Writer's Block: Meow vs. Arf - Which do you prefer, cats or dogs?

[shipperx]

Contrary to myth, it's perfectly possible to love both. 

I've loved my kittes over the years.  Each of them was dear to my heart.  Sweet, loving and wonderful.  People who don't like cats, have never had a cat actually love them.  Because they are wonderfully loving pets, they just tend to love who they love... and not give a shit about anyone else.  They are also easier to care for than dogs.

I've also loved each and every one of the dogs I have had and the one I do have.  They are open hearted little joyful creatures who crave affection and return it in  kind.  They're somewhat more demanding  (and perhaps a bit more... childlike?)  than cats, but it's all love.

The only pet I've had (and I've had everything from cats, dogs, horses, gerbils, to rabbits) that I really would never have again is a rabbit.  (Maybe the gerbils, but honestly, the gerbils were easy pets, only real problem being their tendency to devour some of their babies).  The rabbit, however, was neither easy, nor affectionate, nor all that up on the idea of being a pet in the first place.

I always agreed with the rule my sister gave about pets to her children.  She told them that the only pets they were allowed to have were pets that want to be your pet, that caring for other kinds of animals is a different sort of thing and not one she was signing up for.  Dogs and cats want to be with you and to be your pet.  If you don't adopt them, they're just as likely to adopt you. 

There's a reason they've both been domestic pets for thousands of years.  They've evolved to live with us.

Comments

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

Nods. I've had dogs for years and now I have cats, they're both wonderful.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

They both are. They have their similarities and their differences, but both are wonderful.

[sdwolfpup.livejournal.com]

The only pet I would never have again out of the ones I've had is an iguana. Giant pain in the ass and not enough of the type of pet love that I like.

Now rats I would have again in a SECOND. They were so awesome.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Admittedly my sister's rule was to avoid her boys asking for snakes. She wanted no snakes in the house.

I remember one of her friends in college had a HUGE pet rat. And, actually, the pet rat was kind of cool. (I wouldn't want one, but I can see where they'd make a cool pet.)

Snakes, however? I have a flat-out phobia about snakes (as does my sister.)

[kitmarlowescot2.livejournal.com]

I am not much for snakes. Not much brains in most of them. Rats though, I love to have another rat. Gabe was just a pet store rat, but he was awesome. Unfortunately I was allegeric to the oils rats product from their paws and can't have another one. What I would love to get, but my mother has definitely vetoed that idea and as long I live with her I can't have is... chickens. I love to have a small flock of four. I just got to hold some last week and boy were some of the Rhode Island red chicks bold, even as confirmed pullets. They came right up and ate from my hands, the others were more timid. But I liked the boldness of the Barred Rock and Rhode Island Reds. Oh well, I am thinking of sharing a flock with friend of my mother, she would like a small flock again.
As for cats and dog. I have had several cats over my life, and have loved them all. And one dog, who is still alive. Morgan drives me up the wall, but I do like him. But the one thing I prefer a cat, who if left alone for an hour won't go and chit on my bed.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

My Grandad had chickens when I was a kid. I loved playing with the chicks, and even with the chickens. I was too young to notice though that they were slowly disappearing (because we were eating them.) :)

[kitmarlowescot2.livejournal.com]

Cool, if you describe them to me. I might be able to tell you what he had. And well yes most chickens are dual purpose, you ate the roosters between age four and six months. And after two to three years you ate the hens. And then started all over again. Mine though would be in a retirement home. I would let them die out then start over again. Most chickens rarely live past more four to six years any way.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I don't know. Reddish ones.

[kitmarlowescot2.livejournal.com]

They were then probably Rhode island reds, New Hampshires, or maybe even red sex links.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

My mom or Dad probably know. Grandad was Mom's dad, but he just gardened and kept chickens (because they lived in the rural, rural, rural deep South). Dad's dad own a huge farm and his mom ran a store, and his mom grew her own chickens selling their eggs at her story. (And the reason grandad was Grandad and Dad's dad and mom are his dad and mom is that my father's parents died before I was born. Mom's parents were the grandparents I grew up with).

[kitmarlowescot2.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean, they are family to you. But you didn't know them, so while you treasure it when your dad talks about them you don't feel that connection. Or maybe that is just me.

[kitmarlowescot2.livejournal.com]

Oh PS I forget to mention most scientist believe that cats domesicated themselves.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I can see that. Seems plausible to me.

Then again, one of my favorite bedtime stories when I was growing up was the Rudyard Kipling, "Just So" story "The Cat who Walked By Himself" so of course I'm willing to believe that the cat domesticated himself... but never quite gave up his wild ways. :)

[ceciliaj.livejournal.com]

I have a terrible phobia about snakes, too. I find it comforting when people share it for some reason, because I feel pathetic how much I freak out.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I have a deep and abiding, night-terror-like fear of snakes. Can't go into a pet shop or the reptile house at the zoo phobia of snakes. I have no need to ever see or be near a snake -- ever.

How's that? ('Cause I'm dead serious).

[paratti.livejournal.com]

You are not alone in the snake phobia.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Seriously.

Rats? Pshaw! I mean, I wouldn't want to walk up on one by accident or anything, but it's not some deep insidious fear (and if it's a pet -- no fear at all).

Bugs? Well I wouldn't want to be stung by one. I'm not 'yay bugs!" but... it's just a bug.

Spiders? Some are dangerous. But generally they're beneficial in the garden. No problem.

Snakes? PARALYZING FEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[paratti.livejournal.com]

Seriously.

Me. Amazon. Bloody great enormous tarantula walking across the ceiling of the hut we were eating in. No Problemo.
Boots have to be stuffed with socks and shaken out in the morning anyway so that any scorpions don't bite. No problem.
I come within 70 feet of a snake and screamed the jungle down.

[londonkds.livejournal.com]

Reptiles don't have the brains to form an emotional connection with a human. Keeping large snakes is never risk free because there's no guarantee that they won't at some point feel hungry and see you as dinner.

I wonder if anybody has ever developed a mutual emotional connection with an octopus in an aquarium. They're the only invertebrate that might be clever enough.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Worse, keeping large snakes in the south, means that when they escape... they keep on living. We never become cold enough to stunt their growth or to kill them. They breed.

And in Florida, the everglades are being invaded with exotic snakes that have no predators, and are killing the creatures that are supposed to live there.

[sp23.livejournal.com]

I grew up with all kinds of animals, too. My mom loved her finches and parakeets, and they are nice, but I would only have cats and dogs now. Unfortunately, I've decided to not get another dog until after I retire when I'll have the time to actually enjoy and take care of one.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Completely understand.

If my parents weren't retired and didn't live close so that they can go by to let the puppy out mid-day each day, I'm not sure that I could've handled a puppy.

I'm sure as she gets older (and she gets a dog door) she'll be fine. But with her being so young, it really is helpful that my parents can take time with her so she's not alone alllllll day long.

So I can definitely see putting it off until you have time to give hem that they need.

[beloved-77.livejournal.com]

I'm definitely a cat person and always have been. I like dogs, too, but I have pretty much the same philosophy about dogs as I do about kids: great when they belong to someone else, but I don't think I'd want one of my own. :-P

People who don't like cats, have never had a cat actually love them. Because they are wonderfully loving pets, they just tend to love who they love... and not give a shit about anyone else.

I've also found that cats are very aware of people of who don't like them. My mother-in-law never liked cats, and one of mine wouldn't even acknowledge her presence. I'd say she treated my mother-in-law like a piece of furniture, but she would at least sit on furniture. :-P However, the same cat was friendly with just about everyone else after she got over her initial shyness.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Heh. They probably do. Cats have opinions, very definite opinions about things. :)

[paratti.livejournal.com]

Cats are not an option for me, as I'm allergic. I have to up my ashthma meds and take antihistamines to visit my brother, his wife and their three cats. I have them on my lap, stroke them and they're lovely, but, not an option.

And in any case, I was brought up having Dobermanns and if I could have a pet in my flat, I'd have a Dobe as they're so smart, so loving, so gorgeous and don't trigger my asthma.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I can definitely understand not tempting asthma and allergies.

Never actually been around a doberman. The dogs we always had when growing up were either mutts or poodles.

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

I am sure that, were I not allergic, I would love cats. Alas, I am moderately, and Scott is to a very HIGH degree (instant hives, swelling, breath constriction) so no cats for us.

But I love all the little critters. I've had hedgehogs that were darling and yes, cuddly, as hard as that is to imagine. We had a snake who cuddled. Our birds were DARLING.

We love 'em all.

But dogs are the ones Of My Heart.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I totally understand allergies are a factor. No one needs a pet that makes them ill.:)

And hedgehogs are cute.

Snakes, however, TERRIFY me. (Comes from growing up in a snake-y area. Still have traumatic memories of my sister and myself going to the lake about 1/4 mi. from our house as waaaaaaaayyyyy on the other side of the lake we saw a water moccasin... it was swimming. I asked my sister (who is over 12 years older than myself so while I was little, she was well into her teens) whether it was swimming for us. 'Nah. It couldn't be. I was waaaaaaaaaaaaay on the other side of the lake... except it was swimming towards us. So we backed away from the lake and to stand on the road... except then it came out of the lake. Still towards us. We ran the 1/4 mile, up the hill, SCREAMING.

Then there was the time my mother walked out in the yard and was SCREAMING, so my sister walked outside to see why mother was screaming, and mother began screaming more. So I walked out where my sister was and my mother became hysterical... because it was a tree snake hanging directly over our heads.

Then there was the time my cat came in carrying a 'worm' only.,, it wasn't a worm. It was a very tiny snake.

Or the time we left the door open at the bottom of the stairs because our dog liked to run outside first thing in the morning and then come back. And I came down the stairs and right below the bottom step was a snake.

I hate snakes. I'm terrified of snakes. As a kid I'd have nightmares of snakes. When we (as adults) went to the Chattanooga Aquarium and they had snakes out... I had to leave.

I cannot go into the reptile house at the zoo (and don't know why anyone would want too! :)

Once in college I went to a pet shop near the university, and after walking in i saw he had a snake laying out on the counter... and I bolted, terrified, never to return to that story again, and having a latent fear of pet stores that actually carry pets other than the fuzzy, feathered, or finned kinds.

I HAAAAATE SNAKES! (which is to mean, I'm dead serious when I say 'phobic' of them.)

[ceciliaj.livejournal.com]

I HAAAATE THEM TOO! I feel weirdly happy to read these stories, because it is so validating to know that someone else remembers them so strongly. The tree snake story is freaking terrifying.

[nmissi.livejournal.com]

I had a wild rabbit as a pet and it was wonderfully affectionate- but it was a bottlefed runt (survivor of a lawnmowing accident that took out its warren and family) so it was v . different than a petshop rabbit. Baby had the run of the house and used a litterbox. Very smart animal, and very responsive to human interaction. Not like a dog, more like a cat- sometimes he didn't want anything to do with you, but if you were paying attention to something else (board game, tv, other people) he was all over you for attention. The only bad thing was the regular vet bills- you have to keep their teeth filed and it gets hella spensive.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I have an adorable little wild rabbit that lives in a burrow under one of my boxwoods on the hill.

But Pampers (the name of my pet rabbit when I was a kid) was HUGE! And unfriendly, and would squeal like a stuck pig if you tried to pick him up (until him, I never knew that rabbits could make sounds.) :)