a furry thought…
I grew up with animals and around animals, and I love them. In fact, I just might love animals more then people most of the time. I am always jealous of friends who have found a way to keep dogs in this city (although my heart breaks when I see big dogs in the city who you know are cooped up in apartments)
Now cats I like, but then again I really don’t. I like small skinny cats that aren’t too furry. I like them to keep to themselves but still be “there”. I hate fat, hairy, big cats, and on top of that those fat cats always feel it’s necessary to sit and rub up on you…..
So lets merger the exciting topic of boys, with the not so exciting topic of cats.
This Boys has a Cat, I think:
~ He has had a lonely and most likely depressed period where he needed to feel like someone-thing loved him.
~ He most likely either found it on the street or adopted it, which show he is compassionate. (It is unlikely anyone buys a cat/kitten…and if he did he should be ashamed with himself and in turn it makes me ashamed to even be talking to him)
~ Most likely I will leave with cat hair on me, and in my nose. I do not like foreign objects in my nose!
~ We live in small spaces in this city, which means it takes work for an apartment to not smell like cat, and cats do not smell good.
~ Boys in general (but not always) have trouble keeping apartments clean cats get into things trek cat litter everywhere and in general make a space look worse.
~ It’s always good to see how guys interact with animals, it tells you a lot.
FACT: My parents could never and would never approve of a boy who doesn’t like animals.
SIDEBAR: I can’t ever go back to guys my parents don’t approve of, been there, done that, they mean way too much to me. But on that note it takes a lot for me to even mention a boys name to my mother…..
i think men who own pets are amazing. your second point about them being compassionate is spot on!
Ah, boys with cats. I can do a boy with one cat as long as he keeps his apartment immaculate and it doesn’t smell like dirty kitty litter. But a boy with two or more cats? That’s an issue.
does anyone really like things in their nose? ha ha
Karen – The only time I haven’t felt that is when the ex-girlfriend left the cat. That always makes me wonder.
Simone – That’s the issue, it never is immaculate! And if there were two plus I’d run!! (maybe after alittle something something, but still would run!)
Matty – You’d be surprised!
If a guy is going to have a cat, it better be one cool-ass cat. Seriously. And if it a Persian — RUN!
Personally, I prefer a guy that just puts up with my love for cats, rather than having one for his own. Example: my husband just tolerated me paying an insane amount for a siamese kitten. Because he loves me. And he tolerates my animals quite nicely because of that.
Tara thanks for the comment, I agree completely! And yes If I ever saw a persian I would not only run I’d scream like a little girl! Congrats on your new kitten!! I had a siamese cat growing up, she put up with me dressing her up and sat for tea party time (my mom thought it was cute, it might have been abuse)
Last summer I went out with a guy who had a cat. The cat didn’t like me, I was taking the attention away from him, I guess. He bit me, jumped on me and the bathroom (that’s where the litter box was) smelled so bad I gagged every time I was in there. Needless to say that relationship didn’t last and ever since I do not date guys with cats.
OH Jen I totally understand that! I used to swear an ex’s cat would try to kill me in my sleep! The only thing I took away from that relationship were a few extra scares! AND I once went to a very nice dinner party and they also kept the litter box in the bathroom, it ruined the whole evening..the smell was terrible!
As a guy who absolutely loves animals — cats in particular — and loves his own cat dearly, I tend to disagree a bit.
1) I’ve had cats since I was little (along with dogs, a lot of dogs) but the only pets that were every really “mine” were the cats — the dogs were always a stand-in for my mother’s personal issues. I just happen to love cats. If I ever have the money, I’d like to have the space to rescue some larger cats (bobcats, etc.).
2) I actually bought my cat from a pet store for a couple of reasons: a) Once the cat is born (and not by a legitimate breeder), buy keeping it as a pet you are still rescuing it from all of the pitfalls other cats face, including being abandoned by a negligent owner who buys a cat on a whim and later decides against it; b) At the time (and even now) it is difficult to adopt because the shelter is leery of adopting to anyone without an NY ID (I don’t have one) and private adoption places (like Spoiled Bratz) can be a little crazy and OVER protective.
3) (Skipping the shedding comment, can’t really help that.) I’m not the best housekeeper in the world, but if you can’t keep a cat box from smelling like shit, you aren’t taking care of your cat well. All it takes is a good litter, and if you’re pinching pennies on litter, well, you don’t value company. Since my cat hides from strangers, more often than not, people don’t even know I HAVE a cat unless he happens to peak out from under the bed to curiously say hello. There is no excuse for a litter box smell, but in MY experience, the WORST offenders have ALWAYS been women.
4) And despite my poor housekeeping, there is no visible litter / food / anything around that would tell you I had a cat.
I think if you meet a person you can’t control the BASICS of cat-ownership, it shouldn’t be a mark against all of us. I’m a terrible housekeeper, and if I can manage there’s no excuse for anyone else. Some people should just NOT have a pet (usually the ones who feel lonely, so they get a pet, then aren’t lonely any more and so don’t care as much). Like all the girls I know in the city who have dogs (usually small ones) and have them trained to go on a “pee pad” exclusively, so they don’t have to take them outside unless they just WANT to.
Also, two cats is a warning sign? Why? It is RECOMMENDED that you have two cats, so they can bond. I have a solitary cat (because of my issues with pet adoption in the city) but wish I had two so that he could have a friend.
FACT: I have been bitten by a tiger.
SIDEBAR: Also, writers tend to be cat fanciers. I don’t know why, but there is something about being a writer that lends itself to cat ownership.
Josh, I was wondering when you were going to leave an actual comment rather then just twitter, so welcome to my comments first off ; )
I’m a very happy for you and your love for your cat, I really do mean that. Cats do make wonderful pets for some people. I personally am not one of them….but again that’s not all too true because I do own a cat that has lived at home with my parents since I moved here to NYC. I adopted her/ saved her because I was working at an animal shelter at the time and she had FIV (and since cats with FIV can’t be around other cats they were going to put her down) And as much as she is my cat, she is still a raging bitch (but my mother blames the FIV for that)
I’m so sorry you have had trouble adopting in the city. You can get a state ID very easy (you don’t have to show a drivers license) I know it can be a difficult. I however, and again it’s just me am pro pet adoption all the way. But I might be jaded in the fact that I have worked and volunteered at shelters my entire life (I love the place I am at now in the city I get to walk dogs…) and my dad is a vet so pet adoption (and spay/neuter got drilled into me as well)
I’m impressed that you can keep your apartment not smelling like cat! I really really am, it’s a huge feat for someone in the city in the small apartments we all have. You should write a book! I have never walked into a cat owners apartment and not smelled ‘cat’.
I like your FACT. I have not been bitten by a tiger (I bet that’s a great story) I have been bit by many a normal cats, and a bear. (well bear cub but that counts)
AND I don’t think any of our great writer would be who they are/were without the cats in their lives. Eliot is the first of many that pop into my mind!
P.S. You stealing my FACT/SIDEBAR bit ? ; )
Well, all of my cats my whole life have been adopted, so buying one cat (a few weeks after moving to to the city) is forgivable. Though if I had the money I would probably buy some awesome wild-cat cross, just because I’m fascinated with them. Neutering/spaying, of course. Who wants to look at a set of cat balls, anyway?
There’s no need to write a book about chat litter smells. I’ve found is that all it takes is Scoop Away Multiple Cat Formula. I’ve never had it with more than 2 cats, but trust me: even if you allow it to fill up and up and up, you are not going to have a smell.
I’ll probably never get an NY ID, especially since I found out I can just have my Texas ID list my New York address. (It’s a Texas thing.) But in regards to adoption: I would have adopted a cat this summer from the shelter, but they wouldn’t hold it for a few hours for me to get some kind of documentation, and required a lot of information I was hesitant to give — like personal phone numbers of my landlord / super / etc. I was going to adopt from Spoiled Bratz, but they wanted me to feed my cat an all raw-food died, buy expensive organic litters (or some such thing), and go to a clandestine adoption meeting in a building that was not cat-friend, but whose owner was fostering something like 7 cats (they told me to tell the doorman I was visiting so-and-so that was code for “I’m here for the adoption meeting”). The cat had sinus issues that would have been a life-long medical cost for me and I couldn’t afford it, but I wouldn’t want to adopt from them after their crazy-talk anyway.
Not stealing the FACT/SIDEBAR bit, only in long ass comments I post in your blog. Which I check like twice a day now.
Also, my apartment isn’t all that small. :-)
–Josh
PS: It was a Tiger cub. But it still counts!