Why Cats Make Such Good Pets
There are so many reasons why cats make such good pets. First of all, they don’t demand nearly as much attention as a dog does. You don’t have to walk the cat and you don’t have to deal with it barking at everything that happens to walk by your house.
Or smelling your neighbor’s crotch.
You can get cats to play with you, if you want, but they’re just as happy to play on their own. There are plenty of toys that appeal to a cat’s hunting instinct. Mind you, that could be an expensive toy that you bought at a store, or it can be paper crumpled up into a ball. They’re not that fussy.
Another reason why cats make such good pets is that they make great companions. They seem to be able to sense when you need some comfort. (I know, dogs do too.)
Having a cat around is good for children, especially if they take part in caring for the animal. This teaches them to have some responsibility.
Cats are so easy to take care of. Really, all they need is food and water and they’re good to go!
Of course, there is that litter box that comes with having a cat in the house. And the fact that cats have to be trained to use it. This can be daunting, but it usually doesn’t take very long for the cat to do what it’s supposed to do. You’d better keep the kitty litter box clean too, or you might soon have your cat pooping in a corner somewhere. Or behind your fridge or radiator. 🙄
Cats like to be clean, and they spend a lot of time grooming themselves every day. If the cat has long hair, it may require you to help by brushing it regularly so it doesn’t get tangled and matted, which can become very painful for the cat because those matts constantly pull the skin.
Most cats are natural hunters and will help if you have problems with mice. For some cats, this instinct has, sadly, been bred out of them. But I think most cats would rather enjoy mouse-hunting. I know my cat does. Every now and then she’ll go down into the basement, usually when the weather starts to turn cold, and she hunts the mice down, one at a time. She has to bring them upstairs to show us, of course. We’re usually thrilled about that.
As I write this, my cat, Jessie, is sitting on my lap. I love that. She follows me around like a puppy. Whenever I sit down, she’s on my lap, or laying half-way across the keyboard, which is the case at the moment. Like most people who have cats, I will put up with this, rather than make her uncomfortable.
There’s a story about a king — I can’t remember where I read it, or if it’s a fairy tale — but if the king’s cat was laying on his arm and he had to get up, he would cut off his sleeve, rather than disturb her. Yeah … it’s like that.
The purr of a cat is known to be healing to human beings. I have to agree with that.
Like any other animal, each cat has its own personality. Some are cuddly, while others don’t want you to touch them at all. Well, maybe for a moment, but not beyond that. Some are friendly while others run for the hills at the very sight of a stranger in the house. My cat does that. She’s very antisocial when it comes to other people.
There are many breeds of cats too. In my opinion, though I think mixed breeds are better. They have less of the genetic issues that trouble purebreds.
These are just some of the reasons for why cats make such good pets.
If you’re thinking about getting a cat, I urge you to consider adopting one from a shelter. They need you. They really do! There are so many cats that are either strays or have been abandoned and they need homes. Please be sure to spay or neuter your cat to cut down on the rising crisis of animals being euthanized because no one wants them.
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Her own animal experience is vast, having raised and rescued Alpine Goats, Chickens, Turkeys, Vietnamese Pot Bellied Pigs, Turtles, Raccoons, Cats, Dogs, and even an Opossum and Bearded Dragon.
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I am Muslim and I wish I had A cat. Using this Site for school research.Thanks All!
I’m not sure why being a Muslim is relevant? Thanks for stopping by though. And, get a cat.
I LOVE CATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!AND KITTENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love cats. They are just amazing pets. I love your blog.
About the king who would cut off his sleeve rather than wake cat – it’s actually the Islamic prophet Muhammad (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_and_cats
I love most animals, and would love any type of pet, but I truly feel like a house isn’t a home – isn’t MY home, at least – unless there’s a cat in it. We have 4 cats, which is a little too many (the second two became family due to circumstances, rather than planning!) for my particular housekeeping skillset, but every single one of them brings me delight every day.
I agree that a house isn’t a home (for me) until there’s a cat. I only have one at this time. She’s 16 years old and has outlived all her kin. I wouldn’t bring another cat in as long as she’s here. She hates cats, after all. She puts up with the dogs, though, an my one lizard. Thank you for checking out my post, Heather. Happy to hear that you have 4 cats. Take care!
I liked this article a lot. I’ve always thought that cats were under-rated as household pets and companions. From a young age, cats were my first love (dogs a close second), and I was never really able to articulate why. This article gives me a good starting point for the next time I’m asked. ::)
Thanks, Sassenach. I’m glad you liked the article. Cats and dogs are so different, aren’t they? It is difficult to articulate the way we feel about cats sometimes, especially to a non-cat person. They’re pretty special. 🙂
I wish I could convince my hubby that a cat would be a great addition to the home! I love kitties!!!!! 🙂
Keep working on him, Rhea! lol My fiance hated cats until he met mine. Now he has a few from other places that he loves very much too. Sometimes it seems that a person just has to know one to love them. Thanks so much for visiting my site! I appreciate the comment too.
Great post! and yes, we love our cat AND dog fur babies here! We have two dogs and six cats- five of the cats arrived as tiny feral kittens in our back yard in the fall of 2009. We couldn’t leave them outside in the cold, with a Maine winter approaching, so we used one of those safe traps to capture them.
We got all of them; hubby built a “kitty condo” for them to stay in while we worked on “socializing” them and until we took them to the vet to make sure they were healthy. We thought we would only keep a couple and find homes for the others, but then we couldn’t part with any of them!
Well of course you couldn’t leave the kittens outside in the cold. And of course you couldn’t give any of them away. Haha. You sound like me. Kitties and doggies are hard to resist. My cat, Jessie was a feral cat too. She’s 16 now. We’ve had a long history. Thank you so much for stopping by, K.Lee. I truly appreciate the visiting and your comment. Come back soon!
Jeanne,
We have 6 cats–five outside (we live on a small farm) and one inside. We love them all. They are such characters, and add much joy to our lives!
I wonder if you’re ever tempted to bring some of those outside cats inside. You must have a barn that has a warm spot for them. I think we have strays here from time to time, making themselves comfortable in our barn, but we can never find them! They must stay for a little while and then move on. Gee, I love cats Thanks for your visit, Amy. I appreciate you.
I can say I’m both a dog and a cat person. Cats certainly different personalities. and It is exciting to see the kitten learn from there mothers, and exploring places that they shouldn’t be in. We have enjoyed every cat we have owned. Well I need to change that somewhat they seem more at owning the human and training them as to what they want than anything. We have one that every time the can opener is running, he sits there and meows the lowest song I have ever heard out of any cat.He certainly has me trained
I’m glad you love cats, and dogs too, Dianna. I don’t know how I would do if all my animals weren’t with me. Cats are so interesting, aren’t they? You can’t predict them. They’re their own being and that’s why I love them. It’s been a very long time since I’ve had the chance to watch a cat with her kittens, but I do recall those sweet days. It’s funny that you should mention your cat’s reaction to the can opener. My cat is the very same. So I give her her food, and she walks away. Sigh … she’s such a cat. 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed the post so much, Jennifer. I have met so many people who have told me that they hated cats, until they met a particular few. My fiance is one of them. I couldn’t even mention the word “cat” to him when we first met. But now, he absolutely loves Jessie, and has adopted the resident cat where he works too. Some cats seem to know exactly how to work on a person to change his views. 🙂 I’m a dog person too, so I know the vast differences between the two. They serve different purposes. Thanks so much for your comment, Jennifer. I appreciate all your visits to my blog. 🙂