Cats- Precious Pets or Vicious Vermin?

[ExigeEvan]

Okay here's the story...

When I was younger we had three cats. They were excellent. They would put up with so much crap without getting angry it was amazing. Plus they'd always come up for a stroke aswell and be affectionate. I also found them hugely entertaining, usually with something that they'd caught, mice, voles etc. I loved the cats we had but one by one they died and we didn't have any plans for replacing them.

Now several years on from when the last one died we're without pets but have made our garden abit bird friendly. We have a bird table that is usually well stocked and we put up a bird box. Eventually this bird box become inhabited by a pair of blue tits and my mum and sis would watch them as they flew back and for with moss (and even fluff off an old wool blanket on the washing line). Eventually them came to have chicks and we watched more intently as them flew back and for with food for them.

But then one day while playing PS2 with a mate I glanced up at the birdbox and saw a cat with it's paw in the bird box (The roof wasn't properly secured ). I rushed out and scared the cat away, chick in mouth. We thought that was the end for our blue tits but als no. There must have been chicks remaining. Sadly when I came home from school the next day the roo was squint on the box, the cat had come back before we had a chance to secure it.

The story continues

The other day I noticed a robin making regular journies back and forth to the old shed we have up the back so I went up the back and could hear the chicks when the parent returned to the nest.

But now today there's a dead chick (it looks like a robin) on the patio out the back and I haven't seen the parent robin going to the table. I can only suspect the cats are back again, thought it could have been a grey squirrel but I doubt it would carry it so far.



So for those that didn't want to read all that.

What are you opinions on cats, are they great affectionate pets, or killers of all things innocent?

I really don't know myself.

 

[daan]

The cat is just doing what cats do. Cats are natural predators.

What are you opinions on cats, are they great affectionate pets, or killers of all things innocent?

Killers of all things innocent is a bit strong. You could argue that you put up a bird box in the wrong place, where it was easily accessable for cats to get at the chicks. They can be affectionate pets, but they are also predators. If you take the predator out of a cat, then you don't have a cat.

I also found them hugely entertaining, usually with something that they'd caught, mice, voles etc. I loved the cats we had...

You loved cats when they were killing mice, voles etc, but hate them when they kill young chicks? You can't have it both ways.

EDIT: I didn't vote.

 

[ExigeEvan]

The cat is just doing what cats do. Cats are natural predators.


Killers of all things innocent is a bit strong. You could argue that you put up a bird box in the wrong place, where it was easily accessable for cats to get at the chicks. They can be affectionate pets, but they are also predators. If you take the predator out of a cat, then you don't have a cat.

Just trying to spice it up abit. I find the opinion forum can be abit boring sometimes.

The box really wasn't easy for the cat to get to I assure you. Though I will concede that the roof should have been secured better. There's now an old leather belt from oxfam (Bargain at 59p) doing the job.

You loved cats when they were killing mice, voles etc, but hate them when they kill young chicks? You can't have it both ways.

Hence why I said....
"I really don't know myself."

 

[Swift]

I don't like cats because they are useless and I'm allergic to them.

 

[TheCracker]

Cats aren't vermin - but they are parasites. At least dogs actually seem to want to spend time with you - cats have ulterior motives.

 

[Flerbizky]

Cats aren't vermin - but they are parasites. At least dogs actually seem to want to spend time with you - cats have ulterior motives.

Parasites ?..

That you have to explain, in laymans terms please... You can call them a lot of things, but Parasites ?...

At least dogs actually seem to want to spend time with you

And even more so after a good swift kick... Dogs are pathetic...

 

[TheCracker]

Dogs are man's best friend - Therefore, if your best friend isn't a dog you can't possibly be a man

 

[Danoff]

Cats are somewhere in between the two extremes here, so I went with undecided.

 

[TwinTurboJay]

inhabited by a pair of blue tits and my mum and sis would watch them as .

Ewwwww, only Captain James T Kirk would find those attractive.

 

[SRV2LOW4ME]

I didn't vote either. One of my favorite pets was a cat, although a house cat, but she'd still chase string or anything else that moved. Its just instinct for them to do it, and makes a cat what it is, and is part of its usefulness. If our barn cats didn't take care of the mice in the barn, then they'd be considered vermin, but they're natural born instinct makes them an effective method of pest control.

 

[Speedy Samurai]

You feed a dog, clean its mess, give it a place to sleep, and play with it and it thinks, "Hey, this guy must be God."

You feed a cat, clean its mess, give it a place to sleep, and play with it and it thinks, "Hey, I must be God."






p.s. I love cats, but usually only my very own housetrained ones.

 

[Dave A]

Cat's are instintive killers, but at the same time they are very affectionate to their owners when treated properly. Unlike dog's, cat's can look after themselves very well on their own. They arn't vermin, but they are cold killers, but I'll have to vote for pleasing pets because we have two and that's what they are to us.

 

[TheCracker]

Ewwwww, only Captain James T Kirk would find those attractive.

I was going to say something similar, but i thought it would be childish and lower the tone of the thread

 

[El Gigante]

I love cats, i think they're great. They can look after themselves and don't whine as much if you leave them at home on their own, whereas dogs hate to be alone. Cats can pretty much look after themselves too, in terms of cleaning.

 

[TheCracker]

I love cats, i think they're great. They can look after themselves and don't whine as much if you leave them at home on their own, whereas dos hate to be alone. Cats can pretty much look after themselves too, in terms of cleaning.

Perhaps that's why MS moved onto Windows?

Lock a cat up in a house with no way of getting out and see if it survives any longer than a dog.

 

[Dave A]

If it's not got acess to food then ofcourse it will die, but if you leave the cat out and the dog out and go on holliday for two weeks the dog will, probably be dead in your yard but the cat will have gone off to find food for itself.

 

[TheCracker]

Dogs are great scavengers, if they don't get killed chasing cars first, they'd probably do fine.

 

[Flerbizky]

Dogs are man's best friend - Therefore, if your best friend isn't a dog you can't possibly be a man

I still don't get how that makes them parasites ?... Just because you can teach a dog not to beg doesn't mean you can make a cat stop asking...

 

[Flerbizky]

Cat's are instintive killers, but at the same time they are very affectionate to their owners when treated properly. Unlike dog's, cat's can look after themselves very well on their own. They arn't vermin, but they are cold killers, but I'll have to vote for pleasing pets because we have two and that's what they are to us.

👍

 

[Zrow]

Dogs > Cats

Dogs are friendly and loyal, cats are not. There are a few cats that I like, but it's kind of just because they act like dogs.

 

[Flerbizky]

Dogs > Cats

Dogs are friendly and loyal, cats are not. There are a few cats that I like, but it's kind of just because they act like dogs.

Cats > Dogs...

Dogs are only looking to please - Kick it and it'll come back for more wagging it's tail and licking your boot... Nobody owns a cat - If it lives with you, it's because you were the better provider.. At least cats are honest...

 

[FoolKiller]

Cat's are instintive killers, but at the same time they are very affectionate to their owners when treated properly. Unlike dog's, cat's can look after themselves very well on their own. They arn't vermin, but they are cold killers, but I'll have to vote for pleasing pets because we have two and that's what they are to us.

To understand the differenece between cats and dogs you only have to look at their ancestral roots.

Domestic cats tend to act aloof, only come when they decide it is on their terms and can be vicious hunters.

Wild cats are loners (lions being the only exception) and wander around on their own hunting for prey. They are cautious around other cats and tend to defend territory.

Domestic dogs tend to be friendly and almost starved for human attention. They show a loyalty to their one owner and are easily trained.

Wild dogs tend to run in packs and hunt together. They obey a hierarchical type social structure and stay loyal to their pack.


It is obvious why cats act the way they do as it is in their nature as is teh way dogs act.

I prefer cats mainly because we had a dog that attacked me when I was three-years old and only overcame my fear of them about five years ago. I still have the scar that runs from teh top left of my forehead down to my right eye. I now like dogs but have always grown up with cats. I also find that the kidn of dog that can cuddle in your lap tends to be the annoying kind and if I got a dog I would want it to be too big for my wife to carry around in her purse (like Paris Hilton).

My cat can stay quiet and curl up in my lap while I watch a movie or play video games, although he prefers to paw at the road lines in GT4. Rumble strips drive him crazy.

He still has his killer instinct though. He manged to wipe out an entire mouse nest in my mom's basement in less time than it took me to get ready for work. He would bring me a dead mouse and I would throw it out. About five minutes later he came back with another. The first four were babies that couldn't even open their eyes yet and then I saw him dash by the bathroom door after an adult. I was pretty sure it was the mother as mice don't tend to let the fathers stay around.

My mom was angry that she had ten mousetraps spread all over the house and the only one that ever got set was when my cat sniffed at it, not knowing what it was. It was funny watching him run across the floor with the trap hanging off his whiskers. He did in 30 minutes what ten mousetraps hadn't managed in months.

 

[TheCracker]

Cats want to grow up to be dogs

 

[Dave A]

No they don't, since when did a cat ask you to take it on a walk or start barking at the postman in the early hours of the morning? I suppose if you had a kitten and a puppy both together, one of the two might grow up emulating the other in various ways but that can go either way. They are notably different animals.

 

[FoolKiller]

Cats are like the evil genius always plotting and finding a way to benefit himself while dogs are like the dumb brute the evil genius uses for his muscle. He'll do whatever others want just so that he can be accepted even though he could easily kill them all.


I had a cat once that took on a dog that was about five times his size and won. Of course, this is the same cat that stalked and tried to attack a herd of deer in the backyard.

 

[Dave A]

When I was living with the parents we had a snow white persian cat, she scared a Great Dane off more than once that lived at a neighbors on the others side of the street. But the same cat was terrified of the vaccum .

 

[Flerbizky]

When I was living with the parents we had a snow white persian cat, she scared a Great Dane off more than once that lived at a neighbors on the others side of the street. But the same cat was terrified of the vaccum .

I never got the vacuum thingy.. We have a coffee grinder that I don't like the sound off - not unlike pebbles thrown into one of those tree cutter thingys.. Yet - They'll sit next to it, while it's running. Whereas, turn on the vacuumer, in the other end of the room and you can see nothing but behinds escaping to whereever...

 

[TheCracker]

No they don't, since when did a car ask you to take it on a walk or start barking at the postman in the early hours of the morning? I suppose if you had a kitten and a puppy both together, one of the two might grow up emulating the other in various ways but that can go either way. They are notably different animals.

My car never asks me for a walk, i'll occasionaly take it for a drive though. it will beep its horn at the postman (my next door neighbour)

When was the last time a domestic cat ever attacked a burglar - they'd rather fill your house with dead vermin.

What is it with cats and dogs with vaccums? - i only have to run the vac towards our lab making a vague vaccumesque noise and she runs off!

 

[Dave A]

.

 

[FoolKiller]

I never got the vacuum thingy.. We have a coffee grinder that I don't like the sound off - not unlike pebbles thrown into one of those tree cutter thingys.. Yet - They'll sit next to it, while it's running. Whereas, turn on the vacuumer, in the other end of the room and you can see nothing but behinds escaping to whereever...

Does your coffee grinder move around the house like some noisy mechanical beast trying to eat their tails? After a couple of bean grindings they become aware that it is a harmless, yet noisy, object that just sits there. The vacuum moves around and from only six inches off the floor probably looks quite scary with the big cycloptic headlight and spinning brush gobbling up everything in its path.