Weekend Economists: See the Kittehs! May24-27, 2013

[Demeter]

33. 10 things cats won’t tell you When the claws come out, watch your wallet OUR THEME!

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/10-things-cats-wont-tell-you-2013-05-24?siteid=YAHOOB

1. “My love doesn’t come cheap.”

Americans own more cats than any other pet, with 36.1 million households owning 74 million cats in 2012, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. (For comparison, some 43.3 million households own a collective 69.9 million dogs.) Experts say that cats’ popularity is in part due to their reputation for being more self-sufficient: They don’t need to be walked or bathed, and can more easily be left alone during a long workday. “Cats have been identified as an ideal pet,” says Dr. Kevin T. Fitzgerald, a veterinarian with VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital in Denver. “It’s a convenience thing, and we’re a society based on convenience.”

But convenient doesn’t mean inexpensive. Owning a cat costs an average $670 per year — $90 more than a small dog and just $25 less than a medium dog, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Although dog owners tend to spend more on toys, treats and medical bills, cat owners more than make up for the gap with typical litter costs of $165 per year, and food bills that, at $115 a year, are more than double those of a similarly sized pooch. Then multiply those bills. Per AVMA figures, cat-owning households are more likely to have more than one, an average 2.1 cats versus 1.6 for dog-owning households. Put those numbers together, and a cat owner’s wallet is likely to be lighter than his dog-owning neighbor’s.

2. “I pretend I’m fine, even when I’m not.”

3. “My bad behavior is a result of your bad behavior.”

4. “You might be a cat person, but that doesn’t mean I’m your type.”

5. “Now that you have me, good luck getting an apartment.”

6. “Cat food is just a part of my food pyramid.”

7. “I don’t actually have nine lives, you know.”

8. “Eating out of a can or bag is as bad for me as it is for you.”

9. “I’m a menace to (bird, mouse) society.”

10. “I’m not really that funny.”

WELL THEN, MAYBE THE AUTHOR HAS A DUD FOR A CAT....SHE CONCLUDES:

Cats, being cats, ignored repeated requests for comment for this story.