[s]Fucking Goddamn' Cats[/s] Cats vs. Dogs :-/

[CatharzGodfoot]

Last night at approximately 9:00 PM EST one of my cats chewed through one of her toys and proceeded to eat a 1.5 foot length of 1/4 inch thick white cotton string (this is supposition but the evidence strongly favors it). My wife and I worried all day, and were planning on taking a cat to the vet, but we didn't know which one had done the deed. Supposedly eating string can kill a cat by twisting up, blocking, and wearing through its guts.

Today at about 4:30 PM EST, Lilith (one of the cats) started stinking up the apartment with her gas. This wasn't too shocking, because she's had gas problems in the past. However, this time it got much stinkier than ever before.

My wife noticed Lilith wiping her butt on the carpet, and investigated. The following discovery was made: A 1.5 foot length of thick brown string, laying on our carpet. There were also the other marks one might expect from a cat trying to extract over a foot of string from its bowels.

Our cats are both apparently fine, and we don't need to worry about taking them to the cat hospital anymore. But I do wonder now about Lilith's gaseousness in the past, and what might have caused it.

Lilith 'Poo String', at least, has earned her full adult name. The apartment is finally starting to stink less. But I still need to vent.

GODDAMN FUCKING CATS!!!

[Maxus]

I'm a dog person, myself.

The worst I have to put up with is Littlebit cold-nosing my elbow when she wants attention.

[PhoneLobster]

I hate cats.

I live on about 10 acres of gardens and native replantings in a gradually less and less forested region.

We have any number of native birds, lizards, frogs and other things... many of which are vanishing rapidly from the surrounding properties, or fleeing to overcrowded shelter at my place.

Cats, simple domestic cats owned by even slightly inattentive neighbors, can and will slaughter ALL of those.

Any cat that wanders onto my land had better damn well hope I don't actually catch it.

They frankly should be banned, or at least very heavily restricted, but the Australian cat lobby wields remarkable political clout.

Dogs are better. But only because some relatively simple training CAN make them behave.

The sad news is that most owners DON'T provide the attention that even the less demanding dog breeds require. So in our semi rural area they roam as semi wild packs for most of the day and maul sheep and such.

Which is why we can't have a couple of sheep (or something) to keep the grass down in the back paddock.

It is also why we no longer get kangaroos, goanas, the bigger migrating frogs and other larger animals that used to roam through the region. The entire valley has become a canine/feline death trap for them.

People should not be allowed to own unattended predators. It's impact on biodiversity is disgusting.

[Count Arioch the 28th]

Cat saliva contains toxic materials and weird bacteria that will kill any small animal they so much as bite or scratch. Even humans have been known to get massive infections and die from cat bites.

My cat stays inside. If I bring her out, she's leashed or in a carrier and is not allowed to interact with things that a cat might think is tasty. I am a firm believer of companion animals (both cats and dogs) being inside with their people whenever possible. If someone can't train a dog or cat so that they can be inside with you, then maybe they shouldn't own one.

[shau]

Cat saliva contains toxic materials and weird bacteria that will kill any small animal they so much as bite or scratch. Even humans have been known to get massive infections and die from cat bites.

Funny you should bring this up. I just ended a four year streak of avoiding the doctor after one of my cats bit me and the wound got infected even though I cleaned it immediately after. They are like part cobra.

[CatharzGodfoot]

For what it's worth, I've had some terrible luck with dogs and as a result still prefer cats. Not to make this into a cats vs. dogs thing, but at least cats tend to be pretty small and don't eat their own shit. Which is why I have a retard cat eating lengths of string that are longer than she is. If you really want a good pet, don't get a dog (or a cat). Get a turtle.

[Count Arioch the 28th]

Dogs only eat their own shit because humans train them to.

Seriously, when a dog shits on the floor and you rub his nose in it? He thinks you want him to eat it. And he will, because most dogs really want to be accepted into the pack. To you, you're teaching him a lesson. To him, it's hazing.

Edit: Tarantulas are likewise low maintenance. They're more like houseplants that move. Except when they get out. One of my tarantulas got out of her terrarium and started wandering around the apartment. I looked up from my game and saw it on the wall, with the cat standing on her haunches waiting for it to get within pounce range. I grabbed a tupperware container to catch it.

The tarantula showed her gratitude for saving her from the cat by trying to bite me.

[Koumei]

My dog wouldn't dream of eating his own shite. Or vomit. Last time he was sick, he sat next to it and gave a pathetic "I'm sorry" look. And, being a stray rescued by the animal shelter, he knows the lavatory is outside. So in those respects he's very good. He's also extremely friendly to people and dogs (I'm not sure he even understands that some might not want to be his friend), and basically ignores living creatures that aren't humans or dogs.

He used to be terrified of cats, though (to the point that, when taken to the vet for his shots, he was happily making friends with other dogs, calming them down... then saw a kitten in a travel cage, and started whimpering and quivering with fear. He needed to be picked up and held). Not any more.

That being said, there are apparently these rules to having an obedient dog, primary being "Don't feed them people food" (whoops!) and "People beds are not dog beds" (he's on the bed right now). Ah well.

[Maxus]

My dog is a medium-sized mutt. She is one of the smartest dogs I've ever seen.

She...

1) Knows to ask permission to come inside. If we leave the door open, she stands at the bottom of the steps and waits for one of us to wave her in. This is uncanny, because she does this herself.

2) Has a pretty good vocabulary. The funniest word she knows 'squirrel' (she likes chasing them, so when someone says 'squirrel' she immediately starts looking for one. Once, we said it indoors and she glanced up at the ceiling, just to check).

3) Has a good sense of the appropriate. If we're chilling, she chills, sprawled against someone. If we go outside and run around and play, she runs, too.

4) Will pick up a treat off a table and intentionally not knock over any cups nearby. Again, this is uncanny because she decided to do this on her own.

[Crissa]

Count, that's shit.

No, literally. Wild dogs eat the shit of other animals.

Don't fucking make shit up like that.

Cats don't go around eating the feces of other animals.

-Crissa

[Draco_Argentum]

People should not be allowed to own unattended predators. It's impact on biodiversity is disgusting.

Agreed. I love cats and would have one as a pet. Except that I'm not going to let it outside to eat fucking everything and I don't want to lock it in the house all day.

[PhoneLobster]

I don't want to lock it in the house all day.

One of the few good things about cats is you CAN lock them inside all day everyday for their entire life.

Most cats as long as they are raised like that won't really care.

Problem is the vast majority of cat owners don't actually keep up with that and then let them outside to hunt without supervision for 12+ hours a day.

The other problem is that those cat owners who DO keep their cats in properly rarely manage to clean the litter box enough to stop their house stinking of cat waste.

And then there is that irritating cat hair EVERYWHERE.

But at least they CAN be an inside animal.

Of course, you could do that with a small lap dog to. The only reason people don't have successful indoor dogs very often is because there is an army of idiots out there who think that various active and giant sized dog breeds are entirely appropriate for a busy family with a whole 5' square back yard.

People need to learn. You only buy a sheep herding breed if you intend to take it outside and run it for several hours a day, preferably with something to chase. But no, everyone wants another fucking stir crazy poorly cared for border collie.

I mean I know these two women, limited time, limited yard space, limited wealth, even limited mobility... and they have three cats, a border collie and a god damn mongrel half German wolfhound/half god damn sociopathic alien. (seriously that last dog is the most ugly, unpleasant, annoying and unlovable dog I have ever encountered, including that one albino half dingo I met that inexplicably hated me)

At least two of their pet purchasing decisions were very, very poor. They also let their cats hunt even though their house is literally in the middle of native bush land.

Oh speaking of that half dingo that hated me. I have for some reason rather strange social dynamics with cats and dogs. And a surprising number of the dogs I meet seem to be totally freaked out by my mere presence.

No really they do the whole "Can't you see HE'S A VAMPIRE" routine.

[Crissa]

Alas, I would not have an outdoor cat if I lived on an island or in Australia.

Of course, my cat current hates the outdoors, and Sammi's cat is probably the worst hunter in the world. Well, one of the, I'm sure there are others far more pathetic than she. The only thing she's reliably killed are gophers. She's afraid of birds and squirrels. The 10-pound red squirrel that 'owned' the 100-year old walnut and dogwood trees at our Soquel home probably had something to do with that, though. Even though he would only live there reliably three months out of the year...

-Crissa

[Data Vampire]

"Smelly cat! Smelly cat! What are they feeding you?"

[Murtak]

Love my two cats. I had incredible luck in picking those two to bring home from the shelter. So far the worst thing I have had to cope with is getting woken up four hours after their usual feeding time. They don't knock down stuff that's on the table, they don't sharpen their claws on furniture, they listen to commands (sit, leave, come so far), they don't scratch or bite - overall I am not sure I really got cats. They do still flinch at sudden hand movements though. I don't really want to know what happened to them before I took them.

Catharz: My cats gas problems disappeared completely when I switched cat food. Have you tried that?

[Koumei]

including that one albino half dingo I met that inexplicably hated me)

Nah, that just sounds like good judgement to me. :P

[Count Arioch the 28th]

Count, that's shit.

No, literally. Wild dogs eat the shit of other animals.

Don't fucking make shit up like that.

Cats don't go around eating the feces of other animals.

-Crissa

You could have said that much more politely then you did and it totally would be cool.

[Count Arioch the 28th]

I don't want to lock it in the house all day.

See, I don't have a problem with locking a cat in the house all day. I make sure she has food and water and a clean place to go to the bathroom should the need arise, and she takes care of herself. Also, indoor cats live longer than outdoor cats.

Of course, you could do that with a small lap dog to. The only reason people don't have successful indoor dogs very often is because there is an army of idiots out there who think that various active and giant sized dog breeds are entirely appropriate for a busy family with a whole 5' square back yard.

Indeed. Certain breeds of dog lend themselves well to indoor living. But I am honestly not aware of any breed that you can give the same level of inattention as you can with a cat; dogs in generally really really want to be part of the pack, while most cats are happy with regular food and water and occasional ear scratching.

Companion dogs really need to be well socialized from a young age.

[erik]

I love cats and don't really care for dogs... but oh how I wish we had declawed one of my cats when she was a kitten.

Her mother was a stray but must have been trained once because she doesn't claw anything. The daughter... destroys our furniture to get our attention. As soon as we wake up and yell at her she happily stops and comes right over. She also claws the hell out of the carpet if a door is closed and she wants on the other side. So no closed doors at this house!

Sadly a few of my friends are allergic to cats and this means that my house is rarely chosen as a meeting site to game or hang out.

[MGuy]

I hate dog, vehemently. I hate them just enough to not want them around me ever but not enough to go into rage whenever one comes into the room. I am MUCH more tolerant of cats but I still don't care for them.

[CatharzGodfoot]

I love cats and don't really care for dogs... but oh how I wish we had declawed one of my cats when she was a kitten.

Her mother was a stray but must have been trained once because she doesn't claw anything. The daughter... destroys our furniture to get our attention. As soon as we wake up and yell at her she happily stops and comes right over. She also claws the hell out of the carpet if a door is closed and she wants on the other side. So no closed doors at this house!

Invest in a nail clipper for your cat. You can buy them at just about any pet supply store. Don't get a crappy pair.

Then cut your cat's nails once a week or so. Also, [pay somebody else with the appropriate qualifications to] remove your cats' reproductive organs.

[erik]

Invest in a nail clipper for your cat. You can buy them at just about any pet supply store. Don't get a crappy pair.

Then cut your cat's nails once a week or so. Also, [pay somebody else with the appropriate qualifications to] remove your cats' reproductive organs.

Did that... a long time ago We have good clippers but it is no mean feat holding down a 15 pound fully clawed cat who has no intentions of not letting me clip their claws. The only time when they are passive enough to let us clip em is at the vets (they lose all their will to fight when on that tabletop... on our table tops they attempt to flee using their claws for traction).

All 3 cats were neutered, we just happened to take in a mother-daughter pair initially.

[Maj]

As soon as we wake up and yell at her she happily stops and comes right over.

Don't Shoot the Dog {OK, psychology, pets, children} by Karen Pryor.

It's not just for dogs - it's for cats, dolphins, kids, yourself... Awesome and effective book.

[CatharzGodfoot]

Did that... a long time ago We have good clippers but it is no mean feat holding down a 15 pound fully clawed cat who has no intentions of not letting me clip their claws. The only time when they are passive enough to let us clip em is at the vets (they lose all their will to fight when on that tabletop... on our table tops they attempt to flee using their claws for traction).

We've got a cat (not the one I was complaining about above) that minds having her claws clipped. I grab her by the neck and the hips and hold her tight to the ground while my wife does the clipping. When she's unhappy the claws come out, so it's very easy to clip them.

At first I was worried that she'd hate us forever, but she gets over it after about 5 minutes.

[PhoneLobster]

Indeed. Certain breeds of dog lend themselves well to indoor living. But I am honestly not aware of any breed that you can give the same level of inattention as you can with a cat

True.

You can have an indoor cat and as long as you feed it may well be pretty happy.

Indoor dog, even if it doesn't ever need to DO anything will want you to at least hang out with it as much as possible and will get very depressed, somewhat insane and possibly destructive or suicidal if you are never actually at home.

I made the mistake of assuming that you wouldn't actually WANT a house dog unless you spent a lot of time hanging out in your house.

Foolish me, because of course that isn't the case 50% plus of dog owners don't think like that, a lap dog is basically a throw pillow they feel good about owning during their 18 hour a day seven day a week work/commute/recreation outside of the home.

I'm not being sarcastic, they really DON'T consider actually spending time with their dog and whether they will be able or willing to do that when they get one.

You are pretty lucky if they determine in advance if they have the money to pay for feeding it and the basic shots/neutering/what have you.

Edit: True story time. Back in my student share house days our rental property didn't allow pets.

One dumb ass flat mate was always going on about how he loved dogs. Big dogs. And had a deep desire to keep a German Shepherd. So much so that if only the rental property had not prevented him he would go out and get one right then and there.

He was only ever actually at home about every second day, and then typically only got home well after dark, sometimes well after 9.00pm and left shortly after waking up each morning usually before 8.00am and without even squeezing in time for breakfast for HIMSELF.

I mean sometimes it wasn't even clear to me that he even really lived in our rental house at all.

As far as I could tell there was maybe 1 day in the average FORTNIGHT that he actually spent the day at home.

THAT was a guy who thought the only thing holding him back from successful German shepherd ownership was the rental contract...

Edit Edit: Hey another weird dog reaction to me true story comes to mind mentioning German Shepherds.

When I used to work as a programmer a regular event among the guys at my work place was for one or more of us to walk down the street to the local pie shop.

On the way was a big black German Shepherd that would jump up on it fence, look like it was going to climb out and bite your neck out, and bark loudly and territorially at you every single damn time you walked past.

One day, walking on my own I was in a bad mood. When the dog jumped up I swung around and glared at it it immediately shut up, backed away and hid behind the fence.

It never EVER barked at me, or any passing group including me ever again.

True story. The end.