Even though cats are probably one of the most popular pets in the typical household, there are many people that still hold misconceptions about these wonderful animals. There is no doubt that some people who dislike cats (based on false information) would probably enjoy having them as pets if they would just open up their minds.
Most of these misconceptions that people have about cats stem from constantly comparing them to dogs and let’s face it, that’s probably not the best way to look at it. Not everybody loves the way dogs act yet may appreciate the independent character of the cat. It’s the same as a cat lover who might not be attracted to an animal that constantly needs love and attention like a dog does.
Let us dispel a few of these common misconceptions about cats. Below are two that you may be familiar with:
“Cats have no personality and are very cold towards people”
It is no secret that cats are very independent animals and are not the most affectionate of pets. This is probably the most common reason why some people may assume that a cat would not make a great pet for them. Yes, cats certainly do choose their moments when it comes to affection and may not always be willing to be overly friendly, but they are in fact very loving animals.
And when cats do try to nestle up to your leg or try to get a pat on the back, cat critics again claim that they are just in it for the food or a treat. But this is not true. Cats love and appreciate the warmth and affection from their owners, just not as much as dogs do. Cats love to hang out on your lap, lay around your table areas, or smuggle in most places next to you when they are ready to rest.
“Cats take care of themselves and do not need human contact”
This is another misconception that is not entirely true. Sure there may be more wild cats walking around the neighborhood than dogs, but that doesn’t mean that a house cat that has been raised as your pet will want to escape from your home and wonder all into the streets.
Of course it is true that cats are very easy to maintain and pretty much to take care of themselves. However, a healthy cat who has been raised with lots of love will always show affection and want to be in contact with its owners. But that is what many people appreciate about cats ? that they are extremely low maintenance compared to other pets.
April 18th, 2007 at 10:54 am
I have two cats and a cockatiel. I had one cat before, but I had to put him to sleep after he started wasting away, because of some kidney disease that caused his body to stop producing red blood cells he only reached 7 years old just a couple of months before. He was just a 3 month old when I him and was just a mix yet Persian showed real strong in him. He was extremely affectionate. For 3 months he slept in bed with me every night. When I had my quinea pig out he had to curl up with her on my chest and slept together there. The developed a close bond; many times I found my Rusty sleeping up against Squeeky’s cage, both so close to each other, their bodies were touching through the wires.
When I had to take Squeeky to vet to be put down at 5 1/2 years old, I had to find a friend for Rusty. That’s when Squirt came to be with me from a local shelter. She was also three month old at the time when adopted her. Squirt and Rusty had some fights when I first brought Squirt home, but they became inseperable.
Rusty always showed me more affection than Squirt./
One day I had a bad allergic to a cough medication my doctor prescribed to me. I kept throwing up all nigt and couldn’t sleep. Rusty slept beside me on my bed the whole night, while Squirt slept next to the bed on the floor. Something Rusty did, that Squirt didn’t do was he always came to meet me at the door whenever I came home.
In 2002, when I had to put my Rusty away, I knew I had to get a cat friend for Squirt. Piper the, cockatiel wouldn’t be the best friend I figured, so right away the next day, I adopted Chris from a couple who were chainsaw artists. He was 3 months old also when got him. Chris is 4 now and Squirt is 10. They also had some fights when Chris first came home too, but became friends. Chris is a seal point half siamese-half manx cat. Chris is always there to meet me at the door just like Rusty did. Chris doesn’t wag his tail; it’s only about 1 inch long. He has short hair like a siamese, the blues eyes that are sometimes round like the manx or the classic shape of the siamese. Chris has the lithe slim body of the siamese, but the huge hind muscular the manx. This makes Chris a great jumper and runner. When he runs, Chris runs just like a rabbit. His manx half likes water, but his siamese half doesn’t.
You see how he reacts to puddle if I have him outside. His mind is fighting itself the manx says to run through it, but the siamese doesn’t know what to do. Chris is always rubbing on my legs always sleeping on my
chest when I am in my lift chair recling and watching TV. Squirt sometimes does too. Chris is more playful, being 6 years younger, he’s also quite a mischief maker too, and he’s been on every single shelf in my apartment except one. He always likes to knock things off for no apparent purpose. By having 2 toms and 1 cat, I can tell the males are much more affectionate than the females. I also noticed another thing about their teeth too, no matter what breed the cat is, males have longer upper canine teeth than the female. They are so long that they do protude from the mouths even when they’re closed. Females don’t have this feature.
April 18th, 2007 at 11:37 am
very informative website!!!
April 18th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
I disagree with the cats not greeting you at the door when you come home, I have three cats and they greet me everyday when I come home from work, with wagging tails, and lots of rubbing against my legs.
May 4th, 2007 at 10:43 am
I was a tried and true “dog person”. I would tell people and rally believed I would ever “own” a cat. They were too aloof and independant for me.
Then I adopted a little two week bundle of fur, which had been abandoned by his mother. Maybe abandoned is not the right word, since she still comes around a couple times a week to check in on him.
My views on cats completly changed.
He is very needy and follows me around like a puppy. He talks to let me know what he wants and needs. Another misconception. I thought cats did not have a use to communicate with humans. Wrong.
And when I come home, he comes running from wherever he is and greet me at the door.
Another misconception. You never see cats during the day, while they are up all night wandering around. When I got this little monster, I had him on a day awake and night sleeping routine. Now after two and a half years, he is still on this time table! So I get to spend a lot of time with him during the day and while I sleep, I know he is sleeping soundly on the bed with me.
My view on cats has completely changed. Now, I can’t see myself without a cat!
I really enjoyed your site and all the helpful info here!
Great work!
Naomi Joy (proud owner of a siamese x monster)
monster is used with affection, as in “my pet monster”, the old popular toy from the 80s.
May 6th, 2007 at 1:23 am
I must agree I have two cats and they greet me at the door everyday. Rubbing my legs and talking…they follow me until I give them a few pets and have a little talk and then they go about their merry way. My ex has given my daughter a new kitten to bring home with her tomorrow. Im not sure how our other two cats will feel about her. Wendy is 9 and samantha is 3. Does anyone have and ideas how I can help the transition go easier when I bring Jade the new kitten home? I have never lived without a cat in my life. We also have a rabbit that is 4 years old. I am a true animal lover.
May 13th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
My three cats come running up to me when I come home. They wait by the door and my husband says that they meow if i’m not home on time. We go out walking every night and they stay with me wihtout leashes as we go walking up and down the golf course where I live. Two of the cats love to run like dogs do and when we walk back to the house, they run as fast as they can in big circles and chase each other back to the house. One of the cats plays fetch for HOURS on end in the house. It’s hard to get any work done because when one cat gets out of my lap, the next one will plop down. They come around several times a day for brushing. We take them tent camping and they spend two weeks a year at a lakeside resort where they spend the days watching for chipmunks.