with dogs, cats, cars, shotguns, stereos, etc etc...

Banning, say, dogs, cats, cars, shotguns, stereos, etc etc wont make any difference. Until selfish bellends themselves are banished from this world there will always be a problem with something.

 

[Reynard]

My brand new, worn once, Humvee trousers seem covered in cat fluff already ! It seems the fabric attracts it. Darn.

Home is where the cat hair sticks to everything BUT the cat.

 

[Kingfisher101]

Cats are very kind hearted pets generally. I've had some very low moments as has everyone obviously, when the cats have been more supportive certainly than other people in my life at this time.
I think they are great pets, they can be a pain and challenging but they offer a lot of benefits as well.

 

[Drago]

Animals are so much better than people.

 

[slow horse]

Animals are so much better than people.

We can aspire to be more like them


View: https://youtu.be/m8psQi7ScQQ

 

[Reynard]

I think they are great pets, they can be a pain and challenging but they offer a lot of benefits as well.

This in spades ^^^

Madam Lexi can be quite, quite maddening at times, but I wouldn't swap her for all the tea in China. Or the corn in Carolina...

 

[raleighnut]

too many dog owners think they don't need to pick-up the poo when on farm fields but dog run on farmland may be infected with Neosporosis which is harmless to the dog but is passed on to farm animals through dog poo and is a major cause if farm animal abortion (and an animal once infected is infected for life). Similarly with Sarcocytosis.

So the Farmer is going around picking up shoot from his own dogs is he, I've yet to go onto a farm that didn't have dogs in fact most have several generally 'working dogs' (Collie, Retriever, Spaniel or Terrier)

 

[Time Waster]

I often find paw prints adjacent to the washing up.
It's slightly disconcerting, but the cats seem reasonably clean.
Especailly when compared to a friend's dog, who likes to eat poo (not just his own).

I'm sure he's a lovely beast, but his breath breaks the Geneva convention.

Having watched a cat try to eat a dried up worm on the tarmac in front of my old local supermarket. Then coming out of the supermarket half an hour later it was still trying to eat the worm that was welded on the tarmac. They are known for licking themselves clean but they are not clean, the dander from the saliva is an allergen and just what has the cat been licking or eating before it licked itself clean. I seriously question the cleanliness myth. BTW my dog licks a lot of itself too but you would not say my dog is clean or any dog that also licks itself as being clean so why do you say cats are clean? They predate and scavenge so they are most certainly not licking themselves clean but conditioning their coat and skin.

Dog's saliva has antiseptic properties so when they lick you it actually helps with wounds not that I recommend it as the dog is probably licking the blood of and enjoying the taste!! I know that is true because when we got our puppy I could not make a squeal high enough for it to understand that its pin teeth were hurting me (a little tip to stop puppy biting as they understand a squeal and stop biting those who squeal high enough). So I had loads and I mean loads of pin teeth wounds. With being a first time dog owner I was almost pathologicvally washing myself after every contact with the dog. The wounds were lasting a long time. Then I kind of got lazy about the washing my hands clean and I noticed the wounds got better more quickly, especially after a good licking by the dog. I do not recommend it personally but being lazy I stopped washing hands as soon as I stop strokign the dog and I only washed if I needed to touch anything like my nose/mouth or food or household appliances, cutlery or plates. The small amount of time with dog saliva on my hands was enough to promote healing. I realise that sounds disgusting but it is true about dog saliva.

 

[notmyrealnamebutclose]

Cats don't like peanuts... especially when shot from a catapult when caught eating the bird food

 

[craigwend]

Probably tastier than chicken and a family of four get a leg each?

 

[slow horse]

Probably tastier than chicken and a family of four get a leg each?

With apologies:

View: https://youtu.be/mc1W_Pys88U

 

[Psamathe]

So the Farmer is going around picking up shoot from his own dogs is he, I've yet to go onto a farm that didn't have dogs in fact most have several generally 'working dogs' (Collie, Retriever, Spaniel or Terrier)

Can't speak for what others do but I always knew/controlled where my border collies would poo. Working dogs get very intense when working and you actually have to make sure they get a toilet break. As I say, I have no idea what all the different farmers do but for mine I'd just tell them "time to poo" and they'd take the opportunity - actually very useful even for domestic situations eg getting on an overnight ferry and you ensure the dogs will be OK by ensuring they have emptied immediately before boarding.

Ian

 

[Psamathe]

There is one nasty aspect to having a cat (or dog or probably some other pets). You will become very attached to them and chances are you will outlive them and reasonable chance you will have to say "Yes" to the vet. And that is very very difficult. Losing them is bad enough but having to make that decision to authorise the vet even worse. And when you decide to take on a pet you are almost certainly taking on that final decision and loss.

As I commented above these days for me dogs are my focus but I know of 2 people who had several dogs but after losing the last decided "no more" as losing them was just too traumatic.

Sorry to be a bit negative.

Ian

 

[Alex321]

There is one nasty aspect to having a cat (or dog or probably some other pets). You will become very attached to them and chances are you will outlive them and reasonable chance you will have to say "Yes" to the vet. And that is very very difficult. Losing them is bad enough but having to make that decision to authorise the vet even worse. And when you decide to take on a pet you are almost certainly taking on that final decision and loss.

As I commented above these days for me dogs are my focus but I know of 2 people who had several dogs but after losing the last decided "no more" as losing them was just too traumatic.

We decided not to get another cat for the opposite reason, after our latest one died.

We thought there was a good chance any new cat we got would outlive us - my wife is 74, I am 65, and every cat we have owned has lived to at least 18 years, some over 20 years, apart from one which got run over.

 

[Time Waster]

Dried peas fed to cats by a catapult aren't liked neither.

A relative, and actually a cat lover, bought my grandad the catapult and dried peas as a joke present because he put a window through his greenhouse by accident trying to see off a cat on his veg patch.

I would never condone such actions, nor the nails on the top of a fence highway for cats, or nasty thorn bushes by the fence on another cat highway route that will scratch badly anything on contact with it. All actions carried out by my now late grandads. All sick of cat poop in their gardens.

Imho there's too many cats in this country already so I won't be getting one. Where I used to live there were about 2 or 3 cats in the street when I moved in. After 20 years there were something like two houses in the street without cats, that's in a street of

Probably tastier than chicken and a family of four get a leg each?

We got a four legged turkey one xmas. No serious, it had the usual two attached with an extra two thrown in the cavity for good measure. It had the claw end (minus claw) sticking out of its...