Random ramblings on cats and dogs
Many of you have both dogs and cats. Others just one or the other. I'd like to know why you prefer dogs to cats or cats to dogs.
I have both, so I see the pros and cons of each.
For example, this morning, I go over to the apartment to take care of the cats. While my cats greet me (they know the routine and know a treat is coming), they are not THRILLED to see me like the dogs are. Dogs are so HAPPY to see you, wiggling and greeting no holds barred. Cats are like "oh, you again."
Another thing I like about dogs is that they don't hold grudges like some people do. I'm like that too, exactly like my father. Quick to go off, but quick to forgive. It's not a matter of emotion, but passion and personality, something not understood by those who don't share those traits. I will never get an ulcer because of holding things in. I often speak before I think, which can be a very bad thing.Gets one in trouble.Being passionate can be mistaken for being over-emotional and unstable. Dogs, too, are quick to forgive. Give them a shot? A thermometer up the rear end? A pill? They forget it. Or when they have a quick-fire spat with another dog, two minutes later they are fine with each other as if it never happend. We all should be more like that. But when I give the cats their monthly Revolution on their back, the rest of the day if I go near them they act suspicious and wary, always on alert for yet another offense to their sensibilities. If Tarzan and Catfish have a cat fight, they keep away from each other for a while. They seem to hold grudges more than dogs do.
On a different note: A good way for you to help out shelters is to do home visits when someone is interested in adopting a pet from the Humane Society. The other day, Carmen, Josie's mom, asked me if I'd do a home visit for Southern States Dashchund Rescue (where she got all her dogs.) It's a regional group and someone in Cumberland Furnace applied to adopt a dog named Baby. She lives near me, so I agreed. A home visit means you just talk to the person about their home, family and see if the pet is a good match and fill out a report for the rescue.
Well, the woman I met, Kristen, was just wonderful. She is a true Pet People nut like the rest of us. She is my age and also has no kids. I invited her to join us here on the blog and also told her about the Humane Society Halloween Fur Ball Bash, which she seemed very interested in coming to. She drove all the way to Columbia to pick up Baby and emailed me from the hotel they stayed in that night. Baby was sitting on her lap as she typed. I hope to get a photo soon of Baby in her new home that I can post here.
Photos above: Catfish hasn't sat in this porch chair in AGES, but lately its his favorite. Cats are like that. They'll be all into a certain bed or spot, then all of a sudden choose a new spot. Zoe is relaxing on a disgusting pet bed I need to replace, as the cover has been washed so many times its starting to fall apart!
posted by Sandy at 9/24/2007 03:29:00 PM
Pet People
14 Comments:
I have always been a loner... not the serial killer, sadistic, witch type, but I read a lot and play my online computer games etc. I am home most of the time by myself (no other two-leggers). I was a geek before there were geeks... I like cats because they don't require constant attention, affection, food, treats... and so on. Cats, at least my cats, visit me occasionally, while the dogs are always underfoot. I am a cat person who lives with dogs. The professor is a dog person. He thrives on people relationships and adoration from the dogs. I find it smothering. This is not to say I don't LIKE dogs.. or even LOVE some, case in point our Aimee, dog princess.
So, that's why I am a cat person who lives with cats and dogs.
It's all about dogs for the Foreman and I. I like the fact that they are always with you. They are forgiving of most anything and the closest thing to a child I will ever have. I know a lot of parents who say they miss the time when there children were small. With a dog they will always be "small", need you to care for them and love them even when they piss you off. There love is unconditional and unending. Even though they may come and go from our lives, we learn more about our selves and the kind of person we want to be because of them. What a great thing to have in your life.
Sandy, I too have a tendency to run at the mouth before I think. I tend to question a lot and many times it's taken offensively instead of how I intended it, genuine curiosity and a thirst for the knowledge. Most people don't understand a personality like ours. I was once told that I was rude, abrasive and demanding. I asked them, “what's wrong with that?” They said it was just wrong. WHATEVER! Some people just need to be told things that other will not tell them.
Hey! I have just been informed by Amy that I am the FIRST blogger to submit pet pictures for the photo contest!
What's up with THAT??
Get your photos in and your $5 donation for each one like *I* did.
This is for the fur babies!!!
Can't wait to see the billboards!
Oh Adrienne, we must dish the dirt about how our personalities get us in trouble when you visit in November!
While it might seem I like dogs better than cats, I see a lot of traits I like better in cats. They can be amusing and personable as well,just in a different, less demanding way--which can be good! I came to love cats later in life, so they still amaze me, as lots of things are still new to me.
Dogs or cats hummmm, I love them both! As a child I had dog’s as pets and then started feeding stay cats once they arrived at our back door. The Saint's family has always had cats (until the recent Minnie dog)but I really don’t know why, he would have to answer that one. He and I together have always had cats because that is what found us at the back door as strays! We would like a small house dog but the two girls are about all we can handle at this stage in our life... Or should I say, for now...
I think cats are probably easier to take care of then dogs. Dogs need to go outside to do their business, to be exercised, etc. A cat uses a litter box inside and does not require as much running and verbal time. Cats can stay home alone for a few days and dogs cannot be left home for any longer then it takes to build up a potty break. So over all cats probably work best for us as we do travel a bit. But on the other hand, a dog probably travels better then a cat because they dont get car sick and you can take them out to walk at rest stops and you can’t with cats. Well, I have seen some people with leash trained cats walking them at rest stops but even though my girls are well behaved and trained, I don’t think I could get them to be leash trained… ha, I will not even try with those long claws, we don’t want to go there! One more thing on the positive side of dogs then cats, is the wet kisses from a doggie. I just love those wet kisses and a cat just don’t know how to give kisses, but they do give head butts and precious purrs….
There has only been a 4 month break in 20 years that the Saint and I have not had a pet...
Gee, if I did not have a pet and had to pick one, I just don’t think I could do it! I like that they find me! Much easier decision….
The only pet I picked out was Catfish. All the rest were strays that found their way to me one way or another. I'd probably rather have small dogs, but it is not my choice, but that of the Spirt in the Sky who send them my way under the strangest of circumstances sometimes. I'd also never choose a longer haired dog, but I have Zoe who needs cuts and Scooter who has a thick coat that should be brushed more often that I brush!
I am a animal lover and love both cats and dogs. Had both growing up. Like Skeeter we have been picked by our animals so thats why we have just cats now. Our first pet as a family was our dog Max. After he died I swore no more animals so no more heartbreak but then after a couple of years of begging we got our daughter her kitten Tiger. Tiger became Mom's cat of course as time went by and when he died I swore no more pets so no more heartbreak. Then Samantha came along and needed a home so ok just one cat wouldn't hurt and she did help the pain of missing Tiger. Then Cosette came along in a birds nest in a big old bush. Had to rescue that sweet 6 week old kitten with the nip out of it's face that a Mama bird had bit, needed to try and find her a home but not with us. Alas a hour or less after finding her I was in love again so ok, two cats wouldn't hurt and Sammy needed a sister. Then after Cosette died Sammy was heartbroken and searhed the house crying for her. So--- ok one more cat to helo help us through our grief over losing Cosette. hello Cats Are Us for Brittany but Brittany was a wee bit too wild for Samantha so well what else could we do but get another cat Brittany's age for Brittany to play with. Sammy only needed the companionship in the house not a play mate. Ok so another Cats Are Us girl came along and we fell in love again. Courtney's first Mommy had to give her up because her landlord said the cat had to go! Mean old man but it was lucky for us. Fly Boy said ENOUGH CATS!!!! One day while delivering food and litter to Cats Are Us a baby kitten reached out of it's cage to touch me. I took her out and cuddled her and om goodness it was love at first sight again! Fly Boy said let's get out of here now! After two weeks of begging we brought Miss Penelope home with us. Now Fly Boy said YOU ARE NOT GOING BACK TO CATS ARE US! From now on we are sending them a check each month! That's how we got our girls.
Saddly we lost Samantha at the age of 15 a little more than a year ago and we still grieve over her as well as MAx, Tiger, and Cosette. But we gave them all a happy life and they gave us back far more than we ever gave them.
We are cat people of course but we love dogs too!
Sandy, why is it okay to clip a dogs long fur but seems to be a strange thing to clip a cats long fur??? SAME THING in my book... LOL
Hey, I have a question for you current dog owners....
Why would people tell the Saints mom to keep the leash on Minnie at all times when she is in the house? This is until she is housebroken.... Why is that??? Sounds kind of mean to me so I need to understand this one... So any answers would be helpful to my mind...
Anyone who has had a conversation with me know I WAS NEVER a cat person. But as Sandy has siad about her brood, God brought everyone of my babies to me.My poor little Pearl, I can still see her, curled up in the middle of the neighbors drive way, shaking like a leaf as the thunder and lightning clashed around her. How could anyone--cat lover, dog lover, gold fish catcher, whatever--ever look one of God's creatures in the eye and not fall head over heels in love with it? Ok--maybe not a lion or a wild cat--but how could I let that sweet thing suffer so? Needless to say, the rest is history--along with most of my wall paper.LOL
I can't say I would have another cat --though Jeremy has fell in love with "Fluffy" @ "cats r us"--ok I admit it, I have a thing for little Peekachue also. But the dogs would always be my first choice because I know more about them, and like Skeeter, I couldn't live without those sweet kisses Lucy gives that we call "lubbins", and the nostril cleaning Hines provides daily. Little Charlie just hangs his head in my shoulder for a hug. I love my babies!
Sandy-the leash thing in the house is supposed to develop the canine-master relationship--a tether is what your supposed to use-I never heard of it being a potty training thing or I would have tied all mine to my back and drug them around behind me.
Skeeter. On the hair. Zoe gets a hair cut, not a total SHAVE DOWN. LOL. And cats groom themesleves, they don't need baths and brushing the same way long-haired dogs do.
As to the leash thing. My dog trainer also suggested this for Scooter. It's so you can correct them immediately if they do something wrong. You can't keep an eye on them 27/7 if they are roaming around. So, if you are sitting watching TV and have them on a leash and they start to go pee or something, you can say NO immediately and take them out to reinforce the behavior you want.
My problem with Scooter is that he was always lunging at Peanut when he walked by. He was very bossy to him. The training I went to took care of the problem. But my trainer said to have him on leash with his training collar and the MINUTE he went for Peanut, to correct him with the collar. They pick this up right away. It's really no different than how a mother dog will "nip" at her puppy's nose or whatever if they doing something wrong. It's just temporary for training. If you watch The Dog Whisperer, you'll Ceasar use the leash inside for training purposes
Okay, thanks for the info. I just thought it sounded so mean but now I get it....
And I DONT shave the cats down to skin! The closer you get to their skin the lighter their fur so it looks like they are naked in the pictures... plaaaa sticking tongue out at you :)They are about due another clipping and I am NOT looking forward to the fun time...
You must get The Saint to take pictures of you actually trying to cut them. That would be a HOOT and we'll all get a great laugh at Skeeter turning her pussy cats into lions!
Now I would have to pull a Pam and say no to those pictures! We wear our nasty stained and full of holes clothes and no make-up or pretties with cat clipping! Don’t think you’ll ever see pictures of that fun time! I will just explain the process someday and allow your imaginations to go wild.... And believe me, it is wild… Plus, who would snap the pictures? It takes one to hold and one to clip...
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