Tugger

[Shea]

Does anyone else have as wierd a cat as me? We named him Rum Tum Tugger because he never seems to know what he wants and always gets in your way. He's adorable right now though because he's only 10 weeks old. I wonder if he'll keep these strange traits?

[Nora]

Shea that's so nice but I don't like pets.I wish one day I become like you but NO WAY :-?
How can you live with a cat arround?!

[Shea]

Awww, what's not to like about cats? Their cute, cuddly, and can have human traits because their not always interested in pleasing you like dogs. Their pretty independent creatures, but some still love to cuddle with you, (mine loves to sleep on my neck). And if you have a farm, their also great for catching mice!

Unfortunately though, we realized that my husband is allergic. :( So, we're not going to keep him very much longer. :( :( :( He's never had a cat before and never knew that he was allergic. He's always had dogs so I guess I'll have to trade. But that's Ok, I like dogs too, though their more responsibility, so we'll have to wait a while till we adjust to our new marriage. That's Ok too, we still have the lovebirds! ;)

[imthefoolonthehill]

you got a place to send him? (I would love to take him but can't)

[Munro]

I have three (we're a crazy cat family), Kitty (expected to die any year now), Humphrey (suffers from Bi-Polar depression) and Marmaduke, the craziest character we have in the house.
I can't stand dogs, they have no place in the suburbs - it's cruel to keep them boxed in small suburban backyards. They bark and keep you awake at night, they slobber, crap and need attention. Most people in my neighbourhood neglect their dogs, but I guess there are some exceptional dog owners who are devoted. I much prefer the smaller, cuter, less-dependent-but-still-companionable cat. Didn't T.S. Eliot write some funny poems about cats? Effanineffable cats...or something?

[Koa]

this is the first stanza of The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock by T.S Eliot... very feline ;) (at least according to how we analysed it at school)

The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes
The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes
Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening
Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains,
Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys
Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap,
And seeing that it was a soft October night,
Curled once about the house and fell asleep.

-------

I don't like pets much either...i just dont know how to behave with them, it would annoy me to have a cat/dog around for long... Of course i have nothing against them, but they're not for me. My brother would want a dog or a cat but my parents dont want it either, cos we live in a flat/apartment, and i think it would be too narrow for all of us...it'd need a gardent! Lots of my neighbours have dogs and i see them taking the dos out 3 times a day, including early morning before work, and late evening before going to bed... i don't envy them, especially in winter!

[Shea]

imthefoolonthehill, I think we have a place for him. One of the waiters at the restaurant I usually eat lunch at says that his girlfriend wants a kitten.

Munro and Koa, since your not from the states, I wonder, have you seen the musical "Cats"? It's based on "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cat's" by T.S. Elliot. The music was by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It was on Broadway for I think 26 years. That's where I got the name Tugger. I'm going to miss the poor little guy, but my husband dosen't like cats enough to suffer a stuffy head all the time and I really can't blame him. I'm either/or when it comes to a prefrence between cats and dogs, though cats are definately easier to care for!

[Koa]

I know about Cats, it's very famous here as well, but i've never seen it (i think my brother has seen it with school, if i'm not wrong). And i didn't know it was based on Eliot!

[waxmephilosophical]

Me, I'm more of a dog person, although I love cats too. My cat is evil though, so I could do without her... ;) If you have a backyard, dogs are not that much trouble to take care of...you just let them out every once in a while. Shea, what you said about cats having human characteristics is really interesting...I never thought of it like that. Dogs have some too, though. My dog gets sad when my family argues, scared when he hears thunder, and happy when I'm hyper and bouncing off the walls. Whereas cats, (mine at least), could care less... :D

[Jay]

Well, when you speak about pets, what about horses? I love them. But I can't have one, so I got myself a dog. He's cute. I don't like cats much, but I have no reason to, I just like dogs (and horses :) ) better.

[Arteum]

Shea, I adore cats :) Dogs are so servile that you can't but think they display the limit of their intelligence by wagging the tail and bringing the stick back. But there's always a mystery about cats - you never know how far their understanding spreads because they never tell you all, never show you all.

Luckily, I'm not allergic to anything, including cats :)

[waxmephilosophical]

How do you know their understanding spreads any farther than what they're showing you? :D I'm kidding, I know cats are supposed to be far superior in intelligence to dogs, but still...dogs give unconditional love, and all I get from my cat is unconditional apathy. I know what you mean about the air of mystery, though. My cat knows her name, but only chooses to respond to it at certain times, which makes me wonder how much more she understands.

[Shea]

Wax and Arteum, I really think that it depends on the particular pet. I worked for a dachshund breeder for 2 years (those are the weener dogs for those who don't know) and there were some dogs that were really dumb. :rolleyes:

But other were very smart and you could tell that they were thinking out things. We had a doggie treat machine in the nusery that was shaped like an old fashioned gumball machine except that it had a lever sticking out of it that was shaped like a bone. When you pressed down on it, the treats would come out. Only one puppy figured out how to work it, and all the rest would stand and wait for treats. Well, this one pup realized that she could have all the treats for herself by not pressing the lever down so far. Fewer treats would come out and she could gobble them up before the rest of them got to it!

In the same way, I've seen the same traits in different cats. But I'm sure that by now your probably getting bored with my descriptions! :rolleyes:

And Jay, I love horses! But I don't have the time to care for a dog right now, let alone a horse. But their amazing animals! The only thing about them is I always have a small fear of falling off. I got thrown off once at a full gallop! :o That was not fun! :( But they are fun to ride when you get the hang of it.

[imthefoolonthehill]

I love both dogs and cats... I love most animals (I hate magpies!!!!!)

I think I am mostly a cat person... They can be loyal if you teach them to be. Dogs are automatically loyal...even to people who don't deserve a dog's loyalty.

Anyways... you were talking about strange animal behavior...
I have two cats (I think... haven't seen one for a couple of weeks... :( ) and a dog.

Anyway... One of my cats often goes hunting with my dog. The cat will scout out gopher-holes, and meow. My dog runs towards the hole and starts digging. The cat keeps a lookout to see if the gopher jumps out a connected hole. It is amazing to watch. One thing that cracks me up (I am easily amuzed) is when I dangle a string over a clear table... and my cat tries to get at it, but hits its paw on the glass. I know it sounds stupid, but I cannot stop laughing.

[waxmephilosophical]

Yeah I agree, Shea. One of my dogs is as dumb as a brick, and the other is pretty intelligent.