Should Single Men Own Cat(s)?

[BEAVER]

This topic came up at the bar last night.

My take - Single guy owning a cat = Beta and should not happen.

There are some extenuating circumstances by which one might end up with a cat. Dead Wife, Girlfriend, Mom, Sister.

But if a single guy actually makes the effort to get a cat as a pet? Unacceptable.

I knew the final word could be found here on CP. This place is a bastion of what is right.

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by Bump

I like my cat. She was a stray and I didn't go out of my way to take her in, she kind of made the effort there by simply trying to be my friend and guess what, that's all it took. She's the nicest cat I've ever been around, doesn't turn crazy on you and touch her she purr's.

It may not be an alpha thing for a male to take care of an animal and form a bond with. It's probably more of a sigma male thing.

Real men love critters of all kinds, they're all respected even if we're eating them

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by DaFace

This is spot on. The travel thing is a huge one for me. We've got friends who never go anywhere because they'd have to deal with someone watching their dog. Cats are fine for a long weekend. They almost prefer it.

Mine don't prefer it at all. They don't like it when I leave the house at all. One in particular acts like I've been gone for months if I leave to run a 10 minute errand. Greets me at the door, follows me from room to room. Unless he's sleeping somewhere, he's generally in the same room, and as I type this he's sitting on the floor of my den about six feet away. When I go to bed later, he'll curl up next to me and fall asleep before I do.

The thing about cats is you have to respond when they seek attention. If you don't, eventually they quit trying and will turn into the assholes most people seem to think they are. It's also good to have at least two so they have something else to interact with when you're not home or busy doing human things. And it's really good to have a wife that feeds them and cleans the litterboxes, but they still like you better.

And of course there are just naturally shitty cats out there, just like there are naturally shitty dogs and people. But I've never owned one.

[ptlyon]

Originally Posted by seclark

What if they’re feral cats that haven’t had any shots?
sec

That's sec - always living on the edge

[backinblack]

the only downside I've really noticed to cat ownership is it shifted me from wearing so many black shirts, because they show cat fur too easily. But I see people out in public with dog hair all over their clothes too so.

Other than that I love my cat, and the cat my brother owns, and the one my parents have. Cats do take a little more effort to get to like you but once they do they will remember and like you forever. Only see my parents cat Zac like twice a month at most and each time I'm over there he comes running to greet me looking for pets.

[backinblack]

also the catbox is only a problem if you don't proactively clean it, mine is right next to my toilet and whenever I notice a turd in it I scoop it out and shake off the excess litter and flush it. Change the litter once a week on Thursday night so it goes out with the trash pickup on Friday morning, easy day.

It's no worse than having your dog shit out in your backyard, like I hope you pick up after it and not leave dog shit all over your yard(I know I know plenty of people do). Imagine being responsible and looking after this animal you willingly took in.

[SeattleChiefFan]

Cats are cool. Any male who says real men can’t own cats is trying to compensate for something. My hunch is that saying only beta men own cats is their beard, but I don’t judge.

[Fish]

Frazod is actually a multi-cat owner. The world just doesn't make any sense anymore....

[ptlyon]

Originally Posted by backinblack

also the catbox is only a problem if you don't proactively clean it, mine is right next to my toilet and whenever I notice a turd in it I scoop it out and shake off the excess litter and flush it.

"reunited and it feels so good..."

[T-post Tom]

[T-post Tom]

Originally Posted by ptlyon

"reunited and it feels so good..."

Take it easy Peaches.

[Stewie]

I live in a semi-rural area and there are feral cats around. They're cool and stealthy as hell. I can't count the number of times when I'm working in the yard and Vroom! a cat jumps out of the bushes and scares the crap out of me. No mice around here which is nice.

[Pablo]

I have a male lynx point siamese. Taken from my FIL's farm when he was tiny and raised by our dogs, harassed relentlessly by my son. He's the best cat I've ever had and I love him more than 2 of the 3 dogs. The dogs are scared of him because he's big, about 15 lbs. Doesn't take any shit from them. And him and my boy are best buds. They sleep together and he carries him around like a loaf of bread.

Oh, and if you own a pitbull you definitely know what semen tastes like.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Frazod

Mine don't prefer it at all. They don't like it when I leave the house at all. One in particular acts like I've been gone for months if I leave to run a 10 minute errand. Greets me at the door, follows me from room to room. Unless he's sleeping somewhere, he's generally in the same room, and as I type this he's sitting on the floor of my den about six feet away. When I go to bed later, he'll curl up next to me and fall asleep before I do.

The thing about cats is you have to respond when they seek attention. If you don't, eventually they quit trying and will turn into the assholes most people seem to think they are. It's also good to have at least two so they have something else to interact with when you're not home or busy doing human things. And it's really good to have a wife that feeds them and cleans the litterboxes, but they still like you better.

And of course there are just naturally shitty cats out there, just like there are naturally shitty dogs and people. But I've never owned one.

I think a lot of people just don't like that cats require effort, and it's not just "to get you to like them" but "to get them to be a good pet." Don't get me wrong - dogs are great. You just have to work very little to get them to love you very much. Cats aren't like that. If you pretty much just ignore them, they'll ignore you. If you have a home full of noisy kids, your cat is probably going to spend its time hiding. If you don't find time to play with them (or at least give them attractive toys), they're probably going to scratch on stuff out of boredom.

But if you actually enjoy getting to know your cat and solving the puzzle of what makes them tick (which I certainly do), it's super fulfilling to take a shy, skittish cat who has been in a home fitting some of the descriptions above and slowly, steadily help them to understand that you actually care about them and want them around. It took a month to get our newest cat just to come out of the basement, and now she basically follows us around the house. She's a lot of fun now.

I don't at all blame people who don't want a cat as a pet. What I've never understood is people who seem to blame OTHERS for enjoying cats as pets.

(Of course, that goes much more broadly than cats for me. I couldn't care less about what people enjoy in their own lives - you do you. What I do get irritated about are people who get their rocks off by belittling what other people enjoy.)

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Pablo

I have a male lynx point siamese. Taken from my FIL's farm when he was tiny and raised by our dogs, harassed relentlessly by my son. He's the best cat I've ever had and I love him more than 2 of the 3 dogs. The dogs are scared of him because he's big, about 15 lbs. Doesn't take any shit from them. And him and my boy are best buds. They sleep together and he carries him around like a loaf of bread.

Oh, and if you own a pitbull you definitely know what semen tastes like.

My seal-point siamese passed away two years ago. She was the best cat I've ever had or met.

[Sassy Squatch]

If you want the weird experience of a cat/dog hybrid, get a Maine Coone.