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

[francisca]

Are gamers more likely to own a cat (or cats) than non-gamers? It seems like every gamer I know owns 2-10 of those little varmints. Even here on this board, there are a large number of people who have cats on their avatars.

Needless to say, there aren't a lot of dog-correlations here in the same fashion.

Any theories?

jh
dog-person

Nobody I game with owns a cat. That's....uuuhhhh......16 people between various groups. Not a cat owner among them.

Personally, I can't stand cats. They love me, however. Irony: It's not just for breakfast.

 

[sckeener]

What is it about game stores in the Austin area though? I've been to two game stores in Austin (I live in Houston) and both had cats wandering around the store.

Admittedly I like that touch as I'm a cat fan. Excluding 1 year I lived in an apartment, I've had 2-9 cats through out my life...so about 34-35 years worth of cats.

I'm the cat magnet at games. If I am at a game any where with a cat and as long as the cat isn't in hiding from the strangers, I'll probably have my lap full of pussy for a few hours during the game.

I've had a few dogs over the years as pets, but I just tolerate them. They are too lawful for me, too loyal and too obedient in general.

I prefer chaotics. I prefer to know that my cat will do what ever it wants when I am not around to stop it....be that jumping on the counters or stealing toys that weren't toys. Admittedly I try to discourage the behavior, but like training dogs you have to catch it before, during the act, or remove all possibility of it happening.

 

[Aexalon]

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).

The relation between Dog and Man came about in a hunter-gatherer society (starting 12000 BCE and 7000 BCE, in numerous places, though some theories speak of relations between man and wolf up to 100.000y ago). Dog (by assisting in the hunt) reinforced Man's ability to function in this capacity, but did not assist man in conquering any new frontiers on the road to civilisation.

The relation between Cat and Man came about at the start of the latter's attempt at transitioning from a hunter-gatherer society to an agricultural society (mainly in Egypt, starting around 4000 BCE, though mummified cat remains from as long ago as 7500 BCE have been found on Cyprus). Cat assisted Man in overcoming an inherent efficiency threshold (by protecting food stores against rodents), directly contributing to Man's future success at civilisation.

In brief (if you'll excuse me a few shortcuts from agriculture to the development of written language, religion, science, rational though, and even the concept of "leisure" time), it is BECAUSE of Cat that Man can be a gamer in the first place.

So, it is not ok to hate Cat (gamer or not, and that's besides my personal conviction that it's not ok to hate at all). As for Dog being more useful today: they'd better be. They have a lot of catching-up to do.

 

[Voadam]

In brief it is BECAUSE of Cat that Man can be a gamer in the first place.

So, it is not ok to hate Cat (gamer or not, and that's besides my personal conviction that it's not ok to hate at all).

Even assuming these premises this is a false conclusion. It is still OK to hate cats.

 

[Henry]

Are gamers more likely to own a cat (or cats) than non-gamers? It seems like every gamer I know owns 2-10 of those little varmints. Even here on this board, there are a large number of people who have cats on their avatars.

Needless to say, there aren't a lot of dog-correlations here in the same fashion.

Any theories?

jh
dog-person

I personally own 8 dogs and 1 cat; of our gaming group, one owns 1 dog and like 4 cats, one owns a dog, another owns one dog, and the other two own no pets.

Kind of eclectic mix, all across the spectrum, but seems to favor dogs.

 

[Ender_rpm]

I have 2 cats, and 1/2 of my players have cats as well. No dog owners, AFAIK. I prefer the emotional self assurance of the cats, even though I love dogs too. I just have a small apartment and my life is too busy to support a dog. I also raised my cats so I can wrassle with them, bathe them, and clip claws without being turned into hamburger. In turn, they sit and stand for treats, come when called, wait at the door for me when I get home, and keep mice away. In fact, I got the first one when my then girlfriend (now wife) saw a mouse in an old aprtment. We got a kitten, and never saw another one, though my neighbors complained so much the land lord finally sprung for an exterminator. Not liking cats is fine, though my group loves them (one even brings a laser pointer to play with them). Where I draw the line is people voicing the wish to harm them, or any animal. If its not ok to do to dogs, its not ok to do to cats.

 

[Mark Hope]

I like cats. But I couldn't eat a whole one.


Actually, no, I probably could. In fact, given some of the places that I've dined, I probably have.

 

[Shadeydm]

Numerous ethological studies have shown dogs are MUCH smarter than cats with the capability for complex social interaction and problem solving

Sorry I have to reject the notion that dogs are smarter than cats. I happen to own both and although very loyal, dogs are as dumb as dirt, so dumb in fact that dogs EAT FECES even thier own.

 

[Ravellion]

I was a part time postman during my first years at college. Hence I'll take cats over dogs any time. Even the most vicious evil humongous cat will still run from a human saying "boo!". They might hiss at you and try to claw you (when you get too close to them), but they will flee when threatened. I have had some treatment from "loyal guard dogs" however that dog lovers should be happy that the Netherlands restricts hand guns. I was lucky that one time, a certain dog was too stupid to know the difference between my post bag and a genuine part of my anatomy, or I'd be disfigured because some people think it is nice for the dog to be running around on a nice summer's day.

The small ones, like yorkshire terriers, are so stupid that I once dragged one for 30 yards while it was attached to my trousers. I ignored it at first, but could have killed it by stepping on it. I actually stomped the ground hard right next to its head to scare it off, and still it growled and kept it's jaws around my trouserleg.

Another time a dog growled but moved back as I simply walked towards him and the letterbox (I do not fear dogs), so I thought "finally, a smart dog". I deposited some letters in the letterbox, and turned around. Big mistake. This dog imediatly started running towards me. I immediatly turned to face the creature again, and it started backing off again (to about 6 metres/ 21 feet). Thinking I needed to prove my superiority I moved further toward it and started commanding "DOWN!" at the top of my voice. The dog got all submissive, and started making those sad sobs that dogs make. I kept looking it in the eye, and it must have known that I hated it. I moved back, looking over my shoulder to keep looking it in the eye. As soon as I was about 10 paces away from the yard of that house (and about 15 metres away from the dog), I turned my back... and the miserable creature started barking and growling and running towards me again. That sniveling, cowardly wretch followed me in such a fashion for about 400 metres (quarter of a mile), every time backing off and running toward me. Note though, that after about half that distance, I got so fed up, and so ticked off, I wished to harm that dog. Bad. I started kicking toward it. I had one of my long, thin straight "pen" keys in my fist and I was intending to stab the dog with it. But it stayed just... out... of... reach. I have been angry in my life, but always had the composure to just walk away. From this, I couldn't. The beast kept hounding me. I kept yelling and commanding "DOWN!" furiously, and started swearing like a sailor. I wished one of the other houses had a dog so perhaps they could fight and leave me to do my job. in the end, the annoying fiend just started running back home. I never saw that dog again though. I think some of the neighbours must have complained when they saw that dog's aggressive behaviour and thought "I have kids playing in the street". Perhaps the dog met someone with a longer reach than I. I guess I'll never know.

Now, anyone who has been seriously threatened with disfigurement or even death by a poorly raised cat? Yeah, thought not. Perhaps police dogs and seeing eye dogs are useful, but privately raised dogs have 2.9 strikes against them from the moment I meet them.

 

[Gentlegamer]

Felines will attack almost anything smaller than they are. In this regard, the only difference between lions and tigers and house cats are their size. That is, house cats have the same "bad attitude" wild cats have: they just aren't big enough to throw their weight around.