Thread: I'm not feeelin the love <cat-dog>

Originally Posted by Michael

The only thing cats have over dogs is a better survival instinct, and hunting ability. When you see a stray cat it will run for its life. But when you see a stray dog, most of the time it will come to you when whistled at or something. Dogs won't run away from cars a lot of the time either, cats do. You hardly ever see roadkill cats.

How in the WORLD is that some sort of argument against cats? Would YOU run to a stranger if he whistled at you? All that goes to show is that cats are smarter. In any case... I've had stray cats run to me when called.

Your own cat probably just doesn't like you. I think cats are allowed to like some people and dislike others.

Originally Posted by Mes Tarrant

How in the WORLD is that some sort of argument against cats? Would YOU run to a stranger if he whistled at you? All that goes to show is that cats are smarter. In any case... I've had stray cats run to me when called.

Your own cat probably just doesn't like you. I think cats are allowed to like some people and dislike others.

Read the first sentence again. I said, "The only thing cats have over dogs".

Originally Posted by Howie

After being around cats and dogs now at the same time, I see such a difference. (Big surprise eey?)

What I mean is, I just don't feel companion ship with cats. They could give two shits about you as long as you feed them.
Actually, I don't think that either of the two are sentient enough to connect with us on a higher plane?
I just think that it is all instinct reflected back to look as if it were affection.

Thoughts

Burnsy - U know I luv U right?

Silly humans... affection, hunger, love, and pain are instinctual urges, whether exhibited in a human or not (hunger is the urge to eat, fatigue the urge to sleep, love the urge to stick with another with the ultimate goal being procreation, and affection the urge to stay with someone or something your body knows gives you an upper hand). Yes, we love because you feed us, much like children love their parents. In terms of "instinctual behavior," humans and other animals behave in a very similar way. To us (everyone), these emotions are explosive and magical, and sometimes terrifying, but the system is actually relatively simple and easy to understand.

Humans know no "higher plane." I'm unsure what you mean by it, actually. Everyone lives in the same three dimensions...?

~Tamias

Originally Posted by Michael

Read the first sentence again. I said, "The only thing cats have over dogs".

Oh.

Have a cookie.

change that to " I think cats are stupid" micheal, Cuz I experience cats differently than you obviously. So we disagree. No need to convince me otherwise anyway.

Originally Posted by SKA

change that to " I think cats are stupid" micheal, Cuz I experience cats differently than you obviously. So we disagree. No need to convince me otherwise anyway.

Nah, I think they are smarter than dogs, lol. But I like dogs better =D

It seems apparent that this issue is too emotionally charged to discuss at any great lengths.

Oh well.

Originally Posted by Howie

It seems apparent that this issue is too emotionally charged to discuss at any great lengths.

Oh well.

Yea, sensitive people... ugh.

Cats and dogs are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. They do not show love in the same way and, more importantly, they do not interact with other creatures in the same way. Dog and pack animals, its as simple as that. Cats aren't. It's an evolutionary thing.

Dogs display affection in very obvious ways. Cat's don't.

Not because cats are selfish, or unable to feel emotional attatchment, or because of some other quasi-theoretical argument. They are different species, with different historys, different ways of behaviour and different evolutionary and genetic heritage, as well as the fact that they were domesticized at different times.

Cats (in general) have evolved to be lone predators. Dogs are social creatures. Even wolves have an amazing social ability. Cats haven't been domesticated as early. They remain in essence hunters, while dogs have adapted to humans more. None of this changes how much they show affection, only the ways in which they do it.

Saying that a cat shows affection to manipulate you is (and please don't be offended by this too much) unbelievabley stupid. It's like saying "Such and such human only showed affection to get things from me". My point is, when you get right down to it, how the hell would you know?

Dogs and cats have different ways of showing emotional attatchment to humans. I don't even think they have the same emotional spectrum.

I'm not a dog lover or a cat lover - I am both. I'm not biased in favour of either.

They both have emotions. But they are completely and utterly different animals and there is no way to properly compare their emotional levels.

Who is arguing they are not different?
They are like apple and oranges. However, there is some reason that out of the 200 million species, that by in large, that we decide to have cats AND dogs as our primary pets.

Don't lions tigers cheetahs and such all hunt in pacts?
Some dogs don't hunt in pacts.
Isn't this is just another generalization?

the 200 million i grabbed out of thin air BTW.

Originally Posted by Howie

Who is arguing they are not different?
They are like apple and oranges. However, there is some reason that out of the 200 million species, that by in large, that we decide to have cats AND dogs as our primary pets.

Don't lions tigers cheetahs and such all hunt in pacts?
Some dogs don't hunt in pacts.
Isn't this is just another generalization?

the 200 million i grabbed out of thin air BTW.

I only know of one species of wild dogs, the african wild dog, and it hunts in packs. I don`t know if wolves count as dogs, but they also hunt in packs.

Also, lions hunt in packs, but not cheetahs and tigers.

Originally Posted by A Humble Sinner

Dogs and cats have different ways of showing emotional attatchment to humans. I don't even think they have the same emotional spectrum.

They both have emotions. But they are completely and utterly different animals and there is no way to properly compare their emotional levels.

They must not be that different, because they can understand each other, easily if they have lived together, and even show affection for each other.

Now that's something I hadn't thought of as proof that cats show affection even when they are not getting anything material in return--one of my cats loves my dogs, and rubs against them and purrs and licks them. They are tolerant, but they've never done too much to deserve his love that I can see. At best, they don't growl at him when he eats their food.

Yeah I've always thought dogs an d cats were worst enemies till I saw households were cats and dogs lived together. Appearantly they don't have as much problem with this issue as people do

Yeah and @ Michael:
A lady with a dog was here recently. A small, nervous, scared dog and it was playing with a tennis ball. I threw it under the table, but my cat was under there and the dog chased the ball under the table and got a couple of firm beatings from my cat. Nothing servere but it was warned.

Other than that my cat is tolerant to all other cats and dogs. It will only use it's claws when it feels threatened. Also it isn't true that Cats will only show affection with their intention set on Material reward. Cuz it would contradict why my cats ( I have 3 of em ) sometimes rub and lick, even wash eachother. The show affection to one another too. Its love and love is a mechanism for survival in group life.

Don't think I hate dogs or whatever. I really like how dogs can be your pal and see the emotion in their eyes. Dogs are really emotional/social animals. One thing I hate about most dogs, usually those big enough to pose a threat to you, is that you can never be a 100&#37; sure wether or not it will attack you one day to take your place as "pack leader". With cats you certainly don't have to worry about that. A bitch of a Cat can at worst be very scared, grumpy/unsocial, unaproachable and too wild and autonomous to be any enjoyable company. With cats you'll never have to worry about it seriously or even mortally wounding you. With this I don't mean to say Dogs are "bad", but rather that they're harder (and more dangerious) to control and keep as a pet due to their ambition to move up the patriarchal ladder of their pack.

Also, because cats are more autonomous, you won't have to spend SO much time with it. Dogs need alot of your time; Taking a shit and making a walk 3 times a day minimally. They want you to play with them and usually people with dogs go for a walk with their dog a last time very late at night.

Cats can shit, play, thoroughly clean themselves and enjoy themselves without your help. All they really need your attention for is for you to feed them timely.
Because of this souvereignity people are often mistaken to think cats are Self-centered.
But autonomous is not the same as self-centeredness and cats can certainly be enjoyable, cuddly company. Like dogs, they will be very sensative to atmosphere and mood changes and both cats and dogs will come and bring you a visit and their soothing presence the minute you start feeling really bad.

And both Cats and Dogs can see things most of us people can't see.

Originally Posted by SKA

One thing I hate about most dogs, usually those big enough to pose a threat to you, is that you can never be a 100% sure wether or not it will attack you one day to take your place as "pack leader".

Ska, you never have to worry about your own dog attacking you. It just won't happen. It's just not possible for them to do that; they wouldn't be emotionally capable of it. (I know there are always exceptions and someone can probably find an example of a crazy pit bull attacking its abusive owner or something. And I did get bit by a dog that I rescued once, but she didn't think of me as her owner.)

I'm sure glad cats are small, because you never know about them. Mine turn on me fairly often (I got them all when they were mostly grown, they were probably mistreated as kittens.) They get pissed easy.

No. Cheetahs hunt on their own, unless they have children that they are still learning. Sometimes they hunt in pairs etc. but that's comparatively rare. Lynx, leopards, jaguars, tigers, all hunt by themselves. Most cats do. An exception is the lion. That's why I said "In general".

Dogs, however, mainly hunt in packs. For instance, wolves, african wild dogs, hyenas all hunt in packs.

But it's not all about hunting. For instance, wolves are extremely social creatures. They help each other, show compassion for each other, can work together and about a gazillion other amazing things that I've forgotten. I'm not exaggerating. They are amazingly social.

Cats on the other hand, aren't social creatures. They work alone, for their own benefit. They're very individualistic.

This is getting SO cluttered up by here say, personal opinions and rhetoric it is a joke.

Oh, excuse us for messing up your extremely serious and important topic with personal anecdotes and opinions.

We'll try to keep it completely analytical and scientific from now on, I promise.

So, Howie...when did you first, um, "not feel the love"?

Originally Posted by Moonbeam

So, Howie...when did you first, um, "not feel the love"?

about Now. jk

Ska, you never have to worry about your own dog attacking you. It just won't happen. It's just not possible for them to do that; they wouldn't be emotionally capable of it. (I know there are always exceptions and someone can probably find an example of a crazy pit bull attacking its abusive owner or something. And I did get bit by a dog that I rescued once, but she didn't think of me as her owner.)

Come on. I am the one usually defending the "exceptions" argument. But this is ludicrous.
Emotionally capable?

Originally Posted by Howie

Come on. I am the one usually defending the "exceptions" argument. But this is ludicrous.
Emotionally capable?

What do you mean? What are you saying? It's ludicrous that a dog would attack its owner? I just said it probably happened sometime or another, but would be so rare as to be almost unheard of.

Is that what you mean? Obviously they would be physically and mentally capable of it; do you not like the words "emotionally capable"? How would you put it?

Originally Posted by Howie

This is getting SO cluttered up by here say, personal opinions and rhetoric it is a joke.

I thought this Topic was for discussing personal opinions?
Well I and others have shared our opinions. No need to feel offended if someone thoroughly disagrees with you right?

I may actually change my idea of dogs because of other people's dog-favoured opinions and, in turn some people may actually change their idea of Cats because of my and other Cat people's opinions. Great topic. Keep it going and stop wining.

Originally Posted by Moonbeam

What do you mean? What are you saying? It's ludicrous that a dog would attack its owner? I just said it probably happened sometime or another, but would be so rare as to be almost unheard of.

Is that what you mean? Obviously they would be physically and mentally capable of it; do you not like the words "emotionally capable"? How would you put it?

You are right Moonbeam and SKA <This is not a thread that will relay itself as scientific.
Everyone here has had their own experiences shape what they believe.
So what you have to say has as much merit as what I or anyone else does.

Maybe one reason I split this thread into --> The conscious perception of aniamls
I feel there is science behind everything! a fact! An ever changing one most likely. We do not clearly know. Maybe we never will because of that reason.
like chasing a ghost.

Maybe that is why the exception annoys me so. It is always brought up to discredit the facts at hand. But they themselves cannot be discredited. They are real and they make the facts at hand nothing more than an educated guess, another variable.

Does anybody else like the fact that cats are less work to take care of than dogs? Their independance is one of the reasons I like them so much, they`re less annoying.

Originally Posted by Howie

Maybe that is why the exception annoys me so. It is always brought up to discredit the facts at hand. But they themselves cannot be discredited. They are real and they make the facts at hand nothing more than an educated guess, another variable.

Nicely put Howie. It's exactly how I view "The Scientific approach to Personal, Subjective questions" It doesn't work to generalise and analyse the different views and personal opinions as facts and truths, because the only truth in this Cat-Dog question lies in our Personal Preferences, built by our Character and Past experiences with these 2 animals. Individually these preferences are truths, but you can't scientificly define something so undefinable as Personal preference because we are all so different. You can't generalise things that are personal.

Originally Posted by Moonbeam

Ska, you never have to worry about your own dog attacking you. It just won't happen. It's just not possible for them to do that; they wouldn't be emotionally capable of it. (I know there are always exceptions and someone can probably find an example of a crazy pit bull attacking its abusive owner or something. And I did get bit by a dog that I rescued once, but she didn't think of me as her owner.)

I'm sure glad cats are small, because you never know about them. Mine turn on me fairly often (I got them all when they were mostly grown, they were probably mistreated as kittens.) They get pissed easy.

Well I can tell you Dogs are VERY emotionally capable to attack you. I was bitten once when a dog and it's owner passed me from the opposite direction on the street. Without warning that malicious creature was hanging on my arm with it's vicious jaws around my lower arm. It's owner shouted at it and kicked the animal away from me ( Way to go; that kicking probably made the dog so vicious in the first place ). I've heard of many dog owners that have been attacked by their dog and many dogowners say it is a common phase when the dog matures. It will try and overthrow you violently and if you get on top of him and master him he will be forever submissive. Sometimes a dog is a bit violent in character and will try it again. And again.

And what do you mean by "my cats turn on me"? As in they will scratch you if you approach them? Then I guess your cats aren't tame enough. A tame cat will be very social and not super easily scared like a wild cat. My cat always comes when I signal him. Sometimes he wakes me up and demands attention. When I'm sitting behind my PC he comes and sits on my lap, purrrrs and rubs his head along my hands. If I call his name he will come to me. When I wake up and he's with me he literally follows me every room I go. When we have dinner my cat always comes sit at the table. He never begs for food or anything. He just sits there and keeps me and my mom company at the dinner table. It is always half covered and he's learned never to walk on the tablecloth. Only very RARELY will I feed him some flesh so as to learn him it's not his dinnertime. He often comes sit next to me and stare statically at me for lengthy periods. His stare has got character. He is really good company because he's tame and adjusted to a life living amongst humans.
Wild cats can be unapproachable, although some wild stray cats will come if you signal/call for them to come.