Is it ok to hate cats and still be a gamer?

[Jubilee]

I have to agree with the "pet person" label. I've had both dogs and cats growing up and find them both to be wonderful companions. Right now my husband and I have two kittens and we've thought about a dog now and then but they are MUCH more responsibility and work, and we're not up to making the commitment.

Smelly cat boxes are usually a sign of poor human maintenance/hygene, not cat hygene. They can't pick up the scoop and clean it up themselves, afterall!

With regards to cats on the counters and tables - although I discourage my kittens from doing this - I personally eat from a plate rather than directly from the table, and I use cutting boards or other cleaned, appropriate surfaces rather than the counter itself when preparing food, so I don't really see where the problem is (except perhaps for lingering fur, which is easily wiped away). I've found as long as I don't leave anything that looks tastey or fun to play with lying on the table, the kittens don't feel the need to get up there.

I have to agree with whoever said people who outright hate an animal without discrimination (cat or dog) is morally suspect. Being allergic to cats is, according to my mother, also a sign of being morally degenerate (but that might have been that she didn't like that boyfriend..).

 

[MacMathan]

No Cats here, Allergic.

Dogs, Horses, Reptiles- Yes

Really Big Dogs actually (see sig)

As far as my group goes 2-cat owners, 1 dog owner, 1 child owner and 2 with no pets.

 

[Blood Jester]

There are so many things here I could debate, but the one that I can't take any longer...

Several people have mentioned "Guide dogs" and the lack of a feline equivalent.

Do you see any "Guide Chihuahua's" out there? No.
Why? Because they lack the mass to be able to influence the direction of an adult human who can only be guided by "feel" or inertia.

That is why no one has botherd to train "Guide cats".

And you can train most animals to do way more than you think.


+ + + +

P.S. - By low maintenance, I meant I don't have to walk a cat in the freezing rain at two specific times of the day, or end up with poop and pee all over the house. Not that my house smells because I don't keep it clean.

I have had many people think I gave away my cats because there is no smell in my house, and they have only met people who don't know how to maintain their homes, so assume there must be a smell if you own cats.

 

[darkseraphim]

Hmm. Personally I have an immediate disinclination toward people who threaten violence against innocents, animal or otherwise. I don't understand people who find such things funny, impressive or clever. Next to stupidity, it's one of my least favorite human attributes.

I've had pets every day of my life. For the first 20 years, that meant dogs, because my mom was allergic to cats. After I moved out on my own I had cats, because I'd never had the opportunity to own them. I love them both.

The intelligence debate is rather amusing to me, since anyone who has owned and related to both types of animals knows that there is a considerable range to individual animal intelligence - same with people. I've had dumb dogs, smart dogs, dumb cats and smart cats. Stating "Dogs are smarter than cats, but I only have in-depth experience with dogs" is just as facetious as it sounds.

It's fine to not like one or the other. But to hate an entire species based on personal prejudice is rather narrow-minded and I regard it as such.

Just saying.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

The intelligence debate is rather amusing to me, since anyone who has owned and related to both types of animals knows that there is a considerable range to individual animal intelligence - same with people. I've had dumb dogs, smart dogs, dumb cats and smart cats. Stating "Dogs are smarter than cats, but I only have in-depth experience with dogs" is just as facetious as it sounds.

QFT

I've seen smart and truly stupid cats and dogs in equal number. Though I will say stupid cats tend to be more annoying in my experience and stupid dogs usually do things that are entertainingly stupid, again all IME.

For example a rather old black lab of my uncle's that liked to lick the electric fence.

 

[Torm]

just a nice refreshing bowl of antifreeze

This is, in fact, how a neighbor managed to kill my son's cat - an event that caused him a great deal of pain, and me no small amount as I quite liked the cat also, and took him quite a while to get over. (If he has, entirely.)

The rest of what would be this comment will be omitted out of respect for Eric's Grandma. I will instead leave you with the neutrally stated wish that you get everything in life that you deserve.

 

[Alzrius]

To answer the question that was posted at the beginning of this thread: No, it is not okay to hate cats and still be a gamer.

In fact, it's not okay to hate cats at all.

 

[dagger]

I have never understood the mentality (that I have almost only seen coming from self-professed "dog people") that you either like cats or dogs.

But not both.

I love them both, I am an "animal person" not a dog or a cat person.
I currently only have cats because they are lower maintenance, and I am very busy, but I have had both, and likely will again.

I dislike both.

Nah, I'm just allergic to dogs and my wife is allergic to cats.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Do you see any "Guide Chihuahua's" out there? No.
Why? Because they lack the mass to be able to influence the direction of an adult human who can only be guided by "feel" or inertia.

Look, you can say with veracity that "intelligence in animals" is troublesome to attempt to define, at best. There's nothing that says being able to count or cognate or be trained is true "intelligence" (whatever that is, across species).

But what I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, is that dogs (all the breeds of canis familiaris taken in sum) have been a more useful species, as a whole, than cats (all breeds of felus catus taken in sum).

 

[Brimshack]

Well...

Presenting, Fido and Junkmail

Fido and Jubnkmail are my most enthusiastic players, at leastthey would be if we would let them up on the table with the dice and the minis.

(...note the Reaper Mini)