Why do many people like cats so much?

[WritingIsMyReligion]

I was just thinking about that, considering all the kitty threads we always get. I love my kitties, but I'm not sure why. They aren't the most cuddly of animals at all, not that cats are really lovey-dovey in general. I suppose I like the independence--no walking, no scooping poop all the time. (Litter boxes are a whole 'nother story. :D)

Sometimes I wish I had a dog, especially since dogs are largely obedient, and probably in general more "friendly" towards people, especially if you get a Lab or something like that. But I don't really want to worry about the pooper-scooper and the walking all the time.

So, sound off, cat lovers. Why do you love your feline companions?

[reyd reid reed]

1. Personality

Attitude. Low-maintenance. And enigmatic.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

2. Enigmatic sounds about right.

:D

[Arugula Latte]

3. My kitties are cuddly and lovey-dovey...

They are very affectionate. They purr. They give me head rubs. They are beautiful. They are soft. They are playful. They are funny. They each have their own personality. They do amazingly cute things. They don't bark. They don't stink like dogs. They don't stick their noses in people's crotches.

I would NEVER EVER trade my kitties for a dog. Not for a million dollars...Seriously.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

9. Ah, yes, the lack of barking.

I forgot that annoying habit of canines. :D

[grannylib]

4. They are very smart and also very compassionate...when I have migraines

my kitty Rio is usually right there with me, on my feet if I am trying to sleep, or trailing me back and forth to the freezer for icepacks and popsicles.
My cats have ALWAYS known when I am sick or hurt, and they are RIGHT THERE...

[WritingIsMyReligion]

10. Mine aren't.

:D

I was cheated in compassion with my kitties.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. "Not the most cuddly of animals"?

They are the ultimate in cuddly; indeed, my cats have transformed cuddliness into an art form. They meet me at the door when I come home, follow me around the house, run to me when I call them, purr when I pick them up, and sleep with me at night. Sometimes when they are napping near me they'll keep one paw touching me, like they want to be sure I'm there. One of them will leap right into my arms when he wants attention. They are absolutely loveable, loving little guys. I like dogs, too, but my cats are just as loyal and friendly as any dog I've known.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

12. See, mine aren't.

I have to go grab them up and tempt them with either food for a belly-rub to get cuddly.

:evilgrin:

[Arugula Latte]

6. Forgot to say ...

Cats make my heart sing. I don't know how else to put it. Dogs don't do that for me, although I like them. Cats are just ... addictive and amazing. I think about mine all the time.

[Guava Jelly]

7. I love my Kitty's

Because they love me equally back.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

13. Simple but cool.

:thumbsup:

[Guava Jelly]

18. comming from such a cool person

It means a bunch..
:)

[WritingIsMyReligion]

21. Oooh....a compliment.

Shiny. :D

:hi:

[RevCheesehead]

8. Cats are democrats by nature.

They're independent, they think for themselves, they care for their families, but are never a burden.

SOME dogs are repukes. They have to wait to be told what to do, they eat like pigs, and stick their noses in other people's butts.

[Arugula Latte]

11. Plus, Republicans tend to like dogs because dogs feed their

fragile egos. Dogs are easily cowed into submission, and Republicans like that. (I'm not saying the DUers who have dogs are like that and get off on submission, etc., but I do think that holds true for many people who have insecurity problems and like being "propped up.")

[benny05]

59. Could It also Be

That we don't expect kitties to love us, but we always hope since they adopt us that they will engage us?

[WritingIsMyReligion]

15. LOL.

:rofl:

[Archae]

16. Amen to that!

Here's a pic of Erin and Lucky doing what they do best. :loveya:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

23. That they are!

[RevCheesehead]

27. ROFLMAO!!

:rofl:

Oh, so true!!

[hyphenate]

14. I don't know either

but I've loved cats all my life, and even begged for one when I was about 8 until I got one. I think people often have a misconception of them because while I've had some that haven't really been "affectionate" there are signs of love from them all the time. I love dogs, too, but they're always begging for attention and they can't handle a crisis on their own. And they're wimps--ever see a dog during a thunderstorm? Sheesh!! They're babies! :rofl:

On the other hand, cats have a natural grace, intelligence, the ability to be left alone for up to a week at a time, and when they stare at you, they can see your soul. :loveya:

[WritingIsMyReligion]

17. Dopey dogs.

:rofl:

[FILAM23]

19. I've asked myself that for many, many years,

personally I can't syand cats.Wouldn;t allow one in my house.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

25. Why not?

:shrug:

:hi:

[FILAM23]

33. Simple

I have never been in a cat owners home that didn't stink.
I'm sure this is not the case with every cat owner but it
has been my experience.

[JackBeck]

36. Well, you have an open invitation to come to our cat house any time.

I have more cat people who have no problems with stinkage than those that do. We've had three cats at one point and had no problem. Sorry you've had such a bad experience with smelliness. Maybe you should think more about these lovely little lives that need just as much love and care as you and me.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

28. Your loss...

[Benfea]

20. Because cats don't try to lick your crotch or hump your leg. -NT

[WritingIsMyReligion]

22. Pfffft......

:rofl:

[Catshrink]

24. Or run up to strangers and smell their crotches.

Damn that's embarrassing.

[ZombieNixon]

26. The floofy factor.

Mmm...floofy. :)

[Fridays Child]

29. Catitude.

I admire their aloofness. We have a sweet cuddle baby, too, though, and I like her too. :)

[WCGreen]

30. Low maintanence.....

You can take a vacation with out having to worry about the freakin' dog...

[reyd reid reed]

37. Yeah, but when you get back

They'll have dumped the litter box, peed on the couch and dragged toilet paper from one end of the house to the other...just to show you how much they missed you.

Then they'll spend the next three days pretending you're still gone.

Gotta love the attitude.

[WCGreen]

40. It's like having teenagers....

[cedahlia]

31. they are my buddies, simple as that

I have these great contented Zen moments, when I'm laying in bed, say on a cool, quiet Fall night, reading a good book, and my kitties are snoozing on the bed alongside me. Or when I'm on the computer, and one of them is curled up quietly nearby on top of the kittie condo, or one jumps in my lap to say hello. I crave quiet and calm, and (although they have their crazy, psycho-kitty moments }( ) for the most part, they provide that sense of peace that I need. It's mainly the comforting, calm companionship cats offer that I believe draws me to them. That said, I also absolutely adore our beloved doggie, and dogs in general, but I suppose I love them for different reasons. My dog is my buddy, too, but in a different way...and she's a lot needier than the cats (but that's okay with me!) :-)

[JackBeck]

32. Our cats have two daddies and they don't care.

And I'm sure if we had dogs they wouldn't care either. We're animal lovers, period. But it's hard to have two cats and a dog in an apartment in NYC.

Our ladies rule our life. From the moment we get up, to the moment we fall asleep, we love their companionship, loyalty, and independence. Suki will want nothing to do with us one moment, but the second we start to cook dinner, she's all "Hey daddies..what'cha cookin'?" And then once we sit down to eat we give her a few bites. Sounds more like a dog, right? She'll eat anything. And she's a skinny, little thing. Pizza, chicken, shrimp, beef, and (her favorite) turkey-lurkey slices.

And.....

They LOVE to get high! Nip-nip anyone?

[Arugula Latte]

43. I'm imagining a little book making the rounds in Kitty Land:

"Fluffy Has Two Daddies" :)

:hi:

[graywarrior]

34. Because they hate us.

We dig that.

[yellowdogintexas]

35. Cats are elegant, sensuous, sleek and silky. And they purr

They can be clowns, they can be playful (even demandingly playful), they snuggle with me at night and when I sit down to read, and sometimes if I am home in the day time they will siren call me to a nap.

The purring is hypnotic, relaxing and a clear sign all is well in the cat's world.

My four have distinct personalities, too. They talk to me when I am puttering around the house, and are excellent supervisor of what ever we are doing at the moment.

I also have decided that they know when we are ill, they just like to be near us ..of course I used to think it was because I had a fever and was hot!

Seriously, who could resist this:

and these guys were just babies at the time, except for the black one down on my husband's leg.

or this:

[Arugula Latte]

38. *Gasps*

Oh Gawd ... :loveya:

Seriously, who could live without that?... I can't imagine life without kitties in it. :scared:

[yellowdogintexas]

52. same here nt

[Skittles]

39. I just find them fascinating

they're all the same yet they are all different - I cannot imagine my life without a cat in it

[mike_c]

51. I wrestled with this question and that's the best answer I could find...

...as well. Cats are just incredibly compelling at a level I can't really explain. I love the usual predictable things, the silky tactile rubs, the purring feedback of contentment, the pile 'o kitties on the bed on cold winter nights, the 5:00 AM reminder that the food bowl needs filling. I love the way they play, and I love their potential to draw blood when they're playful-- my hands are ALWAYS covered with scratches-- probably because they play with you on THEIR terms and I respect that. I love their independence and the fact that they are NOT pack animals. But for all of that, there is an irrational attraction that operates as well-- cats attract my attention in ways that other animals rarely do. I like other pets, but my heart reaches out to cats. I have no control over it.

[Liberal Veteran]

41. The purr and the subtle adoration they give you.

The cat takes such pleasure in your company. Even just laying there while you are reading or watching tv, they give off a vibe of pure contentment with you.

[RedCappedBandit]

42. I love my cat because..

he is sitting in the corner staring at me, trying to figure out how to bring about my demise. <3

[bif]

44. Cats don't bark and they use a litter box.

End of discussion.

[SoyCat]

45. Mine have always been very cuddly and have had totally

unique personalities. One trait they have all had in common is their ability to empathize with me when I've been hurting (emotionally or physically). I love dogs but I really love cats.

[don954]

46. i have cats, and like them better than dogs

my sister says they match my personality better.. ;)
I had many pets but never experienced the total unconditional love that mine bestowed on me, which pretty much hooked me.

[ScreamingMeemie]

47. I love my cat and my dog equally...

But my cat is an entity all his own. He's not really even a cat. He's a furry person. 28 pounds of lump of love. He was a little pissed at us again because we babysat my dad's kitten again... He won't talk to us for a few days and then one day, he'll be there... in my lap. :hi: He is also our last "link", if you will, to my father in law. He was my father in law's cat for his first 4 years of life. :(

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

48. They're assholes, but they're cute assholes.

It evens out. Anyway, I admire their independent spirit and fuck-you attitudes, because they remind me of me. However, I also like dogs for their obedience and ability to do much stuff with them (although Midnight did go hiking with me once, but that was on her own choice. She randomly decided to follow me 1.5 miles into the woods behind my house). Plus, I think dogs make good home protection and let's face it, the only time my cat would attack a robber would be if he scooted her off the tv to steal it.

[Joe Fields]

49. very good question. I'm a dog person, myself. never liked cats.

Don't get me wrong. I would never be openly antagonistic toward any creature, but I love dogs, and have absolutely no use for cats.

[Deep13]

50. They are individuals,

Plus cat fur is so fluff. Also that noise they make when they pur. Cat claws retract and they don't have that smell like dogs do. Less slobber too.

[KamaAina]

53. Hitler was afraid of cats.

DUers are afraid of a rise of Hitlerism. :scared:

Ergo, DUers like cats. Q.E.D. :-)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

54. So, allegedly, is John Ashcroft.

There were some rumors flying about to the effect that he believes calico cats are minions of Satan.

[bridgit]

55. cause they are terribly complex robots, ever notice how humans...

will take all their clothes off in front of a cat, and the cat will just sit there patiently, unassuming, they won't come over & hump your leg as would some...but they're just taking in data; YOUR data, before they lick their paws with that blasé, "that's it? that's all you humans do? other than fetch me treats?"

[Arugula Latte]

56. That is a spectacular photo.

Wow. :wow:

[catbert836]

57. Attitude.

They constantly let you know that they really don't need you around, and could do just fine without you. Somehow I find that reassuring.

They also have more self-respect than dogs.

[ForrestGump]

58. All of the above and more

Practical reasons (mostly self-cleaning, usually less clingy and easier to leave for a while, quieter, and all that) and other, more metaphysical reasons. I love cats' independence, their hyperindividuality (sure, some dogs can be pretty far off the breed's norm, too), their grace (very much so), and general coolness. I appreciate their wilder streak -- domestic dogs have been bred so far from the wild condition that it's not even funny (and can be harmful to the animal's health or welfare...bulldogs, for an extreme example) whereas domestic kitties are not a lot different than the little wildcats they derived from.

Watching a cat with its prey can be pretty horrible, but I do very much appreciate their predatory instincts and capabilities (I studied predators for my graduate work, so I'm a more than a little predator-biased, anyway). Dogs are pack animals whereas most cat species are not especially social -- not like wild dog species are, anyway (except the lions) -- and I am and always have been naturally averse to groupthink and pack behavior or peer pressure and maintaining my place in a hierarchy, so my natural tendency is to gravitate toward cats. In fact, a lot of behavioral problems (and probably most attacks) in dogs come from the pack thing...ghosts of behavios past. Not that people who prefer dogs are afflicted with a herd instinct or want to dominate their companion animals -- plenty of dog-preferring DUers prove that's not true. And some dogs are more independent than others...where I came from, lots of working dogs (border collies, that are supposedly pretty much among the Einsteins of the dog world, anyway) behaved a lot differently than did the usual family pet.

And that pussycat grace, that comes direct from the little beasties' predatory heritage, is something I strive to emulate to even a small degree in my study of martial arts (not surprising that Chinese martial arts include styles heavily influenced by watching cats, including 'animal styles' like the quick and penetrating leopard style and the ripping, crushing tiger styles) and it spills over a bit into the rest of my life. In that respect it's also interesting that Elvis (perhaps after he discovered martial arts) is said to have watched cats move in an effort to more fully suggest their grace in his own movements on stage, and apparently said somethign like that he would be really happy if he could move like a kitty cat (his in-school name within one of the karate systems he studied was 'Tiger,' and, of course, when he was starting out he was called the Hillbilly Cat...the Chinese still call him "King of Cats").

But there are other reasons why people like cats, I think. Humans tend to be drawn toward and find immediately attractive faces that have both eyes pointing forward, like that of a cat. I think kittens are irresistably cute not just because they're little fuzzballs and because they do some pretty funny things, but because those big eyes are squarely set in the middle of the face, just like ours...our maternal and paternal feelings could be aroused by that, to an extent.

[benny05]

60. All I Know

Is that my handle is named after my orange tabby, and he 's the most lovable, although he is my alter ego.

Closer to my personality, I have a tuxedo cat too, and she's still the alpha cat. She was born in Mass not far from Boston, (albeit I was born in the SW) so I still call her my Kerry cat, as she is one of the few kitties I know that read Kant's Critique of Pure Reason all of the way through. Like Kant, she understands his view, but cannot (thus the pun, kant) explain what she understood. She's just a kitty, but at 14, she is so spry and whips her step-bro's ass if he engages her too much.

[AutumnMist]

61. We have had cats

we have had dogs. I think both breeds bring something to the table. Cats are more mysterious I think. Our two dogs are just lovable, dopey critters that will do almost anything you ask of them (except sleep alone). Our cats? Not so much. They roam, they play, they do cat stuff....but when they are done? They are just done. LOL

[Hand]

62. Insh'Allah... nt

[noonwitch]

63. Because they are weird animals

I have a cat and a dog, and love them both. My dog worships the ground I walk on. I am her Goddess!

My cat, on the other hand, views me as one big food-dispensing, back-rubbing toy, placed in her world for her to f^#* with. It's fun to watch cats, because they are different from other animals. They have this big-animal killer instinct, but can only do so much damage because they are small.

[ceile]

64. They make me happy.

They have personality, they love me and are just all round cute, sweet babies!

[El Fuego]

65. Because they are sweet, loving, cuddly, snuggly, adorable, and smart

[warrens]

66. My cat was a vicious thug most of his life

But he always watched out for my daughter, and when I'm ill, he stays with me and makes concerned sounds. And he's fun to watch if an especially stupid mouse or a large bug enters my domain. And he makes a good footwarmer in winter. And he just has a cool personality.

Dogs are just too much fucking work.

[ProfessorGAC]

67. Was He Italian?

You know all of us italians are vicious thugs! :evilgrin:
The Professor

[Taverner]

68. They make you work for their affection

It's like dating. Do you want some guy or gal, no matter how attractive, to be all over you all the time, suffocating you in the process?

Or do you want them to play hard to get?

[applegrove]

69. My cats are lovey. And even the ones I've had that are not are adorable

and hilarious and smart. I have one that growls when she gets picked up. I taughter her how to growl. Cats are just like having a baby at times - it is pure love, at others, they'll talk back to you... they allow you to step out of yourself and focus on the needs of a much simpler life than your own. And they are so easily pleased... a warm spot is all they need to be at one with the planet...so they have much to teach I have one that was never left alone for the first years of its life. And now cries when left in one part of the house alone. Each one is different. I like being their mom.

[Sequoia]

70. Because cats are: