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/What are some reasons why cats are good pets?
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I have both cats and dogs who have been living healthily and happily together for 5 years. Toxoplasmosis is only something you have to be concerned about if you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant--the solution is not to rehome your cat, just get a non-pregnant person to scoop and clean the litter box. Cats are clean, affectionate, entertaining, visually appealing, quiet and relatively inexpensive companions. With a little coaching, they can cohabitate very well with dogs. 2 of my 3 cats will actually sleep on top of one of my dogs; and all three cats cuddle with and groom the dogs.
Cats are wonderful pets. They are fairly easy to look after, and the affection, and constant fun, and adventure they bring to your life is unparalleled. They will constantly show you unconditional love, and seem to know if you are needing cheering up, and will come, and comfort you when you need it most.
They are a constant source of amusement, and very beneficial to everyone's mental well being. I find that my cat seems to clear the environment of any negativity. I don't know how this happens, but it does, when she is around, and people are in the house, the atmosphere always becomes lighter, and more chilled. That's the magic of cats, it’s hard to feel sad, when a cat is around, they are just, so beautiful to watch, and touch.
They are very inquisitive creatures, and their sense of wonderment in the smallest of things is endearing.
They are very safe pets on the most part, and won't cause anywhere near as terrible injuries, as a dog can. They don't require walking, or constant babysitting. You don't have to build your schedule around them, as you would with a dog, if you had to work most of the day. The cost a lot less to feed, as they are smaller.
They are cleaner animals, and don't get smelly. They won't need constant supervision around guests, or young children. They won't do as much damage to your home if they decide to chew anything, they also shed far less fur than a dog.
They don't make lots of noise like some dogs can. They are placid generally speaking, and don't cause as much chaos if they are over excited.
They are lovely to cuddle, cats are, so soft, and fluffy, and have the cutest paws ever. They can catch mice for you, if you happen to have a problem. They will provide a free neighbourhood watch service for you, by staying on the lookout at the window, or door. Their hearing is so acute that the slightest noise will alert them, and you to anything untoward.
They have been known to attack people who were posing a threat to their owner.
They will keep you company during the night, and wake you up in the morning. They will purr you to sleep, and good health. A cat’s purr is said to be beneficial to human health, in different ways. It can reduce stress, and high blood pressure, and heal bones. People who own cats are generally healthier, suffer less common ailments, and depression, and live longer. It is said that just stroking a cat can reduce the heart rate, anxiety levels, and blood pressure in a short amount of time.
Hope you find this helpful, and you are allowed to give a cat, or should I say a furry deity a home.
Hey there! I was on the same boat as you before getting my boy Tennis. My dad didn’t like cats and while my mom loves most animals, she didn’t want to go against Dad’s wishes. Also we had a dog that didn’t like cats much. But now we all live together happily!
Before we begin, you don’t actually have to worry about toxoplasmosis. You are way more likely to contract it by eating contaminated pork meat than you are from a kitty friend. In fact, in order for your cat to actually give you toxoplasmosis, they’d have to be sick in the first place (which shouldn’t happen with proper nutrition and regular visits to the vet), and you’d have to pick up their poop with your bare hands and then lick your fingers. That’s how difficult it actually is to get toxoplasmosis from a cat. If you want to make absolutely sure, just don’t let pregnant women clean the litterbox. Ta da!
Now, as for reasons:
Hygiene: cats are, for the most part, incredibly clean animals who very rarely, if ever, need a bath - unlike dogs, who need frequent baths lest they start to stink. They’ll spend most of their waking hours grooming themselves (and you, if they like you enough). They are also pretty easy to train to use the litterbox, and won’t relieve themselves outside of it unless there’s an underlying cause (such as the litterbox being too dirty, being sick, territorial marking -fixed by spaying and neutering). I’ve even heard of potty-trained cats, and they even flushed the toilet!
Exercise: cats don’t usually need to be taken out for walks. You can teach them how to do it on a leash and a harness, but most cats are perfectly happy staying indoors and exercising there. It’s a lot of fun to watch them zoom across the hallway, chasing after a toy, or jumping up while playing with you. You should provide your cat with a special place to climb that will be just for them, and a den-like place (I recommend a pet carrier) so they can hide and rest. Also, give them plenty of scratchposts or scratchpads so your furniture won’t suffer for it!
Plague Control: cats are natural hunters. Some dogs are even afraid of mice, but cats will keep those pests under control. They also hunt rats, cockroaches, beetles…
Silence and Calm: unless you get a specially chatty cat, like a Siamese, cats are relatively quiet animals. It’s great for living in apartment buildings or if you have very… ahem… “special” neighbors. Also, cats won’t generally jump up on you or your guests, but will approach calmly and carefully and, if they really like you, lay on your lap!
Food: cats tend to eat much less than dogs, and their food is generally cheaper. Furthermore, you can teach them a few tricks in exchange for treats. I taught mine how to high-five and meow for treats!
If your parents are not yet convinced, you can maybe negotiate a trial period. My cat was not going to be an indoors cat, but he won his way to my dad’s heart (to the point where my cat sleeps in my dad’s bed at night). Good luck!
They never surprise you by growing to 80 pounds, and for that reason they’re cheap to feed. They are cheap to acquire — all of my beautiful, smart and affectionate companions were free, and all but one lived well past 18. I sure got my money’s worth! :-)
Kittens virtually house-train themselves if they’re not with their mothers to be taught this behavior. They bury their messes so they don’t smell. They can be trained to do an amazing array of tricks. They still occasionally romp like kittens when they are well into the teens.
Cats love to sleep with people, and will take the middle of the bed if you don’t assert yourself. They will zoom from one end of the house to another in the middle of the night, and make only a fraction of the noise a dog does (they burn off excess energy during their natural “awake” time).
Veterinary care is about half what dogs cost (for a much longer life expectancy), and medical care at home is easier than for dogs (pills, injections, bandages, claw-clipping, whatever). Food choices are simple: meat. Milk (if they don’t throw it up) is a treat in small amounts. Dry food should be left out as a between-meals snack, meals are canned food that’s fortified with taurine and vitamins. Table scraps are allowed but shouldn’t be meal-sized or spicy/salted. Research the net for the best quality foods you can afford.
If rodents are a problem in your area, a couple of cats will earn their keep. They will also consume insect pests. Cats should have another cat for a companion — they get depressed from loneliness, and scared. That upsets their digestion, moves them to miss the litter box, caterwaul in the night, and all sorts of inexplicable behaviors. Mostly they are trying to tell you that spending their days alone has upset them.
A wet or dirty dog really stinks. Cats are self-cleaning, and smell wonderful. They need brushing during shedding seasons, and frequent searches for fur mats to be snipped close to the skin as possible. All this can be incorporated into snuggle times. At those times you can probe gently for changes in body parts — swellings, scabs, spots newly painful, and get them tended to. Pay attention to pain around the mouth — it almost always means a bad tooth.
Nobody should miss out on the joy of kittens around the house, but please don’t overlook mature cats. They need love, too. Same goes for dogs.
Dogs make good pets, but for me it’s cats, cats, cats. They will bond to a human as deeply as a dog does. A dog defending you or rescuing you has a size advantage over a cat, but a cat will protect you to the best of its ability if it loves you. BTW cats never love a person who plays roughly. You’ll be treated as staff. A dog will love you anyway, but teaching it to play rough could mean you get bitten. Cats rarely bite people.
Toxoplasmosis is only an issue if there is a pregnant woman in the house, and she’s around the litter box. Somebody else has to look after the litter. If she can’t avoid the box, a high-grade mask will help. Be a responsible owner and tell pregnant visitors about the cat.
Dogs and cats allowed outdoors will both bring fleas, etc. Back to the house. Both are easy to treat. Cats don’t need to be walked, as their bathroom and exercise needs can be met indoors. Dogs and cats should both have spaying/neutering budgeted for.
Good luck, I hope you get your cats.
Cats do not require constant attention the way dogs do. Cats are remarkably self-sufficient. Leave out enough food and water for three days and a freshly cleaned litter box. Leave town for the weekend. Come back Sunday night, the cat will be thrilled to see you. She will have eaten a little food each day, gone potty in the litter box. Now consider a dog; the dog will scarf down all of the food immediately and ask you for more before you even leave the house on Friday afternoon, and if you leave the dog in the house, he will have pooped and peed on the floor, because he needs a human to let him outside every single time he has to go potty, and will be starving because he ate all the food right away. A cat is definitely less work, and less painful when they sleep on you.
Of course, if you want to play with your cat, she will be happy to play with you and a piece of string for a while. If you throw a tennis ball for your dog, the dog will keep bringing you the ball and dropping it in your lap, for hours. Cats are much less demanding of their owners.
Here are ten reasons, the best answer I have ever seen:
1. Cats Tend to Be Clean Animals
2. Cats Are Quiet
3. Cats Are Low-Maintenance
4. Cats Don’t Need to Be Taken Outside
5. Cats Are Super Easy to Potty Train
6. Cats Protect Your Home From Pests
7. Cats Cost Less Than Dogs
8. Cats Can Be Left Alone Longer Than Dogs
9. Cats Are Ideal Apartment Pets
10. Cats Are Excellent Companions