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Why are cats awesome?
Cats make fantastic pets for the following reasons:
1) They are cuter than fuck. This is not up for debate. If you punch 'cute' into youtube the plurality of videos are cat videos, proving that cats are the cutest thing known to man. http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cute&aq=f
2) They are naturally clean and tidy animals. Unlike most pets cats clean themselves and take care of their own 'business' as neatly as they are able to. Some cats even learn how to use human toilets without training. You can find proof of this on youtube. One of my own cats is also teaching himself to use the toilet.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cat using toilet&aq=f
3) Cats are playful and companionable. Some people think cats are aloof and unfriendly. This is almost always bullshit and the result of mistakes on the owner's part. If you know how to raise a cat you will have a lifelong companion that loves you just as much as any other pet. My cats greet my wife and I at our door every time we come home, spontaneously jump into our laps for some good old cuddling when we sit or lie down, rub our legs with their head affectionately while we cook, and sleep on our bed cuddled up with us every night.
So, that said,
How can I be a good cat owner?
I will address a few common mistakes that cat owners make here. Of course, don't forget the obvious things like to make sure your cats are immunized, spayed, neutered (unless you are sure you want to breed them and know how to do so properly), buy good food for them, don't leave bones/meat where cats can find them and get at them, etc.
First off, cats are not dogs, they do not think like dogs, they do not have the same needs as dogs, and they will not act like you think a dog should act. So don't expect them to. Most mistakes stem from this misconception. That said, cats DO have needs and they ARE intelligent animals.
1) Cats need stimulation. Like all intelligent animals, cats can get bored, and a bored cat is not a happy cat, and an unhappy cat will not be a kind and loving companion. The misconception that cats are not loving and companionable is partly caused by bored cats. Unlike bored dogs, which only get more and more desperate for attention, bored cats can often be aloof and even seemingly spitefully destructive. This behavior is caused by the cat giving up on getting stimulation from you and doing its best to amuse itself. If feasible, you should let your cat go outside to play and explore and hunt birds and mice and whatnot every day. If it's not feasible to have an outdoor cat, I'd highly recommend getting at least 2 cats so that they can play with each other. Aside from that, you should also make an effort to at least try to play with your cats once every day (if they don't want to play, fine, don't try to force them, but DO let them know that you care and that you will be available to play with them when they want to and you are able to). You can also experiment with giving them different toys. Different cats like different things, just like children, but you don't generally have to buy anything. Simple stuff like a ping pong ball or tennis ball, a bit of coloured paper tied to a string, a drinking straw, a shoebox, a ball of tinfoil... you never know what your cats are going to love playing with.
2) Cats need a clean litter box. As said before, cats are clean animals. They clean themselves because they hate to be dirty. And they don't like doing their business in a messy litter box any more than you enjoy taking a dump in a shit-filled public toilet. Cats figure out that you are responsible for cleaning their litter box pretty quickly and they will get pissed at you if you don't do it regularly. I clean my cats' litter box twice a day. Once a day is ok if you only have 1 cat though; or if you have outdoor cat(s) they may do a lot of their business outdoors and you don't have to clean their litter box that often; but that said even if they are outdoor cats you should have a clean litter box for them to use whenever they feel like when they are indoors, especially at night when you don't want to be getting out of bed to let them in and out all the time.
3) Cats need food and water in their bowl all the time. Unlike dogs, which should be fed on a regular schedule or they will literally eat themselves to death, cats can regulate their own diet. They will graze and nibble on their food whenever they feel like and for the most part they won't overeat. (Though post spay/neutering some cats put on a lot of weight, so exercise judgement here.) Generally speaking, as long as your cats are within a healthy weight range, there should always be food and water out for them to have if they want to. If they want to eat and their bowl is empty they will be bitter and they are smart enough to know who to be bitter at.
4) Cats need to scratch something. They literally do need to scratch something; if you place cats in an environment where they have absolutely nothing to scratch, they develop crippling arthritis. They need to scratch to work their tendons and ligaments. So make sure you provide them with something they can scratch at all times, because they need to scratch something several times a day just to stay healthy.
5) Cats can't be trained like dogs. Cats don't naturally see you as their 'pack leader' in the same way as dogs do. They see you more as a friend and thus attempts to control their behavior (ie train them) are not viewed by them any more favorably than if one of your friends suddenly decided to start 'training' you. Some cats are naturally more receptive to training than others but for the most part even professional trainers have a hard time getting cats to do complex actions on command. It's not because cats are not intelligent--in fact I'd say that most cats can figure out how to do stuff on their own just as well as or better than most dogs can (like the cats that train themselves to use the toilet)--it's just that cats do not have the same ingrained social heirarchy of dogs and thus are not receptive to being trained. That said, you are going to want to stop your cats from chewing on your electrical wires and computer wires and tearing your furniture to shreds.
6) Never strike or raise your voice to your cat, ever. Cats are not like your children and they are not like a dog; they will not be able to both fear and love you at the same time as children and dogs can. Cats are your friends and if you strike or raise your voice to your cat, don't expect them to react any differently than if you did it to one of your friends. They will simply not want to be around you any more. Except that unlike your human friends, cats rely on you for their basic necessities of life, which puts them in an extremely awkward and uncomfortable position if they don't like you, but they still need you. I really pity cats in this situation. So how do you stop cats from chewing electrical wires and destroying your furniture? Use a spray bottle or water gun. Cats will learn to hate the bottle/gun but not you. After you spray them a couple of times, just picking up the tool will let them know to cut it out, and if you are a good owner they will respect you enough to not do things they know you don't want them to do even when you are not around. That means remembering rules number 1 and 4: make sure they have enough stimulation and something to scratch; otherwise they will just wait to destroy things when you're not looking no matter how many times you spray them.
7) Treat your cat age appropriately. When your cat is a kitten it needs extra love and attention; you should play with it and cuddle it as often as you can. When the cat is around 6-12 months old it will start to get much more independent and may even stop being affectionate with you. This is normal as this is the age that the cat would naturally be leaving its mother, so don't take it personally if your cat suddenly stops wanting to cuddle you or play with you that much. Just wait it out, be patient, be there for your cat but not insistent, and when your cat reaches full adulthood it will look at you as its kind and loving friend and once again be as affectionate and cuddly as ever, but more mellowed out.
Those are my 7 main tips to being a happy and successful cat owner with happy and loving cats. Although all cats have their own personalities, just like any intelligent creature, all cats have the capacity to love you just as much as any kind of pet. You just have to raise them right, preferably from kittenhood, and unless there's something really wrong with your cat you shouldn't have any problems at all as far as your cat being warm, affectionate, playful, and loving. Hope you found something useful here, or at least enjoyed it. Thanks for your time!
 
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Why do I feel like this guide used to be for girls, but was then used find/replace function to make it for cats?
I love cats too, but I don't know about some of your advice lol...
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Very interesting read! I love cats but I can't own one because I'm allergic. So sad  . I would probably have like 3 or 4 cats for the awesomeness.
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and they also taste good. (i heard)
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I would probably own one.
One problem
Parents,
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After reading through this thread, I now know why my cat doesn't like me (I don't like it back either). I thought I just wasn't a cat person, but now I see it is because I don't pay attention to it.
May also be cause hes 16 years old..
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On January 19 2011 00:31 Essbee wrote:Very interesting read! I love cats but I can't own one because I'm allergic. So sad . I would probably have like 3 or 4 cats for the awesomeness.
You do know there are some cat races that you dont get allergic to right?
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heh 16 years old might be a bit too late to change his personality now =[
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On January 19 2011 00:31 Chef wrote:
Why do I feel like this guide used to be for girls, but was then used find/replace function to make it for cats?
I love cats too, but I don't know about some of your advice lol...
You need to find replace the age as well. Even replacing months by years still makes you a pedo.
I love cats too !
I have two, one called Flash, the other Bisu. They play a lot together, sometimes fight, and sometimes sleep next to each other :
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/qcyzi.jpg)
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:D
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/Sf8VG.jpg)
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I love cats!
...when I'm not the one who has to put up with taking care of them...
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Should be careful with strings tho, my cat used to swallow them and trust me you don't want that :<
Also about boxes yeah, if you don't clean it they'll end up doing their things in random places just to remind you that you have to clean it, or just because they have to do their thing anyway and they won't in a dirty place
However I don't agree with the food thing, you can regulate their regiment and it's often times, if not always better to do it. Letting them have food all the time is more lazyness from the owner part than anything else. Yes, you can still just let food there all the time, not that much of a big deal, but if you regulate it you avoid having your cat getting overweight.
For example I used to give my cat food 3 times a day, and was giving enough for her to be starved (she would ask for more if I didn't give enough anyway lol).
About the training and raising voice thing, even if you can't really train a cat to do stupid shit, you can still discipline him so he doesn't do things you don't want him to do like entering a room you don't want him in, not getting on tables etc ... and I'm not really sure the raising voice thing is really a problem as long as you're not screaming and being violent of course. For example we used to forbid my cat to get on tables for example (cause we eat on them, not that I cared lol but my parents did), and the way they made her understand was to be a bit louder, but she wasn't really scared of them either, even if I will admit she was lot closer to me because I rarely did that.
I guess it really depends on the cat, and of the owners too, as long as you're nice the rest of the time, disciplining shouldn't be a problem, and you should do it anyway otherwise it can become a problem when the cat is older.
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cArn-
As far as feeding vs controlling weight goes, I find the best way to strike a balance is to only fill up the food bowl when it is empty. Cats, like all animals, prefer fresh food, and also merely out of habit they will always start eating whenever you fill up your bowl. If you top up the bowl constantly they will go to it and eat some constantly. However if you always wait for them to empty the bowl before refilling it, you can be sure (for the most part) they will only eat when they are actually hungry and actually need to eat.
As far as keeping your cat from doing things you don't want him to do, I still maintain water is best. If you accompany the water with a stern voice, that's great. It trains the cat to recognize your serious don't do that voice. Just don't yell at your cat with the intention of scaring him/her. You never want your cat to be scared of you.
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What do you do if you cat is always clawing at you for food? He's generally a very affectionate cat, and he's great to be with. But when he wants food, he'll claw ruthlessly, if you're asleep, working, wherever. I get the feeling that if you feed him immediately, he'll learn that clawing = food (classical conditioning).
What I've been doing is to just feed him before he even claws, or some weird workaround.
Speaking of which, my cat is so damn cute. And yes, that too is a fact
+ Show Spoiler +
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United States33316 Posts
hm when'd you get married
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In fact I don't like the idea of always having food in the bowl, for me I give my cats food at the same time that I have my meals so that they can have the impression of "we are eating together" lol. They will take several hours to finish the food though.
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Do you give him food at specific times or do you leave him food available at all time ? I guess you give him at specific times, so you should probably give him more or more often, and you should let him understand that he shouldn't be clawing like this, but dunno how old is he so that could be a difficult habbit to remove from him if he's too old.
I'll by the way post a pic of mine too, miss her :
+ Show Spoiler +
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On January 19 2011 01:45 Waxangel wrote:
hm when'd you get married
Just recently... we're only legally married right now. The real wedding is scheduled for September since that'll be the best time for most of my family/friends back in Canada.
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On January 19 2011 01:37 Archaic wrote:What do you do if you cat is always clawing at you for food? He's generally a very affectionate cat, and he's great to be with. But when he wants food, he'll claw ruthlessly, if you're asleep, working, wherever. I get the feeling that if you feed him immediately, he'll learn that clawing = food (classical conditioning). What I've been doing is to just feed him before he even claws, or some weird workaround. Speaking of which, my cat is so damn cute. And yes, that too is a fact + Show Spoiler +
One of the main reasons it's always a good idea to make sure there's some food in their bowl at all times
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On January 19 2011 01:52 Hautamaki wrote:Show nested quote +On January 19 2011 01:37 Archaic wrote:What do you do if you cat is always clawing at you for food? He's generally a very affectionate cat, and he's great to be with. But when he wants food, he'll claw ruthlessly, if you're asleep, working, wherever. I get the feeling that if you feed him immediately, he'll learn that clawing = food (classical conditioning). What I've been doing is to just feed him before he even claws, or some weird workaround. Speaking of which, my cat is so damn cute. And yes, that too is a fact + Show Spoiler + One of the main reasons it's always a good idea to make sure there's some food in their bowl at all times
well think I was lucky cause when mine was hungry she would just come to me meowing and looking at me lol
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On January 19 2011 00:31 Chef wrote:
Why do I feel like this guide used to be for girls, but was then used find/replace function to make it for cats?
I love cats too, but I don't know about some of your advice lol...
Does your girlfriend often try to chew on your electrical wire, requiring you to get out that spray bottle?
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I wondered the same thing....
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In my experience its a good idea for cats too always have food, but like.. dry food ? those pellets, i don´t know the correct english word for it right now .
A good friend of mine had two cats, and if he gave them to much fresh food/meat, they would go crazy and eat EVERYTHING at once, because... hell, it could be stolen or something like that 
If it was too much it mostly ended in a cat vomiting in his room (important note : IF they had to throw up, they wanted to have it at least warm and cuddly while doing so, so instead of throwing up in the kitchen they at least tried to get to the living room. Fuzzy carpet makes it soooo much more enjoyable )
Nevertheless : Cats most awesome (and cutest) animal ever, I love them.
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On January 19 2011 02:22 Najda wrote:Show nested quote +On January 19 2011 00:31 Chef wrote:
Why do I feel like this guide used to be for girls, but was then used find/replace function to make it for cats?
I love cats too, but I don't know about some of your advice lol... Does your girlfriend often try to chew on your electrical wire, requiring you to get out that spray bottle?
women! am i right?!
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On January 19 2011 02:29 Espelz wrote:In my experience its a good idea for cats too always have food, but like.. dry food ? those pellets, i don´t know the correct english word for it right now . A good friend of mine had two cats, and if he gave them to much fresh food/meat, they would go crazy and eat EVERYTHING at once, because... hell, it could be stolen or something like that If it was too much it mostly ended in a cat vomiting in his room (important note : IF they had to throw up, they wanted to have it at least warm and cuddly while doing so, so instead of throwing up in the kitchen they at least tried to get to the living room. Fuzzy carpet makes it soooo much more enjoyable ) Nevertheless : Cats most awesome (and cutest) animal ever, I love them.
Yeah dry cat food. I've read some studies ages ago and it was never proven that the moist 'luxury' cat-foods were actually any better for your cats from a health standpoint. And as you say, dry cat food doesn't spoil so you can leave it out, and the cats also know that it isn't going to spoil so they can take their time eating it when they want instead of forcing it all down right away.
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Yes! Those are totally awesome!
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intrigue
Washington, D.C9933 Posts
ah!!!! well timed blog. i very recently discovered myself in possession of a kitten, and this is very helpful indeed.
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On January 19 2011 02:55 intrigue wrote:
ah!!!! well timed blog. i very recently discovered myself in possession of a kitten, and this is very helpful indeed.
Awesome, glad I could be of help!
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I really want to get a cat, but I've heard that there are cats that like being in the outdoors more than the others, is this true? I live in an apartment and I wouldn't like to do the mistake of buying a cat that hunts or pretty much stays outside the whole time.
If that's the case, what are some of the cutest types of "indoor" cats around? 
thanks in advance!^^
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I'd recommend a short-hair first and foremost to lessen the amount of hair that will get all over everything =p
But aside from that I think pure-bred pets are way over-priced. When I wanted to get new kittens I just asked around, checked out local animal shelters, and adopted kittens for free from whoever wanted to send one to a good home.
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the most important things i discovered are:
- cats need tons and tons and tons of love. The more time you can spend with them the better. all allways tell you in some way if they like to spend time with you or not.
- cats are individuals. every cat has a different character. some are impulsive, some are curious etc. it is healthy for your relationship with your cat(s) to find out as much as possible about them.
- cats communicate: most of the communication is visually. the miau miau is a way to get attention but often not much more than that. there are plenty of documented signs that cats give us in general but as I stated above: every cat has a different way to express themselves.
- cats love company. If you have the chance to get two cats from the same brood or just two that get along then do it. especially if you have the manpower to give enough love to both of them.
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Just took a nap with my cat for a good ~5 hours, despite having only woke up a few hours prior. Sometimes I feel she is the only reason I'm not completely alone in life. herp derp
edit: also she's like 15 years old or something crazy
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TossFloss
Canada606 Posts
Never stare a cat in the eyes. Cats view extended eye contact as a sign of aggression. They will either look away or blink slowly to indicate peace; you should reciprocate.
- cats communicate: most of the communication is visually. the miau miau is a way to get attention but often not much more than that. there are plenty of documented signs that cats give us in general but as I stated above: every cat has a different way to express themselves.
Actually, adult cats rarely meow in the wild. This is a learned behaviour from being around us humans!
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I absolutely adore cats. They also seem to like me, so, huzzah.
A useful alternative to a spray bottle are those little canned-air things. I was staying with some friends recently who had two cats, and one night they were both just fighting like incessantly. Just picking up the can would get both of their attentions immediately. A quick spray in the air, (the noise), would break them apart and they'd quickly go their own ways.
...and then start fighting again 30 minutes later, but w/e, that's animals for you, lol.
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that giant wall of text and not even half a picture of a cute cat?
i am disappoint
on topic, i love my cat more than my gf :3 and she does too so we three kinda get along well
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Hong Kong20321 Posts
OMGOMG CATS CAN USE TOILET S WTF
thats it im definitely getting a cat later
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Cats are Awesome!
I wish I had a real cat... My plushie cat is getting old. He comes to life at night, I swear!
Anyways as a follow-up, it'd also be nice to drop a few hints about actually getting a cat in the first place. I can't wait till I move out to my own place and get my own cat.
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Well actually getting a cat depends a lot on where you are in the world. I'm in China now so getting a cat here is going to be different than getting one back in Canada or the USA or whatever.
When actually choosing which kitten to take home though I just picked up every kitten and tried to gauge which one seemed most comfortable in my hands. Not really any more scientific than that lol.
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On January 19 2011 13:27 Hautamaki wrote:
Well actually getting a cat depends a lot on where you are in the world. I'm in China now so getting a cat here is going to be different than getting one back in Canada or the USA or whatever.
When actually choosing which kitten to take home though I just picked up every kitten and tried to gauge which one seemed most comfortable in my hands. Not really any more scientific than that lol.
Yeah I'm in China too and found both of my kittens in the street. I'm really happy I helped poor kittens as they would probably be dead today if I hadn't adopted them.
The second one was really not attractive, it was very skinny, dirty and full of fleas. I took it home and washed it. I could feel it was very grateful. When I started to dry it with the hair drier it didn't even move (cats usually hate vacuum cleaners and hair driers). I decided to keep as it would be a good companion for my first cat).
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![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/b8yzo.jpg)
Cats are cute, sure, but they can be very, very annoying after a stressfull workday. I have two cats since a few weeks and when i get home from work i'm usually mentally exhausted enough that i just want to be left alone for a while... which is not possible with two cats begging for attention, food and a clean toilet.
So point number 8: Don't get cats if you are living alone and working full-time in a stressfull job.
Oh, and sleeping is hard with a cat sitting on your face. If you wake up twice a night because of that you'll not have a very good mood in the morning.
Point number 9: Hope that your cats sleep quiet at night.
On January 19 2011 02:29 Espelz wrote:In my experience its a good idea for cats too always have food, but like.. dry food ? those pellets, i don´t know the correct english word for it right now . A good friend of mine had two cats, and if he gave them to much fresh food/meat, they would go crazy and eat EVERYTHING at once, because... hell, it could be stolen or something like that
This is mostly because the cats had bad experience with their food disappearing, either because the human cleaned it away or another cat/pet stealing it. Cats actually know how to keep something for later and they will do it if they know that it will actually stay there.
I feed my cats mixed, dry food in the morning, half a can of (wet? correct term?) cat food when i get back from work and then a little dry food for the evening. Seems to work out ok, though it might be just because it's very expensive super-healthy food a cat-loving friend recommended.
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l241/mmrk923/IMG_0023.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i1188.photobucket.com/albums/z404/carn_/Isaura.jpg?t=1295369390)
