Are you a cat or dog person?

[kittykat 10]

Cats!! theyre lovely creatures. If i was going to be another animal id be a cat and already have some cat like features such as thinking im queen and only being friendly to people when i want something. Ive got 2 cats - one is very similar to my avator - i cant remember whether it actually IS her or whether i downloaded it cos it looked so similar. My dog is very loud and will bark at anyone who walks past the house, whether it be 3am or not. Although he gives more affection than my cats he comes across as dumber and hes more troublesome. I have to disagree with t020 though - my dog only smells if hes rolled in something. Hes groomed regularly and hes washed in a special shampoo and my house definitely doesnt smell! If anything, the cats are messier, with all their fur everywhere and when they throw up and its just grass.

[Lickszz 10]

I don't mind either but I think I lean slightly on the dog side.

[Sidla 10]

Dogs. I love dogs. We've got a 9 year old mongrel who we got from the RSPCA.

[*Twinkle* 10]

Dogs.

 

I don't know why but I just can't seem to bond with cats at all.

 

I see dogs as having a purpose, which is to protect the home. But cats, well I just can't work them out!

[max 13]

You're writing about cats and dogs and you've an exam today? Are you that confident?

 

Good luck.

[*Twinkle* 10]

You're writing about cats and dogs and you've an exam today? Are you that confident?

 

Yes, I am. I have been revising for months now, and have stuck to my revision plan which has gone over every single part of my syllabus for every exam twice so yes, I am feeling confident.

 

Posting things on here are helping to ease my mind too.

[cosywolf 10]

It used to be cats, but now it's dogs.

I am sick to death of cleaning up after my neighbours' cats, $^%^& creatures. I do not let my dog into other people's gardens and allow her to crap where she pleases and dig up their gardens (no, I'm sorry, but your cats do NOT bury it - at least not in your victimised neighbours gardens ). And she doesn't bring home wildlife. She is a loving (if dotty) friend, and I'd be devastated to lose her.

If it must be something besides a dog, give me rats any day - friendly, intelligent, full of character - and they don't crap in/dig up/ strip of wildlife other people's gardens either

btw - my cat-owning neighbours recently cat-proofed their flower patch. I thought that was exceedingly cheeky - forcing their own pets to leave their smelly gifts in someone elses garden.

 

CATS and WILDLIFE: Please bring cats into the house after dark, as this cuts down the harm they do to wildlife dramatically, and is far more useful than belling them. If all cat owners were responsible enough to do this, we would be losing far fewer of our native small mammals.

[t020 11]

Originally posted by "cosywolf"

 

 

 

CATS and WILDLIFE: Please bring cats into the house after dark, as this cuts down the harm they do to wildlife dramatically, and is far more useful than belling them. If all cat owners were responsible enough to do this, we would be losing far fewer of our native small mammals.

 

No. Cats are free animals and I will not be holding mine prisoner each night. It is a fact of nature that cats catch birds and mice. If we had not domesticated them they would catch even more as they would be much hungrier without their feeds of Whiskas. We shouldn't interfere so much in nature, cats always have and always will kill birds.

[Chris 10]

Originally posted by "t020"

 

 

CATS and WILDLIFE: Please bring cats into the house after dark, as this cuts down the harm they do to wildlife dramatically, and is far more useful than belling them. If all cat owners were responsible enough to do this, we would be losing far fewer of our native small mammals.

 

No. Cats are free animals and I will not be holding mine prisoner each night. It is a fact of nature that cats catch birds and mice. If we had not domesticated them they would catch even more as they would be much hungrier without their feeds of Whiskas. We shouldn't interfere so much in nature, cats always have and always will kill birds.

 

All animals are 'free' but we choose to control some and not others. Cats have the unfair advantage that they receive the benefits of our care (free food, safe environment) but are still allowed to roam free. Wild cats quite rightly rule their life by the law of the jungle and yes, we shouldn't dictate whether they kill birds or not, but if we're to give cats the advantages of being a pet they should be controlled by the same rules we lay down for other pets.

[Phanerothyme 12]

Originally posted by "t020"

 

 

CATS and WILDLIFE: Please bring cats into the house after dark, as this cuts down the harm they do to wildlife dramatically, and is far more useful than belling them. If all cat owners were responsible enough to do this, we would be losing far fewer of our native small mammals.

 

No. Cats are free animals and I will not be holding mine prisoner each night. It is a fact of nature that cats catch birds and mice. If we had not domesticated them they would catch even more as they would be much hungrier without their feeds of Whiskas. We shouldn't interfere so much in nature, cats always have and always will kill birds.

 

Urban Cats aren't really a problem, since most of their prey is actually small rodents and th odd pigeon,

 

but in rural areas domestic cats have wreaked a terrible toll on the population of small voles, shrews etc that has prompted many a campaign to have them shot.

 

A BBC wildlife experiment asked rural cat 'owners' to keep a diary of what their cats brought in - and it was shocking (if you're a small furry mammal that is) a single cat could easily bring twenty or thrity voles/shrews/harvestmice/rare mammal of choice a week.

 

Cats were probably domesticated to keep grain stores free of rodents about five thousand (or more) years ago. If we had not domesticated them there would be as many cats as there are wildcats in england now, i.e almost none. (a few left in Scotland I believe).

 

A bell on the collar helps, but to go to the lengths of many american cat owners and having the animals de-clawed (toes removed at first joint) strikes me as even worse animal cruelty than that which cats inflict on small mammals and birds.

[t020 11]

Cats would've killed rare animals whether we domesticated them or not, more so if we hadn't as that would be their only food. People that dislike cats tend to be people that look at it from a human selfish point of view of liking to look at rare 'beautiful' animals such as rare birds, but could not give a toss if a cat killed a pigeon because they don't enjoy spotting them. A pigeon is as valid as any other living bird, and birds are down the food chain from cats. Nature is that way, so I'm sorry if it ruins some peoples selfish bird spotting hobbies, but thats the way it is. Also, my cat has a bell and it has stopped him a bit, but he still catches quite a few, and I certainly wouldn't start cutting off parts of his paws to stop him.

[cosywolf 10]

Originally posted by "t020"

 

Cats would've killed rare animals whether we domesticated them or not, more so if we hadn't as that would be their only food. People that dislike cats tend to be people that look at it from a human selfish point of view of liking to look at rare 'beautiful' animals such as rare birds, but could not give a toss if a cat killed a pigeon because they don't enjoy spotting them. A pigeon is as valid as any other living bird, and birds are down the food chain from cats. Nature is that way, so I'm sorry if it ruins some peoples selfish bird spotting hobbies, but thats the way it is. Also, my cat has a bell and it has stopped him a bit, but he still catches quite a few, and I certainly wouldn't start cutting off parts of his paws to stop him.

 

Theywouldn't kill more because there would be far less of them if we hadn't domesticated them. Having domesticated them, I do feel that we have a responsibility to exert control over their behaviour. They are neither wild nor free, bless them, they are a human construct. Just like dogs.

Dog owners have responsibilities towards their dogs and the public, and I really really believe cat owners do as well.

Cats do have a negative impact on urban wildlife. I'm not talking about rare birds only - you'd be amazed how many small (and quite large) wild mammals we share our urban lives with. Cats are not wild. There are millions of them. It does not hurt them to keep them inside at least from your bedtime until dawn. It does however have a negative impact on biodiversity if you leave them out.

Taking cats claws out is a cruel habit - how are they supposed to protect themselves? Filthy idea.