A week or so ago Carly asked the rest of us Plotmonkeys (me, Julie & Leslie) the difference between dogs :dog1: and cats 
. See, she’s writing a new “Lucky” book and decided to give the heroine a cat, but Carly has never owned a cat before — just dogs. Thus, she wanted to know all about a cat’s personality, their quirks, their likes and dislikes. Leslie confessed that the two cats that she’s ever had were most likely spawned by satan, and she so was NOT a cat person. :giggle: Julie offered up advice on the one cat she had, and me, being surrounded by cats most all my life, (and dogs, too) had the most wisdom to impart. 
Off the top of my head, this is how I summed up a cat’s personality/attitude, and general overall outlook on life. Now keep in mind as you read this that I know there are exceptions to every rule, and that there are many cats out there that don’t fit the typical cat mold. But for the most part, this is what I’ve learned about the cats we’ve owned over the years since I was a young girl.
Most cats are NOT people pets like dogs are. They go to people on their terms – when they want food, attention, or want to play. You can’t force a cat to do anything they don’t want to, and they don’t always come when you call them – unless THEY want something.
They can be more affectionate to some people than others – depending on the HUMAN’S personality. As you can see by this picture of our cat, Portia, cats have a ton of attitude and aren’t afraid to show it in their expressions. They also like to act as though they are royalty and humans are THEIR subjects.
Habits: They sleep. A lot. And when they’re not sleeping they are eating. They are very curious creatures. They explore everything and seem to like dark places – like cubby holes, beneath the bed, behind couches, in the closet, etc. But, they also LOVE the sun. They love to lay in a sunny spot by a window and warm themselves. They also love high places. Both of my cats jump onto high ledges and on top of furniture. They will hang out anywhere THEY please, and it isn’t always where the humans are. Like I said, they like those dark places – but they will curl up on a bed or couch, too.
They love the outdoors and they are hunters first and foremost outside. A lot of times they will bring home all kinds of critters, like birds, mice, snakes, etc., and deposit them on your doorstep. This is their gift to you – seriously. :doh:
They do love to be petted and show their happiness/pleasure by purring. Loudly. They love to be scratched along their spine, behind their ears, and beneath their chins – big time purring will happen when scratching those places. When they do want attention, they will rub up against you – usually your leg. When our other cat, Zoey (see picture to right), wants attention, she will jump into our lap and knead your thighs with her paws. She will butt your hand with her head. She will give you little love bites on your arm until you pet her. She even lays across my keyboard when I’m on the computer to get attention – though a lot of times I will put my hand up in her face before she reaches the keyboard and tell her “NO!”, and she will back off (so yes, I suppose they can be trained to some extent, 
).
She will chase anything that moves – a cat toy, a string, a spider, etc. They eat cat kibble or wet cat food. They love raw fish, tuna, and cream (though cream/milk products can/will give them the runs!). If they are hungry and there isn’t any food out, then will bug you until you feed them. Meowing, following you, etc. If you’re sleeping, they will literally walk all over your sleeping body until you get up and feed them (Zoey does this, so we always make sure she has kibble in her bowl to eat at night, 
).
So, after giving all that information to Carly for her story, she asked, “What’s to love about them”? and I replied with, “Well, they do have their sweet moments. Occasionally. And on their terms.”. I don’t think that answer was enough to sway Carly into ever adopting a cat! 
But despite every wierd quirk or haughty attitude that our cats have had, I’ve loved them dearly. It’s those moments when they are yours unconditionally that make you feel so loved.
And now, just for fun and in spirit of today’s “Cat theme”, here is a list of the Top 10 Differences Between Cats & Dogs. If you’ve ever owned a cat, you’ll agree that some of these are just too true!
10. Dogs come when you call them. Cats take a message and get back to you.
9. Dogs will let you give them a bath without taking out a contract on your life.
8. Dogs will bark to wake you up if the house is on fire. Cats will quietly sneak out the back door.
7. Dogs will bring you your slippers or the evening newspaper. Cats might bring you a dead mouse.
6. Dogs will play Frisbee with you all afternoon. Cats will take a three-hour nap.
5. Dogs will sit on the car seat next to you. Cats have to have their own private box or they will not go at all.
4. Dogs will greet you and lick your face when you come home from work. Cats will be mad that you went to work at all.
3. Dogs will sit, lie down, and heel on command. Cats will smirk and walk away.
2. Dogs will tilt their heads and listen whenever you talk. Cats will yawn and close their eyes.
1. Dogs will give you unconditional love forever. Cats will make you pay for every mistake you’ve ever made since the day you were born.
So, today’s question is this — if you’ve ever owned a cat, what were their unique personality traits? What made you fall in love with your cat, and what were his/her most loveable habits and/or idosyncrasies? Carly would love to hear your stories, too, and maybe she’ll even incorporate them into her new book!
Janelle Denison finds it hard to believe that it’s been nearly 25 years since she first started writing romance novels. At first, it was a way to pass idle time while her husband worked swing shift, but before long it became an obsession to get published. Luckily, she kept at it (it took her over 5 years to get that first book published!) and is now a Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, and USA Today Bestselling author! Now, after selling over 45 plus novels, she finds that her Plotmonkey pals help to keep her stories fresh and unique, and she can’t imagine writing a story without their input. Janelle lives in Oregon with her husband, Don, along with two teenage daughters that keep life interesting.
Destiny
Dirty Little Secrets
Once Upon A Valentine
Through The Night
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Pick a cat, any cat. We have been known to have a herd of them at one point.
Right now we are owned by 3 of them. Hang on let me count. Yup, 3.
One hides from people. There are literally kids in this family who have never seen Rascal. She hates the doxies but loves our lab. Go figure.
Tex16, actually belongs to our youngest son, but prefers living here. So he does. He uses puppy pads instead of a litterbox. He is the only one who goes outside and he comes when you whistle for him. Sometimes. He takes crap from no one.
Spike (blond and blue eyed) thinks he is a dog. He likes to lay in my underware drawer,but then I have furry panties. So I leave my sock drawer open. If I close it, he knocks everything off my dresser top.
All 3 are Siamese. They really can tell you about catitude.
Then there were Flame and Shadow the twins. They did everything together and in harmony. Which drove people nuts sometimes. They looked like their names- orange striped or dark brown and gray striped. And Midnight. And Angel. And…..
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Thanks, Janelle! So as a novice, if a cat ended up on my doorstep, and I (mistakenly) gave them milk, and they get the runs … what do I then give them to DRINK? (my heroine asks, LOL!)
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Back from my trip and I missed you guys! I’ll have to check out the last week’s posts and catch up.
I love dogs and cats, but my family has always had dogs with the exception of one kitten, so I’m more partial to them. I just think dogs are just more fun. Plus, I prefer spending time with a pet who loves you unconditionally. Usually cats love you on their own terms, and it’s not the same. A cat may or may not want to be petted and cuddled. Not all cats want lots of affection. I think cats are great for people who are gone a lot, who don’t want a noisy, boisterous, energetic pet (though they can get into trouble too) but who love animals.
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Yes, but dogs are like having a perpetual two-year old – they demand constant attention. Cats will usually humor themselves. And most cats don’t jump all over you like dogs do (and me with balance issues due to M.S., this can be dicey). Besides, there’s nothing quite like the sound of a contented cat purring.
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I had a cat who used to play peek-a-boo. The apartment I lived in at the time had a long corridor with a door at each end of the right wall. On the other side was the dinning room and living room–all one open space. I’d look around the wall towards the living room and say “Peek-a-boo!” Sammy would look at me from the dinning room side of the wall. Then I’d look around the wall towards the corridor and say “Peek-a-boo!” And Sammy would take a few steps and appear on the corridor at his end of the wall. We’d do this about a half dozen times and then I’d squat down and hide behind the sofa, which was against the wall. I’d stay down for a little, and Sammy would eventually come looking for me. One time I slowly poked my head around the wall to see where he was (remember, I’m squatting down) and came nose to nose with Sammy…literally! I scared him (he took off in a flash) and he scared me (I lost my balance and fell on my butt).
Another time, Sammy was in the kitchen porch and I had closed the glass door. I had company for dinner and we were all sitting at the kitchen table. Suddenly we hear this loud “splat!” And we see Sammy flattened against the glass door, sliding down, just like in the cartoons. We were on the other side of the door and it was the funniest thing to see him sliding down, legs spread and belly flattened against the glass.
Sammy liked jumping in the bathtub and out of the bathtub…in and out…in and out… (empty, of course). One morning I hear this deranged meow. I went looking and found him leaving the bathroom, drenched, doing that weird little shake cats do when they’re wet. He hadn’t been expecting a tub full of water.
He also liked drinking out of the toilette, even though he had perfectly good water in his bowl. And he was always sure to leave little paw prints on the seat as evidence.
I now live in a house with a screened in porch (typical of Florida) and I have a cat named Tiger. For a while Tiger was into climbing the screen. Not a good thing, since he was making holes in it. But one day I watched him get almost to the top and then…Splat! He was unexpectedly flattened on the floor…on all four paws, of course!
I also have a little white doggie (Maltese). I was sitting on the sofa once and saw the two chase each other, going round and round the sofa (and me) so fast that you can’t even tell who’s chasing who, just like in the cartoons…I could only see a flash of white and a flash of grey. That doesn’t happen often since they’re both pretty lazy pets. I through a treat at Tiger one time (he was stretched out on the floor) and he just looked at where it landed and gave an expression that said, “I’ll get later.” But if I’m eating yogurt, there’s Tiger, sitting right up to me, nose to nose. I don’t feed it to him, but my husband lets him lick the empty container.
Tiger also likes to sleep on our bed. He knows I let him get away with it, but my husband won’t. As soon as he hears my husband get home from work, it’s like a flash of grey lightening coming from the bed!
Those are all my interesting cat stories.
Debbie
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I forot one other funny insident with Tiger. My husband found him outside with a mouse and called me over to see. Here’s my grey cat “playing” with the mouse. The mouse is on it’s hind legs, with it’s front “arms” lifted and his paws together, quealing. It literally looked like he was praying! “Please don’t eat me! Please don’t eat me!” His prayers must have been heard, because Tiger got bored and left him. My husband couldn’t believe the cat didn’t kill the mouse. Not wanting mice in our yard, he grabbed a broom and did the dirty deed himself. Then he went into the garage to get something to grab the dead mouse with. In the meantime, Tiger came back to his “toy.” He tapped at the lifeless mouse with his paw and the expression on his cat face literally said, “What happened to my toy?”
Debbie
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growing up I had many cats, Burt, Ernie, blue, and my last one who I adored ebony. I was in the 5th grade when my mom and I went to the grocery store where someone was handing out free kittens my mom said I had to ask my dad so when we went home I asked he gave in and I walked up to the store my mom said if I got a black cat I had to get an all black and that is what I did which is why he was named ebony. As he grew he grew and grew he looked like a small panther. he loved sneaking up on things and pouncing he would do it to the dogs he would play with them as if he was a dog. he would lay and sleep with the dogs or sometimes he would lay on my chest and just purrrr.As a teenager when I came home at night he would be waiting in the driveway. I eventually moved away from home and he lived with my parents until he passed away. I have since developed allergies to cats so we have dogs now.
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I had cats growing up (now, we don’t have any animals, not until our human dependents are older). Our cats were pretty independent and were good mousers. They did love to be snuggled (one of my brothers used to sleep with our cats) at night.
You might email Vicki Lewis Thompson…she loves her cats.
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I am allergic to cats, so every cat wants to sit in my lap. My friends have 2 cats, and they won’t go near any other person, but if I’m in the house Blackie and Whiskers want to sit on my feet or in my lap. I did have a cat when I was growing up. She was the best cat ever. She lived outside and ruled our dog and the neighborhood.
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The one thing I love about cats is the expression and attitude when they do something stupid, like Debbie’s story of Sammy going *splat* against the glass door. I’ll bet dollars to donuts that he sat up, got Attitude(tm) and said, “I meant to do that!”
At the moment, I have a tabby named Adidas (three stripes – the kiddo named her) who completely “pnwns” the Newfoundland puppy (all 80 pounds of him) and our “Standard Papillon” (Tucker weighs about 45 pounds and knee-high but he looks and acts just like a Papi). Boone brings his tug toys to play with Adidas. He stands over her, drooling as Newfies do, and shakes the toy to entice her. She gets all regal, stares up at him unblinking and you just know she’s thinking, “Dude! I’m a cat. We don’t do tug.”
They also play “Queen of the Bed.” :dominatrix: She gets on the bed. He tries to climb on (realize that he has to put his head DOWN to rest his chin on the bed). She “patrols” the edge of the bed going into attack mode whenever he tries. He barks and whines. She lays her ears back and *bwaps*. He goes to a different part of the bed. She follows. They play until she decides it’s nap time.
I had a one-eyed cat once, named Moses. I lived out in the country and he would bring me “treats”, laying them on my chest as I slept. :yikes: The morning I woke up to a dead mole, I nailed the cat door shut.
I’m a dog person. But it seems like I’ve always had a cat show up and move in, despite the dogs already in residence. When ‘didas isn’t snuggled in next to me, purring, at night, I don’t sleep as well. I will add my DH’s 2 cents – “Living with a cat is like living with a perpetual sixteen year old princess diva. It’s ALL about the d*mn cat.” [Note that I often walk in and find 'didas in his lap, purring contentedly as he strokes her.
]
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I own a cat. Abby is my first cat, I wanted a companion, however living in an apartment working 10 hour shifts wouldn’t be fair for my favorite dog (German Shepherd’s)… I broke up with my boyfriend (he was a dirt bag) in December 2002 and so I went to Petsmart and looked for a cat. I replaced my ex-boyfriend with a cat.
I wanted to get a cat that would get a long with my parents cat, Monkee. Monkee was mine till I moved out of the house. My mom wouldn’t let me take Monkee. I guess she grew attached to him when I was in the police academy. At Petsmart, I found this pretty orange tabby and he was the sweetest but his chart showed he didn’t get along with other cats. Then there was Abby putting her paw out of the cage trying to shake my hand. Like trying to say please to meet you. So I played with Abby a bit and saw she likes to play with toys. She was tiny cat. I read her story on the chart. Her story was similar to mine (I was young mother who gave my son up for adoption to family who couldn’t have kids)… A young momma who was pregnant and her kittens and “john” got adopted before her. I said I would take her. When I got to the cash register with her, the employees were snickering saying thank you for adopting the escape convict. I said what do you mean. They said she knows how to unlock cages. As we were talking guess who was trying to escape the box… Yep I was like oh great. I got to admit she has personality. She has been with me all this time, we have moved to different places. She likes to go for car rides, she loves the water, she will jump into the shower with you. Abby loves to play with my hair scrunchies. I was so shocked to see multiple hair scrunchies in her food bowl. She is an intelligent. I taught her sit, stay, and come. She knows the word “no”… Certain stuff Abby does is cute. She is my laughter during the day. I got injured at work, and she was my companion while i tried to rest up and re-cooperate. Now don’t get me wrong, Abby can be a pain… She gives love nips and does have a cat-titude. Overall I wouldn’t trade her. She is very unusual cat, she likes vanilla cookies, vanilla pizzelles, and plain potato chips. She likes the milk that is left in your cereal bowl after you eat all the cereal. Though I don’t give her it because that would make me dig for disgusting treasures in her plant box (litter box that is disguised as a plant). Abby chatters when she sees a bird at the window. My mom said it was unusual to hear a cat do that. Abby loves to growl when someone knocks on the door. It’s like she was a dog in a former lifetime. Abby also loves to chase her tail. She hisses at herself when she catches her tail. 
It’s too funny. I know each cat is different, and I can attest to that… Abby is weird and crazy, I look forward to whatever behavior she is in to make me laugh. By the way, Abby does walk on her harness and lead. Had to get that because she escapes her carrier now. 
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:heart1: :heart1: :heart1: :heart1:
We currently have 4 cats- each with a very different purrrrsonality!! Kodo (named after the Kodo Drummers of Japan for his amazing purr!) is a male Tonkinese and is the most loveable, affectionate cat of the bunch. If he had his way, he would be carried around on our shoulders all day. He likes nothing better than to snuggle up with any warm body who has the time to love him up!!
Lucy is our “princess”, a rescued street cat who definitely has some Himalayan in her. She’s diabetic and gets her blood tested and insulin shots twice a day. She accepts her lot quietly and calmly, often jumping up on the dryer (where she gets her shots) at the appointed time, with no encouragement from us. She does have princess attitude though – heaven forbid if her food dish is empty!!!!!!
Bogart is our third cat. He is a big boy and the shiest of the bunch. He can often be found hiding under the bed, behind the couch, or in the curtains. He won’t go outside on his leash, unless it is dark!!!
Chloe is our newest addition. She came to us when her first “mom” had to go to palliative care with a terminal brain tumour. Her favourite pastime is to play fetch with soft wolly ball. When she is carrying it she makes a funnny muted nmewing sound, and then, when she drops it at your feet – you’d better be sure the treats are quick to come becasue otherwise she’ll take the ball offering to someone else and try again!!
I cannot imagine life without cats!!!
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Ev – Sounds like your cats have personality plus. I love it!
Carly — you would give them WATER. A little milk is okay, but if it’s all the time, then it messes with their digestive system. :giggle:
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From my experience there is no difference between dogs and cats the day you have to put medicine in their ears. I’m glad the dog knows when to let go at least, the cat got pissed. :cursing:
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My black cat Zoom Zoom is 16 years old… she always zoomed around the house… she has slowed down abit, but still moves when she wants too. Zoomy is a very wicked cat, she wants things when she wants them and will trip you to get you to get them. She only wants attention when she wants it… loves to be brushed, cat toys annoy her, gives you evil looks… her favorite pastime is to pick on my mother’s minpin… she loves to swat his behind as he walks by! She announces herself when she comes into my room with this big siren yell… she is old & wicked but I love her!!! :pumpkin:
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Before I moved to Colorado I had a cat so this was a long time ago. I got her at the pound. She was so sweet and despite all I’d heard about cats not liking humans like dogs do, she was definitely a people cat. And the day I brought her home I gave her a bath and she purred as she sat in the warm water. When I went to bed at night she did not like for me to close the bedroom door. If I did she made a racket jumping on furniture, knocking stuff off and meowing until I opened the door. Then she promptly came in and jumped up onto the bed beside me. She also brought me “gifts”. One day she ran in from the back yard with a mouse in her mouth, ran to the bedroom and jumped up on the bed and starting meowing loudly with this dead mouse at her feet and on my bed! She also used to lie in the driveway very still while Blue Jays sqawked and swooped down at her head. At the precisely perfect moment she would grab one and bring me her prize. I would get another cat in a minute if my husband was not allergic to cats.
Hope this helps,
Cher
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I’m loving everyone’s cat stories! This is why people love cats, because they CAN be so adorable!
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Debbie – our cat is named Peek-a-boo because she plays the game so well. She’s a calico and we got her from the pound. She was so tiny when we got her that she could hide under the entertainment center, crawl under doors, all low places. And the only thing we’d see were her eyes peering out at us. :giggle:
I saw a sign the other day that I loved. It pretty much sums it up, I think: “Years ago cats were worshipped as gods. And cats have never forgotten it.”
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I have three cats that are more companions than pets. I moved a few months ago, and it took a bit of time for them to adjust. They don’t go outside, but my bathroom window overlooks the back yard, and they love to sit there and watch the birds and squirrels. The easiest way for them to reach the window is to jump on the toilet, then leap to the window. Since I don’t want my water-loving Tess hanging out in the toilet, I (almost!)always keep the lid down. I was walking by the bathroom door just in time to see Oliver leap onto (which turned out to be into) the toilet. I had apparently forgot to put the toilet lid down and poor Ollie landed in, rather than on, the toilet. He streaked out of the bathroom and hid himself to dry off and restore his dignity.
Tess loves to sleep in places not normally associated with cats. One morning I found her perched on top of a cd/radio that I had on top of the refrigerator. How comfortable can that be? I usually go home for lunch and one day I was making a sandwich when I noticed the microwave door was wide open. I turned to push the door shut and Tess was curled up, sleeping in the microwave. I must not have latched it the last time I used it. How her kitty mind equated microwave with a spot to nap, I do not know. I did snap pictures before I shooed her out of there. That night, when I got home from work and went in the kitchen, my eyes immediately went to the microwave. The door was latched, so no cat-in-microwave. However, I glanced up and saw a tail hanging out of the cupboard! The apartment that I lived in at the time had older cupboards, and it was impossible to actually latch the doors. I opened the door (after I retrieved the camera, of course) and Tess was sitting on my plates and bowls. Again, more pictures before I removed her. That was not quite as amusing as the microwave, since I had to wash my dishes. I have the microwave picture on a corkboard next to my desk. Many people have noticed my Tess-in-the-microwave picture. A couple people wondered why I let her sleep in the microwave. With cats, there is no why, they do what the want. Period.
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I am loving this topic since I love nothing better than talking about my babies. I had a 4 yr. old Manx whose name was Matt-Matt and he was so pretty and sweet but was also very shy. I was the only one he would come to and if he did come out to see somebody, that person should feel special since this rarely happened. One of his quirks was that he would not put his head in the food bowl and eat out of it. Instead, he would use his paw like a fork and scrape the food up the side of the bowl, drop it on the floor and then eat it. One of my other cats loved to drop food all outside of the container and Matt-Matt did not approve. He would come behind and eat every bit off the floor. I always thought he did this because Matt-Matt had almost starved to death when I found him and he knew not to waste food. Unfortunately, he died when he was 4 of kidney failure.
One other cat I want to mention is a cat that was wild when I caught him and I had to tame him. Since I was the main person who messed with him, he would not let anybody else do anything to him. He would refuse to take hairball medicine from Momma but would lick it off my finger without any problem. He was also the biggest grouch and had the grouchiest meow and should have been named Oscar. He loved to sit in my lap while I was on the computer and most mornings I would wake up with my arms wrapped around him since he loved sleeping as close to me as possible. If he saw me reading a book, he would butt my book out of the way and get right in my face. When he was 6, I found a huge knot on his leg and it turned out to be cancer and the only way to save him was to remove his leg so that’s what we did. About 6 yrs. after that, I found out he was a diabetic and so I learned how to give insulin shots. He lived to be 14 and has only been gone a little over a year and I still miss him a lot.
One thing that all my cats love to do is get in my way when I am trying to do any kind of work. If I am trying to write, they are pawing at my pen or pencil as it moves and when I was in school, they loved to bite on the eraser of my pencil and get it good and wet which made it really hard to erase anything.
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The one cat we had when I was younger had what is called Rubber Puppy/Kitty Disorder. She had no connective tissue between her skin and everything underneath, like muscles, nerves, and bones. So, her skin would tear like paper whenever she scratched it. And, anytime she got stitches or ended up with a hematoma (bruise under the skin) her fur would eventually fall off of that spot, leaving her bald all over the place. Because she was bald, she would get cold easily, so she loved to snuggle. I remember her actually crawling under the covers and curling up right next to my chest while I was in bed. Falling asleep to her purrs was one of the best things. Unfortunately, the problems caused by her disease meant we had to put her down just after she turned three because she was in extreme pain.
We haven’t had any pets since then because we found out I was allergic to cats and my parents and I are not really dog people, though I don’t mind my brothers’ dogs when I go visit.
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Carly, I found a web site about this new breed of cat for people who are allergic. These cats are supposedly hypoallergenic. VERY expensive however. Here’s the link if you want to take a look.
http://www.allerca.com/html/hypoallergenic.html
Cher
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Everything you said is all true to my experiance with cats, however my current cat Slyvester well he is unique and unlike any other cat I have ever known. Slyvester does not purr, you can feel his throat vibrate but no sound comes out. He does not meow unless he is trying to get into my bedroom. He only kneads with one paw because he uses his other paw for balance. It is quit funny to watch. Slyvester also follows me around the house like a dog would and comes when I call him. The funniest thing he ever did was once when I was dating a guy he jumped up on the bed where he was lying and pee’ed on him. I guess he didn’t like the fact that another male was getting my attention.
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I am not a cat person, neither is my husband. Yet we shared our home with an orange
tabby for almost ten years. Two of our oldest children were in the UH marching band
at the same time. A stray cat who lived around the band hall had a litter of kittens in a
box of pompoms in the storage room. They asked if they could bring a kitten home.
Honey said no way! They came in late after practice one night, carrying a hat box, It
was placed on Honey’s chest as he snoozed on the sofa. He woke up when the box
bagan to move. You guessed right, those rascals had adopted a kitten. They named him
Gerald after one of their goofy friends. (Their word, not mine!) They decided on the name
when Gerald began trying to nurse on his mother’s paw, not the appropriate place! This
Gerald the cat stayed on with us as the children all moved out into their own places. When
it became apparent that Gerald was quite ill and we would have to consider ending his life,
we called the children. They all gathered here and spent the afternoon with their old cat.
The next day, we took him to have his suffering ended. Sometime later one of those
rascals asked if we wanted to get another kitten. Both Honey and I said “NO WAY!”
Pat Cochran
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Carly give them water to drink
We have 3 cats all male
Si is my daughters cat and he is the master mind anything evil that can be done he thinks it up. My husband who isn’t really cat person this is who Si is nice to, smart cat.
Storm is a all gray cat with green eyes the reason that my son and I picked him out from all of the other cats at the pound was he was knocking him self stupid hitting his head on the cage just so we could pet him. He’ll jump up and rub his face on your hands this is how bad he wants to be petted. He is very friendly and he isn’t real bright but he is very nice. He is also our fluffiest cat (hum fatest cat) Peanut is the baby, he is brown with white circle on his fur (the vet called these markrels) he likes to play he likes to sleep on you he likes to be petted by family but if he doesn’t know you, you won’t see him. I’ve had cats all my life. I like their independence
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I have 5 cats. They all do as they please. Lay on the back of the couch, on the bed, gather in a herd at feeding time, stand at the door and wait to be let out instead of using the cat door, etc.
What makes me love cats is the time, when they want to, the get in your lap and let you know they appreciate you by kneading and purring.
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Our animals let us sleep in the bed, mainly because we keep them from falling off at night. The two doxies and Spike all sleep with us. They wrestle. They finally end with the cat on top of one of us and the dogs in between. Now that it is cold and the electric blanket is on the bed, they sleep under it.
Spike is a few bright colors short of a full box of Crayolas. He knows that our sons dog will go after him if he is here, so we keep the dog (an Australian Cattle Dog) gated when he is here, in the living room with us. Mr. brilliant will jump the gate and look at the dog. duh. Guess what happens next?
We ended up with Spike on a fluke. Heather and I had gone to PetSmart for pet food and they were having an pet adoption clinic. I told her no before we even went in. As we were walking by the cages, Spike reached out and batted at her. He hadn’t done that with anyone else we saw walk by. It was fated.
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Great subject! I have owned both dogs & cats, mostly dogs. My oldest daughter liked cats (kitties) so we acquired a cat when she was old enough. So much of what you said is oh so true about cats. Right now I am dog/cat/house sitting & the two cats are very different, one male, one female. The dog & the female cat had a stand off one day that was very funny!! Neither one won, as I intervened to end it!!
:dog1: When the cats indicate they want to come in when I open the door they give me this look–hard to explain! I have to shut the door, then they make a move to come in so I have to open the door again! What can I say! 
:scratch3:
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I had 2 cats the first one I brought home from school from my science teacher when I was in middle school and her name was Puffy my parnets were not thrilled, but they warmed up and loved her to pieces and I had her for a long time I can’t remember how many years and now she is in kitty heaven because she was sick and my parents had her put to sleep and they were devasted.
I also had a boy cat and I named him “MET” yes after the New York Mets and I lived in FLorida at the time and he drove home with me and my girlfriend all the way from FL to CT in my backkseat I couldn’t leave him behind. He was a good kitty and when I moved out I left him behind with my parents and when I would come home to visit he would run to me and meow and I would pet him and if I stopped he would rub my hand becausehe wanted me to keep rubbing him and when I had to leave if he was outisde he would follow me and meow because he knew his momma and I was leaving I think he lived to be 13 yrs old and he is in kitty heaven with Puffy once again my parents had to put a kitty to sleep because he was sick.
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Speaking of cats. My husband e-mailed me this joke and I couldn’t resist sending it.
Cher
We were dressed and ready to go out for the New Years Eve
Party. We turned on a night light, turned the answering machine on,
covered our pet parakeet and put the cat in the backyard. We phoned the
local cab company and requested a taxi.
The taxi arrived and we opened the front door to leave the house.
The cat we put out in the backyard, scoots back into the front door.
We didn’t want the cat shut in the house because she always tries to eat the bird.
My wife goes out to the taxi, while I went inside to get the cat.
The cat runs upstairs, with me in hot pursuit. Waiting in the cab,
my wife doesn’t want the driver to know that the house will be
empty for the night. So, she explains to the taxi driver that I will be out
soon, ‘He’s just going upstairs to say Goodbye to my mother.’
A few minutes later, I get into the cab. ‘Sorry I took
so long,’ I said, as we drove away. ‘That stupid bitch was hiding
under the bed. I had to poke her with a coat hanger to get her to come out!
She tried to take off, so I grabbed her by the neck. Then, I had to wrap
her in a blanket to keep her from scratching me. But it worked! I
hauled her fat ass downstairs and threw her out into the back yard!
The cab driver hit a parked car
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Cher, your joke was hilarious! Cats are the best pets in the world. I currently have 3. Princess is a scaredy cat around strangers, quiet, and very loving on her terms. Buddy-a boy-is my loving cat. His favorite place to sleep is on the pillow next to my head with his paw touching me somewhere near. If I am sitting, he wants to lay on my shoulder. (by the way, he weighs over 20 lbs.) He is my favorite and is sensitive to my moods. Indy is our youngest girl and is the meanest. She tortures poor Princess, chasing and fighting her constantly. But Indy is the best spider and bug catcher. There is no place in the house that she has not jumped up on trying to get those varmints!
We used to have Olivia, and she played fetch. It was hilarious. We would throw her toys behind the couch and she vaulted over it at high speeds after them. Indy is strange in that she has a box fetish. She loves to tear chunks of cardboard boxes with her mouth and spit them in the floor. Our cats bring us lots of laughter and joy!
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Our cat is named Tiger, he is an orange and white Tabby. When we first got him from the shelter he was recovering from a broken leg due to abuse. He was a litte leary of men for awhile. Tiger would jump up on the bed in the morning, get my glasses in his mouth, then tap me with his paw until I got up. He also likes to bat a small object back to you if you toss it to him. Tiger will be 11 this year and suffers from arthritis in the leg that was broken, but I don’t know what our life would be without him, he is an integral part of our family, and I look forward to seeing his furry face at the door whenever I return home.
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I just stumbled across this posting and I’m going to comment even though it’s rather late in the game. Anyway, I have two cats, Dusty (a big black male) and Ace (a smallish white female). Ace is about eight months old and we found her abandoned on the highway during the summer. She was malnourished and bedraggled and the pads on her paws had gotten badly burned from walking on the hot pavement. However, she made a full recovery and is now one of the softest, sweetest, prettiest cats ever. She’s quite the climber and my husband and I are always having to pull her off the screen door or the window screens. She’s super curious and she is alway exploring and examining anything new in the house. She also loves water. Loves it. She follows people into the bathroom and if you turn the fawcet on she stick her paw under the water and bats at it. She sits on my shoulder when I do the dishes so she can watch the water splashing around and if I take a bath, she sits on the side of the tub and uses her paw to splash water at me.
Dusty is super sweet and he loves people, but he is also very skittish. If you make any sudden moves he’ll go tearing out of the room only to come back and rub up against you two minutes later. He is very friendly and if he wants to meet you, he’ll jump up onto a table or barstool (what ever is close to you) and then stand up on his hind legs so he’s on eye level with you. The he makes a funny half purr/half meow noise to get your attention so you’ll pet him. He is also one of the longest cats I have ever seen. We have a double bed in our guest room and he likes to stretch out along the foot of the bed. From nose to tail he can stretch across the whole width of the bed. He and Ace get along really well, and when they sleep (which is like 80% of the time they almost always sleep together. The other day I walked into the living room and they were spooning on the couch. Dusty was all streched out like he usually is and Ace was stretched out behind him with her front paw thrown across his shoulder. She was purring contentedly and he was snoring – also contentedly. Also, both cats love the dryer and whenever we throw clothes in there, we have to double check that both cats are out of the dryer before we start it.
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