This is hellcat’s guest post on the Trupanion blog.
Cat owners and non-cat owners alike can tell you that cats often get a bad rap. Cats’ independent natures are often mistaken for dislike of people; their sense of territoriality mistaken for meanness; the fact that they don’t behave as though they “need” humans to get by mistaken for an inability to, or lack of desire for, love. The fact that cats sleep many hours gives the impression that they are boring. Perhaps worst of all, some think cats are only cute as kittens, which results in many cats getting dumped off at shelters when they reach adulthood.
The rise of cats on the internet is starting to change that.
Perhaps one of the most famous examples is the Japanese kitty Maru. Maru is an adult cat owned by YouTube user mugumogu. Maru’s infamous box videos have won numerous YouTube awards, been featured in numerous Japanese ads, and have even been featured in a U.S. Fresh Step litter commercial. Maru’s sense of curiosity and love of springing into cardboard boxes of any shape or size provides endless endearing moments. Mugumogu even manages a little blog where she features adorable photos of Maru and her “conversations” with him. The camera captures all of Maru’s personality to share with the world.
And Maru’s not alone—though his videos and photos have brought him fame, part of that fame comes from recognition of the same behaviors in cats all around the world.
Our own cats over at modcatlove.com often provide endless entertainment. Clementine climbs up on top of her tiny scratching post as a perch, and Pickles will squeeze into any opening. Kudzu loves rolling around in the bathtub and often chirps at birds, Juniper likes to carry around her toys and drop them off as presents, Palpatine cries and jumps up walls when he’s bored, and Persephone enjoys attacking shadows on the wall.
The phenomenon called “lolcats” also allowed cat owners everywhere to put their crazy kitties on display, with often hilarious captions in an imagined cat’s voice—misspelled in the garbled form of English cats would likely try to form if they could. Perhaps the most famous of these (and arguably the very first one ever made) is a photo of a Russian Blue dubbed “Happy Cat” for his contagiously happy expression, entreating the viewer for a cheeseburger.
And cats love attention—my cats will do almost anything for it. Clementine, being so small, will jump up on people’s shoulders and rub on the backs of their heads. Pickles only climbs trees (and eventually needs rescuing) to show off when she has an audience.
As all of these kitty internet denizens have shown us, cats of all ages can be charming, hilarious, loving companions. Adopt a cat today, and who knows… he or she could be the next Maru!
I think the reason a lot of people don’t like cats is because they’re less interactive than, say, dogs. A dog is like a toy; you can play fetch with it, you can walk/run it, you can teach it tricks, you can wrestle with it. A cat, not so much. (Okay, sometimes you can wrestle with a cat, but eventually he will bite you. A dog, on the other hand, will just go dead weight.)
A cat is more like a screensaver. It does its own thing, and sometimes you can interact with it, and sometimes it does something entertaining, but your options are usually limited. The upside is that they’re much lower maintenance than a dog.
I say this as a lifelong cat lover and lifelong dog liker – sometimes people just want something out of a pet that a cat usually won’t provide. And often, these people will say “I don’t like cats” when really they mean “if I’m going to take the burden of a pet, it’s not going to be a cat.” No big.
while i wasn’t necessarily trying to say that all people who dislike cats dislike them for the reasons i outlined, i do feel that they often get a bad rap when i’m talking to those who prefer dogs. i’ve spoken with many dog-lovers who think cats are just plain mean and boring.
and i’ve had many cats who like to fetch (and yes, they bring it back and will do so for hours if you let them), and pickles’ favorite game is hide-and-seek (she loves to seek me!). and while i couldn’t take pickles out for a jog, she also just loves to chase me. as for teaching cats tricks, cats can quite easily learn that certain behaviors bring rewards, the moscow cat theatre is a good example of this.
i’ve never found my options limited with cat interaction, my cats throughout my lifetime have been limitless sources of love, fun, hilarity, and cuddling. but what we should bear in mind, as well, is that certain personality types are going to be drawn to different types of interaction. as a more independent person, i’m obviously going to be drawn to an animal that is also more independent. :)
To be fair, I’ve also had cats who would fetch and dogs who wouldn’t. But I think as a rule, dogs are more physical and obliging.
That said, for me the good cat things do outweigh the good dog things. (Though, I will admit that there is something very satisfying about getting on the floor with a 60lbs dog and playfully pushing it around.)
ANYHOO, I don’t mean to distract from your main point. Cats are awesome – do adopt one or three! Woo! Go cats! ;-)
The only real advantage dogs have over cats for me is being able to take them pretty much anywhere with you. I would love it if I could go walking/running with my cats, or take them on vacation with me. Otherwise, though, my cats are just as interactive and entertaining as any dog could be. Personally, I find some dogs’ dependency to be annoying. I don’t like having something in my face ALL the time.