Often people are one or the other… in terms of their feelings about pets, hence the terms “dog person,” “cat person.” Frankly, as a rare “both person,” I often wonder, the way I do about the East Coast/West Coast rap rivalry, why can’t we all just get along?
Unfortunately, we never can. Well, not until dog people are willing to see the cat people’s side? What makes that endeavor harder is that most people who aren’t cat people are actually anti-cat people.
They’re wondering what’s enjoyable about having an animal that doesn’t know it’s name. Which (for all you anti-cat people) is not true, they know their names, they just choose to ignore you when you use them, so that you’re always aware, they have the upper hand… paw.
Cat people are also the victims of ruthless discrimination and stereotyping. In which cat people are believed to be: losers, uncool, lazy, empty nesters, old maids substituting cats for children … BLOGGERS. Cat people are thought to be creepy collectors of felines or feline replicas: sculptures, wood carvings, tee shirts, meme pics… And if they’re men, they don’t make good husbands because they’ll probably confess to you years into marriage that they are in fact, gay.
These things are rarely true. Except the meme pics, I think we can all agree that they’re worth liking and sharing.
And in defense of marrying cat people, I married one and I’ve only caught him with another man once. (Kidding. It was twice. Kidding) Anyhoo, I remember being a bit concerned when my hubs told me he grew up with a cat, but what I realized is that he’s much like a cat himself – self-sufficient, extremely confident verging on down right cocky, he doesn’t need reassurance to know where he stands, he bathes himself, he rarely listens when you call, comes to you when you shake a bag of treats, and is otherwise content to have time to read, relax, and nap in the sunny spot.
Most of us are dogs. We want constant love, attention, and affection. That’s why so few of us “get” cats or why they have people, but those who do, are aware of some universal truths. Here are just a few to help bridge the gap:
• Cats are often cutest when they do things non-cat people would find annoying like, climbing on our keyboards while we type, our counters while we prepare school lunches, and our sinks to drink directly from the faucet while we attempt to brush our teeth.
• Cats are welcome anywhere in our homes from our kitchen tables (while we’re having dinner) to our stomachs (while we’re sleeping) to our bathrooms to walk back and forth rubbing our legs (while we do our business).
• Cats are given permission to slap and bat at any other animal or human that lives in our houses because it’s really funny to watch. They can also eat fish our children win at fairs, with little recourse, as we were stupid enough to take the fish home in the first place.
• Cat people must, and do, appreciate all humorous cat foils or tom(cat)foolery, for the sheer pleasure of pointing it out to everyone in the household, or video taping it and posting it on youtube. This includes but is not limited to:
- Shoving their paws under a door in an attempt to reach something on the other side.
- Managing to carefully walk through a menagerie of crystal picture frames or Limoges boxes and finding a place to rest among them without ever so much as brushing one with a long whisker.
- Maneuvering themselves into the most unexpected places, top shelves, barely opened drawers, behind the washer, (I’ve watched mine actually jump into the refrigerator).
I hope that helped to bring us closer and if there’s an awards show where cats and dogs win something, I hope we can cross the aisle during commercials and do a shot together!
(In loving memory of my beautiful cat Coco who was taken way too young… I miss you waiting for me at the door, meowing in my face at night, and begging for turkey each morning when I make the kids their lunch.)
I am a “both” person..we have owned both cats and dogs and they are both awesome!!
I’m that blogger with a bunch of cats. I wouldn’t have it any other way!
My daughter only said I look like the Little Mermaid. I too wish I looked like a hooker or a skinny Kardashian. I am jealous.
And obviously my previous comment was meant for a different post. Because I am a genius like that.
Dogs.
That is all. End of comment.
We’ve had both cats and dogs, although I’m more dog-centric than cat. I’m not anti-cat though. I once read a quote that summed up cats.
Cats are just dogs but with a Faye Dunnaway Attitude, lol.
Love it! I am a ‘neither’ but I love looking at funny cat pics!
This is amazing. You pretty much nailed it on the head. Being a “both person” who leans a little more toward cats, couldn’t agree more. Cats rock – they are hysterically clumsy, clean themselves, and are awesomely manipulative. I laugh uncontrollably when my cat, Dirt McGrit, tears through the house (we call it the rips), attempts to jump up onto the bathroom counter, and suffers a miserable fail, then tries to walk it off as if nothing happened. Anyone who doesn’t like cats has clearly never had one 😉
Loved this, because I am definitely a cat person. I wouldn’t mind trying out a dog though. And I’ve always thought that men were a lot like cats. And R.I.P. to your Coco. Very sad. Our pets are members of the family.
We have owned both, and I am definitely not anti-cat, but when we tried four dogs and two cats and two teenage boys at the same time, something had to go. It was the cats. I agree with you that they were VERY entertaining though!
I think your husband makes a really cool, king cat! Ut oh, does that make you the “cat lady” or maybe just queen.
It doesn’t help the “cat person” position that cat’s are notoriously bad spellers in all their memes making them appear like the lower form of kin to Honey BooBoo
Cats/dogs, girls/boys, preferences/preferences- it’s all apples/oranges. But dogs, girls, and oranges are best, for sure.
Oh, and, Happy Birthday Jenny!!! Congratulations on being another year older!
I love how you describe your husband as a “cat.” I think mine might be one too!
I’m definitely a dog person but I interviewed someone this weekend with a ragdoll cat and completely fell in love! I’ve been researching those cats (hubs too) since I returned and I just very well may get my first cat!
Well, you certainly got it right about cats. I love both, although at my stage in life it is much easier to have cats than dogs. Don’t need to walk it in the rain or wipe its feet when it was outside in the rain. Don’t have to find someone to take care of it if you go away for the weekend. They are loving most of the time, except if they hiss at you. One of my cats was so curious that it jumped into the spa, and actually got out on its own and came running into the house like a drowned rat. But all in all I love my cats.
I am an animal person who likes my horses best but they make super crappy house pets. We have cats because they do a good job of keeping mice and rats out of the horse barn, BUT they also like to poop anywhere and it’s a close call as to whether I’d rather come face to face with a rat or have cat poop on the bottem of my boot (an therefore on my stirrup).
We have one cat who comes inside (we saved him as an orphaned feral kitten – Kit Meow). He thinks he is a dog and will come in thru the doggie door and fight his way past Rascal who is a 50 pound killer of cats, kittens, mice, rats, prairie dogs, rabbits [did you know they sound like ducks when they are cornered], ducks… and while I don’t appreciate his killing and bringing to booty to me; I do appreciate that when my 200 pound boyfriend decked me, he ended up with a dozen stitches in is balls because Rascal said NO.)
Anyhow, the cat, who has dirty feet walks across the kitchen counters and table which is seriously gross. Otherwise he’d be pretty much okay. The dog – he could care less about your love and attention unless he wants something.
In the end, I think your pets typically reflect you.
I am offically a NEITHER. I used to be a cat person, but that void was neatly filled when I had a child.
I do not want a dog. Ever. I am willing to choose therapy for my daughter over a puppy.
I do not want another cat. To be honest, I do not even want the cat I have. However, the cat and the husband are total besties, so he is staying. (The cat I mean. The husband will stay indefintetly.)
Well at least you’ve got your priorities straight! I usually think the pets in my house have a more permanent position than the hubby.