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I know, but it seems like a rotten double standard. Fifi gets to bounce around in the leaves while Tom has to sit at the window and dream. Assuming Fifi is a small breed dog, like a poodle or chihuahua, she's in as much danger outside as Tom, yet no one would dare deprive her of walks. I think it's just an illustration of how out of touch people are with the needs of pet cats vs. the needs of pet dogs.
I agree about the double standard, but the upside is that cats kept indoors are SAFE from other animals, cars, and most of all....psycho humans who'd see fit to harm them.
Recently I just saw an advert for a "cat-proof" fence that supposedly allows cats to have the advantages of enjoying the outdoors whilst remaining safely enclosed in their own yard.
Mine both want to be "only cats" and "lap cats"; that's a problem with Maine Coons (lap not big enough). I've concluded that when kittens play together, it's merely practice for when they grow up and try to kill each other.
It depends on the cat and sometimes the breed. I have had several pairs of Siamese cats, two at at time and they got along just fine. One pair weren't litter mates but I got them as kittens and they were happy to see one another. They grew up together. The male cat had gone blind in his later years and the female sort of watched out for him making sure he didn't bump into things by guiding him away from anything in his path he might bump into.
They lived to ages 18 and 19. When the female died, the male mourned her. He went looking around the house calling for her. It was so sad to see him actually going to the places she like to sleep or hide hoping to find her. His health deteriorated the year after she died and I think, and so does the vet, part of that was because he was pining for his friend.
One cat I adopted from an animal shelter was brought in as a stray so no one knew her background. They estimated her age as two. She loved other cats. She would go outside looking for other cats to play with. I guess she had been raised with other cats and missed their company.
Cats aren't necessarily social animals but they can and do from strong bonds with other cats somtimes. I think cat people enjoy and appreciate the unpredictability of cats and that's one reason why they like them.With a cat, you never know what's going to happen next.
I much prefer cats. Dogs eat their own crap, then lick you. No, thanks. And, most dogs bark a lot, at night. I hate the sound of a dog barking constantly. They've kept me up many nights.
I agree about the double standard, but the upside is that cats kept indoors are SAFE from other animals, cars, and most of all....psycho humans who'd see fit to harm them.
Recently I just saw an advert for a "cat-proof" fence that supposedly allows cats to have the advantages of enjoying the outdoors whilst remaining safely enclosed in their own yard.
Looks like this:
That's a neat idea, but I guess apartment dwellers, like me, will have to settle for training the cat to walk on a leash and hoping that if it gets away it'll come back unharmed, since there would be no place to put one of those.
I know, but it seems like a rotten double standard. Fifi gets to bounce around in the leaves while Tom has to sit at the window and dream. Assuming Fifi is a small breed dog, like a poodle or chihuahua, she's in as much danger outside as Tom, yet no one would dare deprive her of walks. I think it's just an illustration of how out of touch people are with the needs of pet cats vs. the needs of pet dogs.
I asked before and I'll ask again. What double standard?
What municipality requires cats to be on leashes as so many do with dogs?
IF...IF... a dog is trained to heel when walking, very well trained ones will not leave their owners side, regardless the temptation.
Who here will swear they've ever seen a cat that is trained well enough to stay at it's owner side while outdoors?
If you want to leash your cat, nobody will deprive it of it's walk either.
And, have to laugh about letting the cat hunt because it needs meat. Do you think dogs are herbivorous??
While you might think you cat should be allowed to be free to hunt, many people certainly don't want to see them around their bird feeders.
Wow! I hear it the other way around more. I know many people who think of dogs as dirty and stupid but adore cats. Some of the cat people really don't like any other animals other than cats. I can't call them animal lovers - because they only like one type of animal.
I don't get the name calling. As I have said, the most vociferous - at least in my world - tend to be the cat people.
More "dog lovers" would entertain adding a cat to their household than the other way around.
Personally, I love both.
I like cats and dogs, but my personality and lifestyle is more compatible with cats. I totally understand what you're saying-and even large surveys show that "dog people" are more likely to have both cats and dogs than "cat people" (who generally only have cats). BUT I've also found that many "dog people" openly joke about killing and brutalizing cats- and sometimes even encourage their own dogs to attack them, while I've never heard cat owners wish the same on dogs. "Cat people" may act like their cats are superior to dogs, but they're generally not sadistic.
Go to literally any comments section on an article about cats vs dogs and you'll what I'm talking about.
Growing up we had dogs early on, and when I begged for a kitten at about 12 years old my parents "allowed" me to get one. She (the cat) was my at home companion as I was an only child. She lived a good long life of 16 years.....long after I'd left home for college and life after college in another community.
My wife and I have had several beloved cats over the past 30 years. I guess you'd call us "cat people" for various reasons. One, we've never had to holler at our cats to stop barking, we never step in poop when walking around our yard, we don't need to "walk" our cats daily in rain/shine/frigid Winter temps, we can enjoy one or two nights away from home without someone needing to stop by two or three times a day to let kitty out to pee/poop, they can both sleep on our bed and we still have room for ourselves...lol. They are fiercely independent, and that's quite honestly a major reason I'm a cat person. They intrigue me....just trying to figure them out brings a smile to my face. And last, but not least, I've always figured if my cat likes me and enjoys spending time with me.....I must indeed be a pretty good guy ! Dogs will most often willingly suffer abuse, cats generally won't tolerate it and will move on if given the chance.
I asked before and I'll ask again. What double standard?
What municipality requires cats to be on leashes as so many do with dogs?
IF...IF... a dog is trained to heel when walking, very well trained ones will not leave their owners side, regardless the temptation.
Who here will swear they've ever seen a cat that is trained well enough to stay at it's owner side while outdoors?
If you want to leash your cat, nobody will deprive it of it's walk either.
And, have to laugh about letting the cat hunt because it needs meat. Do you think dogs are herbivorous??
While you might think you cat should be allowed to be free to hunt, many people certainly don't want to see them around their bird feeders.
Okay, maybe I've met some bad dog owners, but I've seen many dogs walking around loose. That's bad for walking a cat on so many levels! It's like dog owners monopolize the whole recreation of walking a pet. Don't walk the cat, because Rover will chase it, but it's okay to walk Fifi, because, even though she's a cat's size, she's a dog. Oh, and don't let your pet run loose so that she can escape the threat of stray dogs, because she may kill and eat a pigeon or rat. If pets were people, the rules they have for cats would be discrimination!
As for dogs, just because some dogs can be trained not to chase doesn't mean people actually take the time to train them. Plus, some people actually ENJOY watching their dogs chase cats. Dog owners, train every puppy in the neighborhood to heal, stay, leave it, when my cat comes down the street, and get rid of the loose strays, and then I might start walking my cat on a leash and harness. It should go both ways. Until then, I think I will install a cat door with my next kitten when I get a chance.
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Okay, maybe I've met some bad dog owners, but I've seen many dogs walking around loose. That's bad for walking a cat on so many levels! It's like dog owners monopolize the whole recreation of walking a pet. Don't walk the cat, because Rover will chase it, but it's okay to walk Fifi, because, even though she's a cat's size, she's a dog. 
Dog owners, train every puppy in the neighborhood to heal, stay, leave it, when my cat comes down the street, and get rid of the loose strays, and then I might start walking my cat on a leash and harness. It should go both ways. Until then, I think I will install a cat door with my next kitten when I get a chance. 
