cats. dogs, or both? (rabbits, variety, rabbit, snakes)
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i'm kind of curious about the makeup of this board in terms of pets. it seems like most people consider themselves "cat people" or "dog people", and some people really dislike one or the other, but a lot of people have both. i'd also like to hear why people like or dislike cats or dogs. please respect each others' opinions!
bonus if you post pictures of interspecies interaction!
personally, i consider myself a cat person. i grew up with cats, and while i love dogs and have a dog that i adore, i identify more with cats' personality types. and it might be selfish, but i like the fact that one of my cats is really only affectionate with people she knows really well, and clearly likes me better than anyone. of course, my dog clearly likes me the best too, but since she is a dog she pretty much loves everyone she meets as well.
apologies to people with non cat/dog pets! i'm sure there will be a poll for you someday.
We have 4 dogs, 3 cats, a parrot, a cockatiel, 4 rabbits, 26 chickens and a rooster. I have had hamsters, rats, mice, turkey, parakeets, snakes and fish. I have always had animals around me, even as a kid. I was conceived on a dairy farm and farming or ranching are in both my Mom and Dads blood.
I grew up with cats... one cat, in particular- Bootsie... My mom got her as a kitten about a year before I was born and she passed away in her twenties, so she was around for most of my entire life (I'm 26). I loved Bootsie & I loved all cats... Twice I ended up adopting stays when I was a kid, Felix & then later Jack. So I always have thought of myself as a cat person.
That said, I am a dog person, who has both...
After years of living without a cat after moving out on my own, I have realized I am no longer a cat person. I still like cats, they're just not my fav. anymore. I think it comes down to the fact that I can do more things with the dog and that creates a deeper bond for me... I can't take the cat camping. I can't bring the cat to the park or for a walk in the woods. It feels like there's more of a connection with the dog... more understanding between us... more of a mutual friendship than with the cat. The cat is "I love you because you give me food", the dog is "I love you because you're my friend."
I don't necessarily dislike cats, I just don't want to share my house with any. I get along just fine with other people's cats, as long as they don't rub up against me and/or do that dough kneading thing with their paws. They really annoy me when they don't get out of my way when I'm walking. I can't stand an underfoot animal.
I won't have a litter box in the house, so even if I wanted a cat I couldn't have one. Outside cats around here have a tendency to end up squashed by 18 wheelers. I've found 3 dead stray cats hit by trucks and tossed into my yard by the impact. That's not counting the many I've seen smashed into the asphalt on the busy main drag outside my front fence.
Nanners hates cats anyway, and according to the people from whom I adopted her, she has a history of killing them.
So, no cats in this household for a variety of reasons.
Cats - cute as babies, pretty as adults, good for other people, not for me. I would likely have cats outdoors/in outbuildings if I lived on a farm again, but no indoor cats, thanks. I don't do litterboxes. Even if my SO weren't allergic, I wouldn't be a fan of having a cat in the house. I like other people's cats fine. In their houses.
Location: Big Island- Hawaii, AK, WA where the whales are!
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Dogs my vote - however cats been my entire life. Only had three dogs in all my life - each lived 16 years. My dog is my constant compaion sharing life with me. My cats are my medicine, healers, kinders, cuddlers, main stay when I am upset. Dog gets scared. If I have to give up one or another it would be cats sorry kitties, but my dog is my partner in traveling.
i do find that i have a lot more to say about my dog - i love my cats, but for instance i don't post in the cat board much. with dogs there's training, activities, gear, etc to talk about. i talk about that stuff especially much because it's all pretty new to me. with my cats it's like, well, i settled on a food for them long ago, i know the specific toys they like, they snuggle adorably with me and the dog and each other, i love them and love spending time with them, and that's about all there is to say. it doesn't make them less satisfying pets, i just have less to think about with them.
i think it's telling that despite the fact that i have 3 (until recently 4) cats and i only got a dog about a year and a half ago, everyone at my work now thinks of me as a dog person.
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