Cats, Dogs, & Other Pets

private joker · #1 02-05-2007, 07:33 PM

This thread should be about all pets, but the OP will focus on cats since that's what I have.

General Recommendation

I wholeheartedly recommend getting a pet if you don't have one. They are terrific companions, and much better to live with than a roommate. My cat greets me when I get home from work, knows when I want her to sit on my lap, and knows when I want her to leave me alone. Pets are the pefect middle ground between living totally alone and living with another person who can be annoying.

Cats vs. Dogs

This debate is almost its own thread, but clearly this is a matter of personal choice. Some people like the responsibility involved in taking care of dogs (more messes to clean, more property ruined, taking them out for walks so they can go to the bathroom, etc.) and some don't. People disagree on the emotional bonds (I think cats offer just as much), the intelligence, and the cuteness, but these are all variables and there's no set answer.

Some people think there are 'cat people' and 'dog people' but I disagree. They are not mutually exclusive. You can enjoy both types of pets and even have both at the same time. Or you can like neither and go for the fish/bird/hamster thing. I heard pigs are pretty popular pets now.

Peculiar cat quirks

I'm wondering if anyone else's cat has this: a perfectly timed body clock so they know your routine instantly. For example, my alarm goes off every morning at 9 and I work from 10-7. After the first week she lived with me, my cat started to anticipate the 9am alarm clock.

Since my cat is an attention whore and always wants to sit on my chest (when I'm lying down) or lap (when I'm seated), she needs me to be awake in bed to get on top of me. I sleep on my side in the fetal position, so she hates that. Now she wakes me up by meowing at around 8:55-8:59 every morning (including weekends UGH) because she knows I'll be up. Then I have to roll over and lie on my back so she can sit on my chest and be petted/scratched for a good 10 minutes.

Another quirk she has is she will just meow at the top of her lungs for a long time at weird intervals for no reason. Her litter box is clean, she has plenty of food and water, yet she still sounds like she wants something. Then she stops as if nothing was ever wrong. Maybe my cat is insane.

Food & water

Wet food is a waste. Cats can be perfectly happy with dry Science Diet-style food. I give my cat a treat once a month or so -- a can of tuna fish.

My cat likes running water, so I have one of those water dishes that pump water through a filter from a built-in tank and lets it drip fountain-style into the dish. This doesn't stop her, however, from depositing nasty chunks of half-eaten food to float around in the bottom.

Miscellaneous

An interesting fact about cats: if there's any large surface area, they will sit on the one small portion that's different: e.g., a tiny towel on a large bed, a piece of newspaper on an empty table, etc. I recommend putting a small blankie (yes, I just said blankie) or towel on the corner of your bed so your cat goes there by default. This way you can sleep with her without her bothering you -- and you won't have to move her from the center of the bed when you're ready to get in.

EDIT: pics of Chiba (and I recommend everyone in this thread post pics of their pets)

cbloom · #2 02-05-2007, 07:39 PM

[ QUOTE ]

I'm wondering if anyone else's cat has this: a perfectly timed body clock so they know your routine instantly. For example, my alarm goes off every morning at 9 and I work from 10-7. After the first week she lived with me, my cat started to anticipate the 9am alarm clock.

[/ QUOTE ]

My cats did this so I guess it's probably not rare. I always shut my cats out of my bedroom because they would also play with each other in the middle of the night and totally wake me up. They got to learn that like 8 AM was when I'd come out, so they would always come to the bedroom door at 8 AM and would meow/scratch at it if I slept in. Once in a while it was annoying but so cute and nice to wake up to.

My cats also learned that right after waking up I would walk down to the street to get the paper, and they would wait at the door and then walk down with me, because I would always give them a bunch of pets when they did. After that they'd take off and be normal independent cats but for that little bit they were just like dogs eager to go on a walk very weird.

Anyway, my productive contribution to this thread is : please don't get a dog if you live in an apartment, and if you get a cat you should really get two. edit : unless you work at home and can be a constant companion for them.

kipin · #3 02-05-2007, 07:40 PM

I've heard tuna for cats is bad because of the amounts of ash in it.

Someone with more knowledge might be able to confirm/deny this.

P.S. Cats rule, I just hate when they get into territorial issues and start pissing everywhere trying to claim every square inch as their own.

private joker · #4 02-05-2007, 07:44 PM

[ QUOTE ]
and if you get a cat you should really get two. edit : unless you work at home and can be a constant companion for them.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a question I was going to ask: should I really get a second cat? I'm wondering if Chiba gets lonely when I'm gone at work.

Earl Sleek · #5 02-05-2007, 07:48 PM

Tip: Don't get white cats. The hair, which inevitably gets over all your clothes no matter how hard you try, shows up on anything dark and you look like a weirdo. Any cat I get from now on will either have dark, thick hair or be a sphynx.

kidcolin · #6 02-05-2007, 07:48 PM

Joker,

[ QUOTE ]
Pets are the pefect middle ground between living totally alone and living with another person who can be annoying.

[/ QUOTE ]

Interesting.. I think I agree. I always had cats growing up. Now I live alone, but I've been hesitant to get a cat because my foreseeable future is uncertain at best. I don't know where I'll be in a year, two years, five years. A pet is a major responsibility. Anyone have experiences with moving around with a cat?

Also, cats [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] boxes.

kidcolin · #7 02-05-2007, 07:50 PM

joker,

if she's strictly an apartment cat, she probably does.

Earl Sleek · #8 02-05-2007, 07:50 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
and if you get a cat you should really get two. edit : unless you work at home and can be a constant companion for them.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a question I was going to ask: should I really get a second cat? I'm wondering if Chiba gets lonely when I'm gone at work.

[/ QUOTE ]

FWIW my cats hate each other and would very likely rather be alone.

private joker · #9 02-05-2007, 07:58 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Anyone have experiences with moving around with a cat?

[/ QUOTE ]

It's not so bad. They freak out for a few days, but cats adapt very quickly to new environments, so once you get settled in they'll love the new place.

Paluka · #10 02-05-2007, 08:07 PM

Getting 2 cats is cleary the way to go. My cats are amazing and I can't believe how much happier they have made me. The thing is that it is easier to get them when they are both young. When you have an older cat, you have to get lucky and get another cat that your cat gets along with. But, unless your cat is really nasty this shouldn't be too tough, although might make you have to adopt one cat and take it back when it doesn't work out.