Do you think that cats are actually people in fur coats?

[timetraveler]

I've had that question on my mind along time, especially since there have been times lately that my cats have shown behaviour that seems almost human at times. :)

[joveski]

yep... if cats could talk, we'll all be screwed

[DJ in MJ]

No.

Cats (and dogs and horses for that matter) are far, far above anything human.

I'd take my four-leggers over most humans any day.

[Borderstone]

If you've ever seen the movie,"Cats & Dogs",where a population of cats tries to take over society,you should be glad they can't talk and walk or think like people! :eek:

Funny movie but kinda disturbing!

[Cathy]

They definitely can sense when their owners are stressed out, as a dog can. I'm not sure how sensitive a cat's hearing is, but I've been told that most dogs can hear a human's heart beat. They can also sense changes in smells, which is the reason a lot of dogs don't like African Americans, Arabs, and some Orientals... A difference in diet and traditional foods, and I suppose just normal body odors, makes a lot of dogs a bit aggressive.
When I was in my early 20s, I worked at K-9 Command Dogs in Houston, doing obedience and protection training. We had an African American guy named Mike come in every day to clean cages and help out in the kennel. His biggest nemisis was a Chow we were boarding. One day Mike was putting the dog back in his run. He turned to walk out of the cage door, and the Chow reached up and kindly removed the back pocket of his jeans. I just heard a small roar, went in to investigate, and found Mike, standing there hollering and swearing at the dog, "Hey, you stupid b*tch! Those were new jeans. @#$%^*!"

[Jesse Joe]

Originally posted by David (djb):
No.

Cats (and dogs and horses for that matter) are far, far above anything human.

I'd take my four-leggers over most humans any day. I agree with this 100%...

[DJ in MJ]

Here's another cat story...

I had this 20-pounder cat back in my Toronto days, and I found out the hard way that the one thing that drove him into psychotic attack mode was the odour of those smelly body rubs (analgesics) that soothe aches and pains after hard exercise. He would literally stalk me, go into a crouch, and spring at me!

Otherwise, he was a loving, loyal, devoted companion, and the cat I've truly loved the most in my entire life.

[Cathy]

My brother's cat, Wiggy, hates women's bare feet. He doesn't bother men's bare feet at all, but will actually attack any grown female who dares to walk through the house with no shoes on.
Last year, while I was still in the hospital, my son and his girlfriend stayed overnight with Aaron. Nadia made the mistake of walking through the house bare footed, and Wiggy attacked her, puncturing holes in her feet and legs. I guess Aaron must have had his fill of Wiggy's strange behavior, because the next day, he took it to the vet and got a prescription of kitty Prozac. Now he has a cat that acts stoned 24 hours a day.

[Cathy]

Sounds like he was taken away from his mother at too young an age. People used to think 7 or 8 weeks was old enough. Now, breeders and vets are suggesting you leave them with their mothers until they are 12 weeks.

[Jesse Joe]

Timetraveler, as you seem to be an Animal Lover, especially 'Cats,' I thought this story would be of some interest to you.

I too am an animal lover, 'Dogs' especially. With the amount of love they give us, they too need all the love in the world.


http://www.canadaeast.com/storyImages/CEExport104848_48209.jpg


{Patches rules the roost}
Linda Hersey
Pet tales
As published on page B1 on November 9, 2006


http://www.canadaeast.com/tt/life/article.php?articleID=65230


Greg Agnew/Times & Transcript
Patches the cat is a lovable furball owned by Tanya Steeves.
Tanya Steeves has a big heart - and lots of animals to show for it!

"I used to work at a pet hospital, and what happens is you see all these dogs and cats coming in and they're in dire straits," explains Tanya.

"They need a home and I'm just soft. I brought them all home."

Tanya loves animals so much that she became a licenced groomer (Premier Pet Services), and she and her husband Derek share their McLaughlin Road (Dundas) home with two dogs, three cats and three rabbits. Lording it over them all however, is Patches the short-haired calico cat.

Patches reigns supreme over Lee, a female German shepherd; Jessie, a small mixed-breed dog; Babbles, a short-haired grey tabby cat; Fred, an orange tabby; Lucky, a grey velveteen/long white angora mix rabbit;, and Halo and Berrie - both Holland lops.

It's her strong personality that her house-mates have learned to bow to, but she's a pretty good old gal and those who love her are only too happy to accommodate her creature comforts.

"Oh definitely!" Tanya laughs. "She's quite the talker. She has her own little bed that my husband made for her that sits up on a table in our bedroom. All the dogs and the cats do a wide berth around her, but she's probably the most affectionate when it comes to people."

Ten-year-old Patches arrived on the scene while Bear, an Irish wolfhound mix, lived with the Steeves. At 14 Bear became ill, and the difficult decision was made to put her out of her misery from cancer. That was five years ago, and Tanya will never forget that Patches was there to help console her bereaved owners.

"She's a symbol of hope, survival," she says about her beloved cat. "It just goes to show me that no matter what the odds are, a person can come above and continue on."

Patches proved early on, too, that she could be entertaining, and one of her favourite activities as a kitten was to swing from the curtains. Not surprisingly ,she won't tolerate being ignored, and although he's much larger, she keeps Fred the orange tabby in line with a little feline discipline. She's normally pretty friendly, but everyone knows that if Patches isn't happy - nobody's happy.

"She's very vocal with the dogs when they walk by. Sometimes she'll rub up against them, but sometimes she'll just meow at them - and when she meows at them they walk around her. She picks on Babbles and Babbles is very soft. That's definitely a bad habit, because poor little Babbles is just meek and mild. You could do anything with her."

And Patches can do anything with her needles too, although she's usually pretty good about her claws. However, they are there to climb with .... "She likes to claw herself up the side of the bed, and she usually hooks into a leg or a toe or something," laughs Tanya. "I have all her scars, believe me."

[ November 09, 2006, 14:32: Message edited by: Jesse -Joe ]