dog and cat people... 3 dogs 1 cat, down to one cat...

thinking about another dog., but DH has to be retired., i can't do all the work anymore. love dogs but they are so much work/time....

^^ Husband says cats are semi-adults and dogs are semi-children. Have to agree with him. :)

More of a dog person then a cat person. We have 2 very large house dogs, both over 100 lbs. We live in the country with lots of woods & pastures so yes we have barn cats. They do not come in but are cared for outside. Living where we do cats have to take care of the rats & mice & thank goodness they do a great job. I can pet all of them & some will follow us when we are out side if the dogs are not after them, no the dogs don't hurt any of them. I think it is a game.

I'm a cat person, DH likes Dogs. We have two black cats (2 sisters that we rescued and a calico baby from their only liter). Peter the Cat, who looks like petra_gw pretty new kitty, he is our daughters she doesn't want him to go outside because she's planning on living out of the house and into an apartment. He is a good kitty he is the only male, but every now and then he gets out and he loves it so much. We have One dog who might just think she's a cat in this household!!

I love both, but have only ever owned dogs. DH says he doesn't like cats, but he's lying. :)

I have to get my cat fix at my friend's house. She has two, brother and sister. A princess and a little devil. He's very affectionate and loves to play. She just looks at me with the laser eyes of death.

Coralee, No that wasn't what I was planning...were you.

I love dogs, don't like cats at all. Litter boxes are the deal breaker for me, they're disgusting.

Im allergic to cats but feed the ferals that hang around my office. I've also paid to have them fixed. My eyes swelled almost completly shut on the trip to the vet and my head was pounding from the demonic screeching coming from the carrier in the backseat. But I can't say I blame them for that. I like cats and I would have them outside but prefer a dogs company. I have 5 of those.

Total cat person; don't like dogs at all (well, maybe a cute puppy). Have had 2 pairs of cats twice in my adult life, both sets living to be about 18 or 19. Last kitty died in 2009 and I feel such a loss not having one now. But my grandson was born that same year and is a total cat nut, but is highly allergic so I won't ever be able to have another kitty.

I do have to say I do NOT miss the litter mess, nor the canned food smell/mess and I totally LOVE walking out the door to go on a trip and not have to worry about cat sitters or cat care or any of that any more. It's quite freeing. I also am at an age that (if my grandson wasn't allergic) that I don't know if I'll be around 18 more years and I didn't want to worry about what might happen to a dear pet if I died or moved somewhere I couldn't take a cat.

My cats were all indoor/outdoor and were kept in at night. I couldn't go to sleep until they were safely indoors and they knew to come home (most nights) and settled in just fine for the night.

Petra, that is a beautiful kitty you have. Is that philodendron surrounding her? If it is, did you know that philodendron is toxic to cats? Keep an eye on her around it. She is adorable.

Murraysmom, it's a pothos (devil's ivy) and somewhat toxic to cats and dogs. The kitties have never tried to eat any of the plants, probably because I regularly bring in fresh grass for them. But I do keep an eye on everyone.

Yes

I understand them and they understand me. I don't know why. I don't have the same connection with dogs although I like dogs. If I go anywhere there is a cat, I will usually make friends right away when others could not get near. I feel more comfortable with cats than people. I could not be happy living without a cat for company. I don't think of them as pets. They are non homo sapien companions/ family members. Sometimes I only make cat sounds all day if there are no people around. My cats do the best they can with me as I have no ears or tail to move but I try to communicate with my eyes as they do and I know they understand some of it. They understand a fair number of words but always reserve the right to decline a request. I think cats appreciate those that try to understand them.

They are beautiful animals, but I don't care to have one. I'm really glad my brother has cats. They make him a better person. For real.

I'm allergic to both, and still have cats, much to the chagrin of my allergy group. I like cats and dogs, but it's more like I like dogs, like you like grandchildren. I love other people's dogs, but I don't want the hassle, just the fun. Cats are much easier. 60% cat love/40% dog love, but both!

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Actually, I also have asthma. I still won't give up my cats. What's the point of living life if you can't enjoy it along the way? Ater all, it's not like I can actually get rid of, you know, dust or pollen. If I'm going to have allergies and asthma I may as well have them with cats.

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Thank you for sharing that minipadv. I certainly learned something new. I am sorry you have to deal with that every day. I will be more mindful when friends with allergies come to visit.

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(((minipadv))) life is not fair sometimes.

coralee, I missed the comment my first time through, but I'd be happy to add a comment about the cruelty of allowing cats to go outdoors.

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Just because someone has asthma doesn't mean a cat will cause an attack....too many people think cats automatically = asthma attack in an asthmatic. They will if you have allergies to them but not all asthmatics have cat allergies...just like some people with asthma can't eat wheat or it brings on an attack..triggers...I can relate to what Mimipadv says..my 8 year old has asthma cats do not bother him in the least, but other things do invoke an attack...and let me tell you if you have a true asthma attack it isn't pretty and it sure isn't something you will deal with In order to have the trigger in your home...another thing about the rescue inhalers which I'm sure Mimipadv knows exactly what I mean..in orderfor it to work you have to inhale it in...if you ccan't breath you may not be able to depend on it saving your life. No way an asthmatic that has triggers to cats will spend their life with cats...usually asthmatics spend their life avoiding triggers because the attacks are life threatening....matter of fact many asthmatics die because they can't inhale their inhaler...horriable disease.

My asthma is caused by dog allergies (dander and saliva) and, after the test results, the allergist strongly suggested we re-home our dogs. But that wasn't an option so I was on inhaled steroids and proventil inhalers for about 8 years until our remaining dog passed away last year. I have not had to use any asthma meds for about 9 months now. While I love dogs and there was no way we were going to re-home ours, at this point I am not willing to voluntarily take in another dog and go back on meds. The meds work very well but there are long-term health issues with steroid inhalers, such as increased blood sugar, cataracts (which I already have the beginnings of) and brittle bones.

Elmer since when is permission required? Post whatever you want.

Mamapinky, our 3 cats are indoors-only. I don't need them roaming outside, getting fleas, dirty, and killing birds. They're safer inside. Our neighbour takes hers out on a leash and I don't know how many times I get calls from her asking if ours scratch their ears because of mites, or sneeze, or cough, or scratch at themselves, runny eyes. I say never, because they're not allowed outside.

Jasdip....good point! I'd keep mine in ....IF he'd shut up and BE HAPPY...:0) And he gets the runs from eating crickets & or grasshoppers or other bugs he catches.

My observation is that it isn't just multiple cat owners that let their cats roam

Nicole, only you can let him out. He can't open the door by himself. The same as free-feeding vs scheduled feeding. After awhile, they learn that things have changed and they adjust.

Some people in my complex have let their cats out. They disappear. There are lots of coyotes here, and outside is not a safe place for cats.

I like cats and I like dogs. Cats are just so much easier to deal with than dogs if you're working, like to leave home for a while, work long and/or odd hours. Yes you can litter box train dogs, but I'm not patient enough to try. When I had the store I gave my dog credit for being so good when i'd have to be at the store 10, 12, 16 or more hours during busy times but it was not a good situation. With a cat I could leave for days. Hours is the limit for dogs. All assuming inside critters of course. I like having a critter around. Many people don't. That's fine for them.

We're a love-all-animals family; however living in an apartment makes things different as $40 monthly per pet is often difficult to justify.

dandyrandylou...I charge $500 a pet. BUT "it's one time", not per year AND....half is refundable if there's no damage. I'm glad you posted that. I didn't know how strict apartments were getting.

I love cats. I am known to my family as the crazy cat lady. I have 8 of them right now. 6 were brought to me at 4 weeks old. They will turn 5 in April. They are all indoor cats. It is not safe for them to be outside. They do not want to go outside. The other day someone left my front door wide open. I walked out saw it and almost had a heart attack. 4 of them were sitting at the door but not one stepped outside even though they had the chance. I have a couple who will walk on a leash. I tried to take my oldest kitty outside on the leash, she had never been outside and when her feet hit the grass she bounced up and walked like she was stepping on hot coals. I had to pick up her up and carry her inside. She is too darn prissy to be outside in that icky grass.

Love cats and had them for years. However, at the moment do not have any.

No and they know it and they climb all over me. Even friends with shy cats are amazed how they come out the greet me. My friend's cat Walter jumps on the table and will cry at my closed bedroom door when I sleep over. But- I'm allergic and the litter boxes freak me out- the slightest whiff and my stomach starts to roll. They are super cute though.

Not a cat person at all but a tiny white kitty cat was meowing out in the flower garden so I brought it in. Then, ten days later a gold and white one the same size showed up in the same garden. They hated each other for the first week or so then they were fine. The 110 pound dog who had never seen a cat before is perfectly fine with them Granted, they are a lot less work and sure do require less food but I still prefer the dogs.

I guess I am stuck with them now... Got them both spayed so I have bucks invested! I hesitated going out to the flower garden after those discoveries. What is a person to do; they are such tiny little creatures. The gold and white one adores me. And the white one adores my sweetie.

Gardener Not a cat person at all. Lucky kittens. I am not convinced that you're not a cat person lol

Totally a cat person. I never thought we'd be able to have any because my husband never wanted pets, but we have two cats now. :) He loves cats, just didn't want to have one wrecking the house. Thankfully, our cats don't wreck anything! (He says they'd be gone if they did...)

I also want a dog now. Husband loves dogs, but does not want one wrecking the house. Not sure yet if I will win this one. It's not looking good! So I have to be happy with just the cats for now.

Her favorite spot lately, always with a paw on my shoulder (the other one sits on my lap):

That is so darn cute.

Am I a cat person? Yes and no. I have had two cats. Right now pets don't fit my life since I travel somewhat frequently. I had a cat when I was traveling a lot for work and always had to find someone to feed her while I was gone. My cat was not warm and friendly, although pretty good with me. Bless her heart, she never scratched the furniture. That is one reason I don't get another cat -- furniture destruction! Also my son and my closest friend are very allergic, as are some people in my book club.

I like dogs, too, except those that bark incessantly and the owners who don't clean up after them. I just cannot see myself walking a dog several times a day and picking up their mess. They are wonderful companions of they are well trained. I kind of miss having another little heartbeat in the house!

Pippiep, those two are adorable. Snuggling with each other and Mommy, too.

I'm very cruel. Most of my cats are barn cats or front porch sitting cats. I think they prefer that over the euthanasia they were headed for though.

Most of my cats were feral or came from death row at the shelter. I also have indoor only cats.

Yeah Marilyn. You're as cruel as they come! Force feeding all those squirrels and possums. Not to mention saving horses from slaughter. Gees, woman, how low can you go? Lol.

Here they are....in their misery.

Yup, they're miserable, alright. They ought to lock you up and throw away the key.....not.