Cats versus dogs

[Astronuc]

My cat likes to sit on my chest and head-butt - a sign of acceptance and mutual affection. He occasionally grooms me.

Both cats like to be caressed - or stroked and gently rubbed.

The dog likes that too.

 

[Evo]

I love this

As seen in a dog's diary:

7 am - Oh boy! A walk! My favorite!

8 am- Oh boy! Dog food! My favorite!

9 am- Oh boy! The kids! My favorite!

Noon- Oh boy! The yard! My favorite!

2 pm- Oh boy! A car ride! My favorite!

3 pm- Oh boy! The kids! My favorite!

4 pm- Oh boy! Playing ball! My favorite!

6 pm- Oh boy! Welcome home Mom! My favorite!

7 pm- Oh boy! Welcome home Dad! My favorite!

8 pm- Oh boy! Dog food! My favorite!

9 pm- Oh boy! Tummy rubs on the couch! My favorite!

11 pm- Oh boy! Sleeping in my people's bed! My favorite!


As seen in a cat's diary:


Day 183 of my captivity...

My captors continued to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.
They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The
only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild
satisfaction I get from clawing the furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another
house plant. Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their
feet While they were walking almost succeeded - must try this at the top of
the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I
once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair - must try this
on their bed.

Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body in an attempt To
make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear in their
hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I
was. - Hmmm, not working according to plan.

There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in
solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell
the food. More important, I overheard that my confinement was due to my
powers of inducing "allergies."- Must learn what this is and how to use it
to my advantage.

I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches. The dog
is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously
a half-wit. The bird, on the other hand, has got to be an informant and
speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to
his current placement in the metal room, his safety is assured.

But I can wait - it is only a matter of time.

 

[Dr Transport]

I voted dogs, but I would not give up any of my cats. My puppy chow is my bestest buddy.

 

[zoobyshoe]

To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if cats were incapable of feeling love. I mean, they are solitary animals and don't really depend on eachother. They don't have a pack mentality like dogs or humans. So I'm not sure if love would really be all that beneficial for a cat.

Cats aren't solitary animals at all. They're born in litters and, left like that, an extended society would develop. People break the litters up and tend to adopt out single cats. Those single cats become lonely and neurotic and have a hard time bonding with humans or other cats after that. Single cats get left alone in the house every day. They go nuts.

Left to their own devices, cats actually congregate in large groups and lie around and scope each other out, much like people at coffee shops.

http://messybeast.com/soc_cat.htm

Cats rub against their companions to mingle their scents and reinforce the bond. Biologists studying farmyard colonies noticed that lower ranking cats often rubbed against higher ranking cats. Rubbing also has a hierarchical function and a cat's social standing can be measured by the number of times other cats rub against it. When our cats wind round our ankles it is more than an affectionate greeting; they are letting us know that we rank higher than them. Maybe it's time to worry when Puss DOESN't rub round our ankles.

As well as the "rubbing hierarchy", later studies showed that some cats consistently choose to rest in close proximity to certain other individuals, but not close to certain others. Cat social structure was observed to be matriarchal, a little like a lion pride. Related females were more likely to socialise with each other than are unrelated females. Neutering has removed some of the distinction between male and female, with neutered males being happy to rest together. In a household, two unrelated cats who have lived together since kittenhood can be viewed as "related". Cats favour members of their own family - either their natural family (in a wild situation) or their adopted family (in a household).

 

[lisab]

Left to their own devices, cats actually congregate in large groups and lie around and scope each other out, much like people at coffee shops.

Holy moly that made me :rofl:! So true!

"Let's all get together in the same room; let's drink or eat or just sit, but not talk to each other. I just want to eat near others of my species but with no verbal interaction." I've often observed this weird behavior in humans and thought it odd, but I've not thought of feline behavior that way -- it certainly fits!

By the way, here's an adorable gif of a puppy learning to trust his human:

No hesitation the second try .

 

[AlephZero]

As seen in a dog's diary:
...

I'm not convince dogs make good pets, for exactly that reason. These don't need to be played with to keep them happy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2Pl8M53q0k

 

[Matterwave]

Cats are like emotionally healthy people: they have well-defined personal boundaries, and don't let just anyone in at first sight. You have to earn their trust and love. Once you do, they're often sweet, cuddly little house lions :!!).

But this is a generality - there is significant variability in the personalities of cats.

I don't need my pet to be like another person, who I have to worry about personal boundaries...I don't want to earn the trust of a pet! My pet should just love me.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I don't want to earn the trust of a pet! My pet should just love me.

I wouldn't trust any pet that accepted me unconditionally. A pet like that would like Charles Manson as much as me.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Holy moly that made me :rofl:! So true!

"Let's all get together in the same room; let's drink or eat or just sit, but not talk to each other. I just want to eat near others of my species but with no verbal interaction." I've often observed this weird behavior in humans and thought it odd, but I've not thought of feline behavior that way -- it certainly fits!

After this past shark week I think sharks may be the same. It turn out the allegedly solitary great white is actually often found in the company of other great whites. These aren't exactly schools, but groups of 4-10 that seem to hang out in the same locale, within sight of each other.

 

[WWGD]

I like dogs. With relish and mustard; if there is too much of it, I just cut the mustard.

Still, I don't know why, but thought this would be about pictures of dogs and cats fighting each other; a strange topic.

 

[WannabeNewton]

Dogs $\gg$ cats, no question about it. A dog is a best friend. A cat is just a liability.

 

[wukunlin]

Dogs. Cats remind me of those managers when I worked at fast food stores.

 

[StatGuy2000]

In my experience, since I never owned cats or dogs, whenever I visit someone who owns cats, the cats are always hiding somewhere. Whereas if I visit someone who owns dogs, the dogs come out and want you to pet them.

In my experience, this really depends on the specific personalities/temperaments of the cat or dog. Some cats are very timid and would instinctively hide whenever they see or encounter a stranger, while other cats love people and would come out and rub against anyone new.

It's similar with dogs. I've encountered dogs who are quite timid and would cower away at the back when someone new comes by, or starts barking and becoming defensive when someone new comes over, while other dogs are like those you encounter and would come out and want you to pet them.

 

[StatGuy2000]

Interesting that PF seems to have more dog-lovers than cat-lovers.

 

[jim hardy]

I too thought of cats as cold aloof and self centered until i watched a documentary on Elsa the lioness in 'Born Free'. That cat showed affection for the Adamsons, bringing her cubs around to visit the 'grandparents' .
She even came "home" to die.

A cat is less nuisance but for outdoor adventures a dog is a better playmate .

 

[WWGD]

Interesting that PF seems to have more dog-lovers than cat-lovers.

Which is strange, since I assumed there are more liberals than conservatives in PF, and liberals prefer cats over dogs, and conservatives the other way around (at least in the US; not sure in the rest of the world):

http://www.cuil.pt/r.php?cx=0028257...s+and+conservatives,+pet+preference&sa=Search

 

[zoobyshoe]

Which is strange, since I assumed there are more liberals than conservatives in PF...

Nope. Your engineering types favor the Republican type economy, which is more likely to spend big bucks on high tech.

 

[jim hardy]

Nope. Your engineering types favor the Republican type economy, which is more likely to spend big bucks on high tech.

Or we're inveterate "Do-It-Yourself"-ers.

courtesy http://galleryone.com/fineart/christensen/CHRLO1.html and James Christensen

 

[Borek]

Also also also a cat recently did this to me. Cats suck

Sissy :tongue:

 

[zoobyshoe]

Sissy :tongue:

Yeah. When this one cat had a litter of kittens here I got 20 new marks like that on each limb every day. They thought I was a tree and used to have races to the top.

 

[drizzle]

cats (period)

I'd just look in Moustache's eye, and we'd start running and playing around. I love him.


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img844/8831/rps7.jpg [Broken]
^
Moustache.

 

[lisab]

Aawwww, Moustache's moustache looks like a rotated radiation symbol:

:!!)

 

[drizzle]

Haha

 

[*now*]

Very cute fur patterns.

 

[mfb]

Interesting that PF seems to have more dog-lovers than cat-lovers.

16:18 and 18 "both" votes. Doesn't look like a significant difference.

Cats.

Outdoor cats don't seem to be loyal to an owner.

If they would do that, they would rarely come back at all as the world is huge.


My parents have a cat that really enjoys being outside - in summer, she used to appear once per day, eat, maybe stay a while, an leave again, some days she did not come at all - but she clearly knows where she belongs to: in winter, she sleeps at home nearly every night.
She is quite old now and at home much more often, even in summer.