queerbychoice

Judging by the poll results, the number one thing that the most people seem to think I need is a nap. Well, I did need a nap - or more accurately, a full night's sleep - when I posted the poll, and I will need one again very soon now, so I guess that's accurate. The first runners up are support, an absence of hysterics, and a cat. What I'm going to write about here is the cat.

Something about moving to a new apartment seems to have made me really want a cat. There's no logical connection between moving and getting a cat; the pet policy at my new apartment is identical to the pet policy at my current apartment. And I've been living a long time without a cat. I get visited by the neighbors' cats; that's been enough. Well, maybe the connection is that I'm moving away from the neighbors' cats now and I haven't met any of my new feline neighbors yet. Even when I do meet them, I don't know that they'll be friendly. It took me quite a few years of living here before I managed to persuade one of the neighbors' cats to trust me. The other cats still don't. Or, well, actually, the beige kitty finally let me pet him a week or so ago - but that was the very first time he'd ever done so, and I've been trying for years.

(Note that while I was in the process of writing this entry, I heard a loud meowing outside and opened the door to see a five-year-old girl from downstairs coming outside to pet the beige kitty, who was the one meowing. She addressed him, loudly and clearly and at least six times, as "Butthead." So apparently I've now found out what his name is. The poor cat - no wonder he's so afraid of people!)

If I did get a cat, I would want to be very, very careful about what cat to get. I would want one that had been raised in a house full of kids, because I think cats raised with kids get more attention that cats raised with only adults, and cats that get lots of attention when they're babies grow up to be friendlier. I would want one that was at least 8 weeks old before being separated from its mother, because mother cats teach baby cats good manners. I would want one that was younger than 4 months, because if by any chance it hadn't gotten quite sufficient attention growing up in a house full of kids, 4 months is still young enough that I might be able to somewhat increase its willingness to be held. I would want one that didn't look much like any cat I've ever lived with before - I'm not terribly sure why this is important, but I think it would just be more interesting that way, somehow. I especially don't want a cat that looks like multiple cats I've lived with before. When I lived with my parents, they had three separate cats that were short-haired and all black, and four separate cats that were short-haired orange tabbies. So I don't want a short-haired black cat or a short-haired orange tabby. I've had enough of those for a while.

I don't know whether I really want a cat. I absolutely love cats, but I absolutely hate being responsible for extra domestic chores.

Disadvantages to Getting a Cat:

Vet bills and cat food and flea medicine and apartment pet deposits cost money.

I would lose the freedom to leave any food sitting unguarded without fear of a cat trying to eat it.

I wouldn't be able to eat meat in front of the cat without either giving the cat some or feeling sadistic for making the poor cat suffer through watching me eat it. I rarely eat meat anyway, especially at home, but it might still really annoy me to not have the option available.

No matter whether it was an indoor cat or an outdoor cat (it would probably be an outdoor one because I don't see myself enduring long-term litterbox changing), it might wake me up at unearthly hours and destroy my currently consistently uninterrupted sleep.

I would sometimes have to clean up cat vomit.

My tendency to spend all day petting the cat might impede my ability to get anything more important done.

The cat might end up being one of those incredibly rude ones that doesn't seem to know how to meow at anything but the top of its lungs, in a really angry demanding tone, every two seconds, over and over, constantly, even after it can see you're already in the process of trying to oblige its wishes.

The cat might end up being one of those unfriendly ones that refuses under any circumstances to ever sit on my lap.

If I wanted to go traveling, I'd have to get someone to take care of the cat.

People who are allergic to cats would be allergic to me.

I shed quite enough hair all over the place on my own; the last thing my apartment will need is a cat to add even more hair all over everything.

Wherever I went, I would constantly be visibly covered in cat hair.

Someday the cat would die, and then I would be much sadder than I would be if I had never gotten a cat, and I would have to go get a new cat and subject myself to all the same inconveniences all over again, because by then I would be addicted to cats again and unable to survive without one.

Advantages to Getting a Cat:

I would have a warm fluffy thing around, which would probably purr or do other adorable things, at least occasionally when it was in a good mood.

I would have a cute fluffy thing to take adorable pictures of all the time.

I would have a crazed feline lunatic to write bizarre LiveJournal entries about like mariness does.

I would develop a mental image of myself as someone for whom taking care of a small animal is not too much trouble to bother with.

It would be a cat. Cats are inherently desirable. Right?

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These are all very good points! There's not much funnier than

ginmar interrupting herself with "Dammit, Jezebelle, climb out of the marmolade jar! And how did you get atop the cupboard!"

There are also a lot of negatives there.

Boy, I'm helpful.

Cats do vary tremendously in terms of affection. Ours sits on no laps except, occasionally, my mom's, and pretends not to notice us even while intentionally sitting where we're trying to work. Compare to the neighbor's cat, who cannot be removed from your person without excessive force, and who will actually grab your hand and MAKE you pet him.

It's no sure thing! But I like most brands of them. You can probably get a decent idea just by playing with them at the pound. Just be careful, and go with a hardened heart!

When asked to provide her opinion on the subject, our cat opined "MRAAaa!" She then walked away, and was seen moments later darting back and forth on the rug off to my left, presumably fighting some kind of evil.

Inside cats are probably a lot friendlier than inside/outside cats, and they're certainly safer. For you both.

Right.

Keep in mind that I'm biased-- getting Mr. Manny Ramirez was quite possibly the best decision I've made in the past year-- but I do have some responses to some items on your disadvantages list:

I would lose the freedom to leave any food sitting unguarded without fear of a cat trying to eat it.
Not necessarily. There are only a few things Manny will eat if we leave them out (mostly cheese-flavored snack foods like cheesy popcorn and white cheddar cheese-its). It definitely depends on the cat. Oh, but if you have any valuable or especially loved houseplants, you'd have to keep 'em way up high.

I wouldn't be able to eat meat in front of the cat without either giving the cat some or feeling sadistic for making the poor cat suffer through watching me eat it.
But if you give your cat a little meat (especially if it's fish, I've found), that cat will love you forever!

It might wake me up at unearthly hours and destroy my currently consistently uninterrupted sleep.
Joe and I just shut our door and let Manny do his own thing at night. For about a week he'd meow outside our door for awhile after we went to bed, but eventually he got used to the routine. Now, sometimes he's a little loud with jingly cat toys, but generally we don't hear a peep.

The cat might end up being one of those unfriendly ones that refuses under any circumstances to ever sit on my lap.
If you raise your cat from kittenhood and spend time giving that kitten lots of love, there's practically no way this could happen. I think cats are by their very nature cuddley creatures.

For more reasons to get a cat, see http://www.ratemykitten.com.
(Can't help you on the cat vomit, though....)

I just adopted a dog from the local shelter here, and despite everyone's warnings: "you're too young and you won't be able to have the same freedom you do now," "it'll take up too much of your time," etc, I've been nothing but thrilled to have her with me. I highly recommend adopting a lovely shelter animal to make those tough days just a little easier....

my cats share my dinners all the time..... (not jsut meat) and so i jsut put extra on my plate for when they jump on the table and start helping themsleves. they know not to eat off the counters though cause i put things that are too hot there and it burns their tongues so they started relating it all.

the dogs arent that smart..... and dont get hand outs aas they have to stay in shape for shows and training

I used to think "I'm too much of a bachelor to have a cat", and I'd think of many of the negatives on your list. I'm not neat, not household-practical, and like to drive up to the SF Bay Area (or bits elsewhere) for an odd weekend or more here and there. But I also knew that at heart I'm deeply a cat person, and would always fawn over my friends' cats. So, I figured "someday", "when I grow up and become responsible" I'll have a cat.

Then I met an adorable 7-month-ish old polydactyl tabby kitten wandering in the desert. She was so friendly and adorable and purry! I thought to myself: this is exactly the sort of kitten I'd want if I was ready to have a cat. Too bad that when I'm finally ready she won't be available for me to adopt. Then it struck me -- she was perfect enough for my tastes that I could decide to be ready! She could inspire me to readiness. And I was! It actually worked.

Your list reminds me of myself considering the pluses and minuses before I realized I could be ready. The minuses are all easy and concrete. Most of the pluses are abstract and hard to quantify, so it's easy to have such a list look like the negatives dominate.

But, now that I do have a cat, all I can say is that the pluses are SO MUCH BIGGER than the negatives. The negatives are mostly quite easy to deal with (i.e. not so negative) because I love

mira_kitty so much. Like taking her to the vet feels good (not so much like an annoying chore) becuase I know I'm being responsible for her and helping her to be (or return to being) healthy. What still amazes me is that while I thought I'd really enjoy having a cat, I worried that I'd overromanticized the idea, and perhaps it'd end up only being "nice" or "OK on balance" given the work in the negative bits. But my experience was that I'd underromanticized the idea! Amazing!

When I was 6 I told my mom that "When I grow up, I don't want to have kids, I want to have cats." I smile to think I've finally achieved my ambition from all those years ago! (And it's dreadfully important to follow through on what one said when one was 6, y'know!)

I wouldn't be able to eat meat in front of the cat without...

Actually for me this turns out to be quite fun. I give Mira teeeny little pieces of meat from my meals, sometimes. This way she's happy, I don't spoil her weight-loss-and-management diet, and I feel good about sharing with her. I don't feel a downside!

Someday the cat would die, and then I would be much sadder than I would be if I had never gotten a cat...

Ahhh, but "'tis better to have loved and lost..." -- the joy you (and the cat) will get from your time together greatly outweighs the final (very painful, yes) loss. It's always that way, with cats and with people. *sigh*

Cats are inherently desirable. Right?

Ohhhh, so very true. My cat does such adorable things and is just so fabulous and fascinating that I catch my breath to think about her. Some days when I drive home from work (and sometimes earlier than that) I'm overcome with happiness that I'll get to see her again. I'm so, so, so, so, so thankful to have her in my life! Is it obvious? Yeah, some might call me a cat person. ;)

=^..^=

Commentx-posted to my own LJ.

If I did get a cat, I would want to be very, very careful about what cat to get.

Yeah, I would heartily agree with this. Take your time, get to know the candidates and their upbringing (if you can), allow yourself to be very picky. Bringing a cat into your life is a big commitment, and should be approached with much care -- this will be the start of a decade-plus relationship!

I find the idea of looking for a cat to be kinda difficult, emotionally speaking, 'cause I'm the sort who wants to bring most of them home. But holding out for the best match between me and cat is a favor to both me and the cat, since we'll both benefit if we mesh well.

I hope you'll decide to get a kitty, and that you'll find the right one for you! Such an exciting start!

=^..^=

get a short haired. you don't have to vaccum as often and my cat has long hair and has constant hairballs but mostly because he's dumb and likes to eat her hair.

I think you need a cat. Yes, they are inconvenient BUT cats ARE inherently desirable. And cute. And snuggly. And cute. And snuggly. Do you need any other reasons?

p.s.

You should get a cat.

Cats

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pro-kitty propaganda

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A slightly pro-cat screed from an alleged cat person

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