# Why are so many cats unwanted?



## Aneeda72 (Nov 2, 2020)

It is awful not having a pet.  My daughter knows this and is pushing me to get a cat.  I don’t really care for cats.  She says it will grow on me.  Hmm.

I go and look on pet finders at cats.  Within a 12 mile radius of me, there are 1000 cats up for adoption.  WOW.  Of course, I can’t have any pet before my hip is repaired.  But, apparently people don't like cats as much as my daughter thinks.

She says to make sure I get a de-clawed cat.  Yeah, for sure.  But why do people like cats?  Why do people not like cats?


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## Pepper (Nov 2, 2020)

That's a good question.


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## Pinky (Nov 2, 2020)

Aneeda72 said:


> It is awful not having a pet.  My daughter knows this and is pushing me to get a cat.  I don’t really care for cats.  She says it will grow on me.  Hmm.
> 
> I go and look on pet finders at cats.  Within a 12 mile radius of me, there are 1000 cats up for adoption.  WOW.  Of course, I can’t have any pet before my hip is repaired.  But, apparently people don't like cats as much as my daughter thinks.
> 
> She says to make sure I get a de-clawed cat.  Yeah, for sure.  But why do people like cats?  Why do people not like cats?


De-clawing is inhumane and extremely painful .. so I've read.

Perhaps some cats claw at furniture and that's a no-no. Maybe they don't want cats up on tables, etc. Some do climb everywhere.

It's something I could live with, but unfortunately am in a "no pets" building. I also am allergic to cats and would have to take antihistamines on a daily basis


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## ClassicRockr (Nov 2, 2020)

Perhaps, because cats can't go as many places as a dog can. How often do you see a cat, with a leash on it, being walked thru Petco or Petsmart?


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## Pinky (Nov 2, 2020)

It's sad there are so many stray cats. A friend who is in Arkansas does constant TSN (Trap/Spay/Neuter) with so many that turn up on her doorstep. She already has 4 that were strays to begin with. 

I did post this in another thread about cats.


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## Aneeda72 (Nov 2, 2020)

ClassicRockr said:


> Perhaps, because cats can't go as many places as a dog can. How often do you see a cat, with a leash on it, being walked thru Petco or Petsmart?


Surprisingly it does happen here, but not very often.


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## Pepper (Nov 2, 2020)

There's a wonderful show, probably on Animal Planet, called The Cat Whisperer, who is this weird guy named Jackson Galaxy.  On one episode, a woman was upset that her cat jumped up on counters, and if food were on it, he'd eat it.  She didn't care for the climbing, the scratching, etc.  Jackson's answer was "Don't you know cats?  That's what they do."

Cats.  I love cats.


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## Aneeda72 (Nov 2, 2020)

Pepper said:


> There's a wonderful show, probably on Animal Planet, called The Cat Whisperer, who is this weird guy named Jackson Galaxy.  On one episode, a woman was upset that her cat jumped up on counters, and if food were on it, he'd eat it.  She didn't care for the climbing, the scratching, etc.  Jackson's answer was "Don't you know cats?  That's what they do."
> 
> Cats.  I love cats.


I like the RagDolls.  If I got a cat it would be a rag doll.  From what I read they are very, dog like, and can learn to fetch.  Do you know about this breed?  I would want a very independent cat though.  As for climbing up and eating off countertops, apparently she would not like a dog either.


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## JustBonee (Nov 2, 2020)

I've had both dogs and cats  over the years,   but I feel people get closer to their dogs,   and interact more. 

Now, don't tell my older daughter or my daughter-in-law that I said that!


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## SilentSoul (Nov 2, 2020)

_I believe cats are only for certain people. I prefer cats because I'm not into the nervous energy the dogs give off. My home is calm and quiet. And so is my cat. ☺_


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## Judycat (Nov 2, 2020)

Cats get a bad rap. You have to clean their litter boxes often or they will go on your newly installed wall to wall carpeting, and if they don't want you around at the moment, they let you know by peeing on your favorite chair. Also, they eat your plants and use your new sofa as a scratching post. 

Males will spray your nice wool coat if you leave it hanging on a chair overnight. They also yowl in the middle of the night and go about spraying your beautiful furnishings if they see another cat hanging around outside. Otherwise they are quiet, often affectionate pets who will sit and leave their tails hanging out straight behind them on the darkest part of the very stairs you walk down while carrying a basket full of laundry. You know you have stepped on a cat's tail when you hear screaming like a woman being murdered and feel them trying to yank their embedded claws out of your bare leg. 

They also tend to suddenly run across in front of you as you walk by. They do this to get your attention, then become miffed at you when you accidentally step or fall on them. They throw their spit around when they shake their heads too, sometimes their noses drip when you pet them, and they barf up wet balls or fur on the carpet every other day. It is quite pleasant having cats around. I currently have six.


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## asp3 (Nov 2, 2020)

The reason there are so many cats for adoption is because people are not preventing their cats from getting pregnant or getting another cat pregnant.  Many people let their cats run all over the neighborhood.  The number of birds killed each year by cats is astounding.


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## JimBob1952 (Nov 2, 2020)

I've been told that the animal shelters are empty, at least for dogs. 

Is it not the same for cats? I'm allergic so have never thought about owning a cat.


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## ClassicRockr (Nov 2, 2020)

SilentSoul said:


> _I believe cats are only for certain people. I prefer cats because I'm not into the nervous energy the dogs give off. My home is calm and quiet. And so is my cat. ☺_



Wife and I love "calm and quiet" when we go to bed and sleep. That's about the only time. On Sundays, when we are watching an NFL game, our living room is anything but calm and quiet. My wife loves NFL


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## Judycat (Nov 2, 2020)

Cats are little predators so you have to learn to tolerate many of their behaviors or don't bother getting one. I like them because they are self-contained for the most part. They don't need your attention as often as a dog would. Still, they are your responsibility and require your care and your time.


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## Pinky (Nov 2, 2020)

asp3 said:


> The reason there are so many cats for adoption is because people are not preventing their cats from getting pregnant or getting another cat pregnant.  Many people let their cats run all over the neighborhood.  The number of birds killed each year by cats is astounding.


Neuter neuter neuter!


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## Liberty (Nov 2, 2020)

When we were in business, we owned a building that became a home for a "feral" colony.  Not by choice, but since we knew the cats were there, called in a feral cat group that trapped, spayed and neutered them.  Then they put them back...why?  Because cats that haven't been stroked as kittens and are (feral) can take years to warm up to becoming companion animals.  

We love cats and have had several over the last 40 years.  

The psychics say cats are "mental"- while dogs are "emotional"...hence the different energy.


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## Aneeda72 (Nov 2, 2020)

JimBob1952 said:


> I've been told that the animal shelters are empty, at least for dogs.
> 
> Is it not the same for cats? I'm allergic so have never thought about owning a cat.


For neither in my area


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## Treacle (Nov 2, 2020)

Judycat said:


> Cats get a bad rap. You have to clean their litter boxes often or they will go on your newly installed wall to wall carpeting, and if they don't want you around at the moment, they let you know by peeing on your favorite chair. Also, they eat your plants and use your new sofa as a scratching post.
> 
> Males will spray your nice wool coat if you leave it hanging on a chair overnight. They also yowl in the middle of the night and go about spraying your beautiful furnishings if they see another cat hanging around outside. Otherwise they are quiet, often affectionate pets who will sit and leave their tails hanging out straight behind them on the darkest part of the very stairs you walk down while carrying a basket full of laundry. You know you have stepped on a cat's tail when you hear screaming like a woman being murdered and feel them trying to yank their embedded claws out of your bare leg.
> 
> They also tend to suddenly run across in front of you as you walk by. They do this to get your attention, then become miffed at you when you accidentally step or fall on them. They throw their spit around when they shake their heads too, sometimes their noses drip when you pet them, and they barf up wet balls or fur on the carpet every other day. It is quite pleasant having cats around. I currently have six.


'My' cat Treacle (female) does not fit the above criteria @Judycat. Just going off to check she is a cat.


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## Treacle (Nov 2, 2020)

Have looked after a number of cats. Most were older cats. One cat was blind and incredibly independent. By using his whiskers he could find where his food was as the bowl was on the floor near a corner of the kitchen wall. He would go near the wall, feel it with his whiskers and then come back a little. Worked every time although he  was also able to smell the food. Difficult to  really explain in words.

Declawing is illegal here and I hope it remains so. 

My sister gave me Treacle and described her as a 'rag doll' and @Aneeda72 thanks for the info re they are dog like because that is how Treacle behaves sometimes. She wont go downstairs in the morning with my o/h but waits for me. She follows me around a lot. If I go in the garden she wants to be outside with me. She has a lovely temperament. She also knows where she can or can't go and if she attempts to climb on the kitchen worktop I will just say no and she jumps down. Doesn't even attempt to get on the worktop now.
A very loving and affectionate companion.  ☺


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## Aneeda72 (Nov 2, 2020)

Treacle said:


> Have looked after a number of cats. Most were older cats. One cat was blind and incredibly independent. By using his whiskers he could find where his food was as the bowl was on the floor near a corner of the kitchen wall. He would go near the wall, feel it with his whiskers and then come back a little. Worked every time although he  was also able to smell the food. Difficult to  really explain in words.
> 
> Declawing is illegal here and I hope it remains so.
> 
> ...


That is how my research says they act.


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## JustBonee (Nov 2, 2020)

Liberty said:


> When we were in business, we owned a building that became a home for a "feral" colony.  Not by choice, but since we knew the cats were there, called in a feral cat group that trapped, spayed and neutered them.  Then they put them back...why?  Because cats that haven't been stroked as kittens and are (feral) can take years to warm up to becoming companion animals.
> 
> We love cats and have had several over the last 40 years.
> 
> The psychics say cats are "mental"- while dogs are "emotional"...hence the different energy.



I was told when I was young  ....  the difference is:    Dogs worship you,  whereas cats expect you to worship them  ....


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## Ruth n Jersey (Nov 2, 2020)

I love both cats and dogs. Every time we got a dog we also got a cat. They seem to balance each other out.
I guess I was very lucky with our cats. They never clawed the furniture or jumped on the counter tops. One fetched and could sit up on command. Of course in her own good time but she did it. 
All of them would tolerate a bath. 
I guess the only problem was how they could occasionally hide away . We could tear the house apart looking for them and just when I was in hysterics because I though my beloved cat slipped out of the house she would suddenly appear by her bowl or in the litter box as if nothing happened.


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## Kaila (Nov 2, 2020)

To add to info mentioned above in previous posts, regarding declawed cats, 
in addition to those , a common problem with them is that they then become cats who bite a lot (bite people) so that is worse than scratching furniture.  Also are defenseless, if they happen to get out by mistake.


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## Liberty (Nov 2, 2020)

Bonnie said:


> I was told when I was young  ....  the difference is:    Dogs worship you,  whereas cats expect you to worship them  ....


What's that saying - in Egypt, thousands of years ago the cats were worshiped as Gods and they have never forgotten it? I had an alpha mail cat that taught his buddy to bang the screen door when he wanted in.  Very smart. Maine Coon Cats are more like dogs than cats so there are always exceptions.  They know if something is wrong with you and will want to come be with you. Love both cats and dogs!


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## Pepper (Nov 2, 2020)

The cat I loved and lost in 2005 after 19 years would put his favorite toy in his mouth, bring it over where I was, look up like he was begging then would drop the toy at my feet so I could throw it and he could chase it.  Sometimes, he even brought it back to me.

I remember so well how he would stay by my side, never leaving, when I was in deep need.  I've loved all my cats, but him the most.  Don't know why, but I feel guilty when I say or think that!

He was declawed as a young cat.  I was pregnant with my second, and he would scratch.  I was wrong to do that of course, but at that time it was not an issue and I was ignorant about what declawing actually was.


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## Aneeda72 (Nov 2, 2020)

As I read the information about cats, it occurs to me that cats are just as much work as dogs and just as expensive with their grooming.  Animals really make me happy and my doctor recommended to me, long ago, that I always need to have one.    To avoid severe depression.

It‘s like I am in withdrawal.   But a cat seems very much like a dog to me. But, I can not have any pet until next year until I am healed from my hip surgery so that is a good thing. Maybe, by that time, I will forget all about having a dog or cat.

Others pets, like birds etc, do not appeal to me at all.  I looked up the Maine coon cat and while they seem nice they do seem to have more medical issues than a Rag Doll.  But, what do I know, not much.

Has anyone ever raised a kitten and a puppy together?


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## Pepper (Nov 2, 2020)

I have never wanted to live with a cat who belongs to one breed.  I have always found mutts, mixed breeds, American short hairs, etc. to be healthier.  In general natch.


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## Pinky (Nov 2, 2020)

Pepper said:


> I have never wanted to live with a cat who belongs to one breed.  I have always found mutts, mixed breeds, American short hairs, etc. to be healthier.  In general natch.


My nephew's wife has had numerous cats over the years .. all from shelters. They've been the nicest cats I've ever known - and I've met a few crazy characters, but hers were just the sweetest. They all lived long lives, but are all gone now. I sat with one for a week. Precious boy - never once bit or scratched when I gave him his pills, 3x a day.


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## jujube (Nov 2, 2020)

Bonnie said:


> I was told when I was young  ....  the difference is:    Dogs worship you,  whereas cats expect you to worship them  ....



Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.


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## IrisSenior (Nov 2, 2020)

I have had dogs and cats and prefer cats as they are not as much trouble. I much prefer being staff than an owner.

I still miss my Maine Coone/Tabby cat but I can't get another one as hubby is allergic...sigh...


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