Why are so many people strictly "dog people" or strictly "cat people"?

[grace0418]

I read that in so many posts, "I'm a dog person" or "I'm a cat person." I find it interesting that two animals that I absolutely adore can be so polarizing that a LOT of people feel they need to choose sides. I guess it's just personal preference but for me it's all good. Dog, cat, horse, giraffe, koala, bird, frog, dolphin, squirrel...I love em all. I even like lizards and snakes, although I admit centipedes give me the willies.

[RadiationTherapy]

1. I prefer cats because I do not like touching and being affectionate.

Dogs are too needy and wet. I grew up with dogs, but always well trained ones. During my hippie phase, so many of my friends were "friends" with their dogs and treated them like children. Obnoxious, couch jumping, unleashed, tent crashing, food stealing goddamned hippie dogs!

[cwydro]

3. My oldest cat is very affectionate.

She sleeps curled up in my arm every night.

I have two others that are more cat-like and standoffish though. Still very loving when they want to be, but on their terms.

[RadiationTherapy]

11. Yes. Good phrase. My cats and I are affectionate on our terms.

Occasionally these vectors intersect.

[cwydro]

35. Lol.

I like that about the vectors intersecting...

As I write my old girl is on my lap purring.

[grace0418]

15. You probably wouldn't like my cat. He's the most affectional creature I've ever met.

But I love that about him.

[Courtesy Flush]

45. Where are you getting your cats???

I've had cats for nearly 30 years and almost all of them were affectionate. That's what I like about them. Dogs, OTOH, mistake obnoxiousness for affection.

[RadiationTherapy]

47. I push them away and hiss a little when I don't want their attention.

My wife and 9 year old daughter give them love though.

[nolabear]

65. Yup, that would work for me.

[cwydro]

2. I have dogs and cats.

I love them both. Probably love cats the most, because they are less high maintenance lol...but I adore my pooch.

[Fleshdancer]

4. I enjoy other people's cats, but I prefer to own dogs....

Then again, if my husband and/or daughter really wanted a cat, I wouldn't be opposed to it. I was raised with dogs and I guess my preference has to do with what I'm most familiar with. At the end of the day though, I'm a big animal fan in general (with the exception of the creepy crawly bugs that have lots of legs)

[Crystal Clarity]

5. I've noticed that too

But not just here; IRL too. I don't get it. I love both cats and dogs for entirely different reasons. For me, it's no different then having 2 kids w/very different personalities. You can't help but love them both.

[qb]

6. Because cats are arrogant and don't listen.

Actually, we have 2 puppies, and a cat I inherited from my ex (her boyfriend is allergic). The cat is very sweet & I give him plenty of attention, but I still like the puppies more.

[jobycom]

24. That's why so many of us Democrats love cats!

:rofl:

[Curmudgeoness]

34. Cats aren't all arrogant and don't listen. I can call my cats and

they come just like dogs would. They are affectionate and friendly. In fact, I wonder if they are really dogs in disguise because they love to come to see who is here, they meet me at the door, and they are friendly to almost anyone.

I always loved dogs more, until I realized that I just could not have a dog logistically. It is not fair (or possible) to leave a dog as long as I would have to. Cats were the only option if I wanted anything fuzzy, and they have grown on me.

[MiddleFingerMom]

7. They are two distinctly different types of animals...

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...and, as mentioned before, on the pragmatic side, cats are
much less needy (at least, lower maintenance).
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Part of it is childhood experience. I grew up with two dogs...
first Bosco... then Sandy. Because of that (and I think ONLY
because of that), I considered myself a dog person.
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As an adult, I've never had the time (nor, to be honest, the level
of responsibility) that it takes for a dog -- but I "accidentally"
had cats the vast majority of my life (either taking in strays
during the winter and keeping them or catsitting for a couple
of folks who just never returned).
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After DECADES of having and enjoying and loving cats, I finally
realized and admitted to myself... and others... that I am a
cat person, also. In a way, it was like coming out of the closet.
.
:rofl:
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[raccoon]

8. I prefer cats because when I was a kid we always had cats. When we had dogs,

we had to get rid of them when neighbors started bitching that they were chasing their chickens, etc.

I'm just more used to being around cats. But I like dogs.

Another thing, you can just leave a lot of food and water in the house and leave the cat alone for the weekend. Can't do that with a dog.

[Amaril]

9. Allergies

Cats dander makes me want to rip out my eyeballs / lob off my nose / ANYTHING to stop the ITCHING; ergo, I am a dog person.

[wickerwoman]

44. Ditto but the opposite.

I'm super allergic to dog saliva. If one licks me, I break out in hives. So hard to try to pet a friendly dog and keep away from its mouth. So I'm much more a cat person.

[laundry_queen]

62. Same here

horribly allergic to cats and some dogs too although not quite as severely, but I love the non-shedding type dogs. Heck I love all dogs,just can't have them. I did have a cat once but it got so bad I couldn't even touch him without breaking out in hives and scratching till I bled. I also find cats too standoff-ish. I am a needy person who likes to be worshipped and followed around :) Hence, dogs.

[Jokerman]

10. I love dogs, that's why I will probably never own one.

Dogs are pack animals and they require much higher maintenance. Brought up properly with lots of time, training and attention, they can become one of the most loyal and affectionate companions you could ever want. However, a dog raised without these things can become a neurotic mess. I won't take on the responsibility of a dog when I know that I don't have the time and patience to do it right.

Cats, on the other hand are much more independent. They can be left alone for longer periods of time. I can work late or go out in the evening confident that my cats will be just fine. They even tend to get cranky when I'm home too much because it interferes with their sleep schedule.

[gvstn]

12. I'm a dog person

I guess it is a matter of whether you want a companion pet or a more independent pet.

Dogs are always ready to give/receive attention which can be very comforting when you are having a bad day or are just bored. Cats are more independent and are on their own schedules so not always willing to be at your beck and call. I also think it is a little easier to read a dog's emotions. But that is just me.

I have a cat now whom I love. But I must admit he is the most dog like cat I have ever had although still self-entertaining most of the time. He actively seeks out companionship.

My schedule doesn't allow a dog right now but one day, I hope to get a dog again. Until then no browsing the shelter for me to avoid temptation.

[realisticphish]

13. Furry, feathery, scaly, whatever, all good to me

even spiders, though I will never, EVER have one in my house (aside from "wild" ones).

Dogs and cats are different, and that's fine. I like both :shrug:

[grace0418]

14. I'm pretty much the same way. I'm fascinated by all animals. I have my preferences, but

feel like I get more attached to individual personalities than a specific species.

[Arugula Latte]

16. I just can't live without kitties, and dogs are okay, but, frankly, lots of dog people drive me nuts

So many dog people are rude about cats and go out of their way to disparage cats. Fuck that. I don't want a dog but I don't go around telling them that dogs are obnoxious or whatever. It makes me want to be more of a "cats only" type of person.

[davsand]

17. I honestly think it is a function of your personality.

I've always had both kinds (dog AND cat) and it seems to me that the self defined "cat people" I know are a lot more self directed than the "dog folks." No doubt, a lot of times a cat will interact with people in an honest seeking of affection, but it seems to me that dogs are almost ALWAYS driven by a desire for acceptance and love. (Could be that pack mentality that behaviorists like to talk about--I dunno...)

Anyhow, it seems to me that a lot of the dog lovers I know are kinda that same way--they seem to be really into that whole "acceptance" and belonging thing. A lot of the cat lovers seem to be kind of "take it or leave it" when it comes to social stuff.

I have NO idea what drives anyone like me--someone that chooses to harbor both feline and canine. It's probably a severe mental illness or something.

YMMV.



Laura

[Orsino]

18. Probably because cats tell them which to be. n/t

[IcyPeas]

19. cats are independent and clean.

dogs are smelly and a pain the a** to bathe -- you have to walk them (and you have to clean up after them - yuk). they are too much work. and they don't purrrrrr they bark.

maybe it's laziness on my part.


:hide:

[suninvited]

20. dogs are a pain in the a** to bathe??

have you ever had to bathe a cat????

[Arugula Latte]

49. Cats don't ususally require baths, though, except under extreme circumstances.

[ProfessorGAC]

21. Don't Know. We've Got Both, Too!

I was raised a dog person, but married a cat owner. Never had an issue. Then i wanted a dog, and no problem the other way, even though my wife was raised as cat owner.

I don't get it.
GAC

[grace0418]

22. I was raised with no pets (mom was "allergic" or so she says). So I couldn't wait to

have as many animals in my life as possible as soon as I reached adulthood.

[Rob H.]

23. I like dogs, but I'm definitely a cat person

Part of it's because I live in an apartment, but mostly it's probably just laziness. Cats are (imo) a lot easier to take care of than dogs and I know my cat is way more mellow than any of the dogs I've ever met.

[jobycom]

25. For me it's pure practicality.

I live in an apartment and don't have the time to take care of a dog. Also, with the leash and licensing laws and with insurance companies buying into the arbitrary "Dangerous Breed" nonsense, there is a lot more hassle to keep a dog.

I'm probably more temperamentally inclined towards cats, but I love both (and all other animals), and all things being equal, I'd have dogs, cats, and turtles. Maybe a bird, too.

[grace0418]

26. I totally understand that. I don't have a dog either, for practical reasons. Our place is

just too small and we don't have a yard. After I started working at home we tossed around the idea of getting a dog but decided to wait until we moved, since hopefully we'll be doing that soon.

Anyway, I'm just always puzzled not so much by people who prefer one or the other, or by people who have one kind or another for specific reasons, but by people who are adamantly pro-dog and anti-cat or vice versa. Too each his or her own, I guess, I just don't get it. They are different in a lot of ways, but to me their both cute and cuddly.

[WildEyedLiberal]

27. I enjoy most cats, but I'm a selective dog person

I've been around way too many big dumb dogs who are ill-behaved and messy to say that I am an unequivocal "dog person." I DO like dogs - my parents have a Corgi and he is pure awesome and I love him to death - but being around an obnoxious dog is 100x worse than being around an obnoxious cat. Obnoxious cats WANT you to leave them alone. Obnoxious dogs REFUSE to let you ignore them.

Also, I don't have to bathe a cat to ensure that its fur doesn't smell atrocious.

Edit: Yes, I get that it's the owner's fault if the dog is stupid and ill-behaved, but that's still sort of the point. It's pretty hard to be a "bad cat owner" in the sense that the owner has any effect on the personality of the cat and its interactions with other people, whereas with some dogs, you have to more or less pay money to take the dumb thing to obedience school to get it to not jump on people.

[yellerpup]

28. I love all animals but I keep cats

because I now live in an apartment. Cats don't bark or howl when they have separation anxiety. Makes me a better neighbor.

[TrogL]

29. I've got both

[grasswire]

30. here's what I like about my dog

Duffy is ALWAYS game for anything. Whatever you want, any time. He's a border collie, but very well behaved. Cheerful, funny, hilarious.

None of the kittehs will do that, preferring to sleep or stretch or do their own things.

And yet I am definitely a cat person.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

31. Cats are stuck up.

I am highly allergic to cats; I am also allergic to dogs. Usually less so, it depends on the breed and the dog. I babysat a Boston Terrier for a friend and the allergic reaction was manageable with decongestants. But then the dog is short haired and small.

I can't stand the smell of a cat box. I don't know anyone who owns cats who has a non-smelly house.
Yes, you have to take dogs outside and interact with them. Some dogs are pretty annoying. But I still consider cats to be pretty useless.

I have friends who have turned into cat ladies, and you can't go in their houses without choking.
I know they have a kind heart, but they isolate themselves from other people.

[Awsi Dooger]

52. I can't visit my aunt now that she has a cat

The smell and reaction are overwhelming. I guess if you live with a cat you get accustomed to it and don't realize the potential impact on others.

Now I ask her to visit me, and bring her sweet little dog with her.

I see no redeeming qualities in cats. In fact, when I joined this site in 2002 and eventually wandered in to the Lounge, I honestly thought the pro-cat threads were a joke.

[TrogL]

61. Lemme get this straight

When you visit her, she has a cat. When she visits you, she has a dog. :shrug:

[NV Whino]

32. Because dogs drool and cats rule?

[Solly Mack]

33. I like both and usually have both. I like all critters though.

My cats died within a year of each other (very old/cancer) and I'm just not ready to get another cat. This was just a few years ago.
I also have chinchillas.

[undeterred]

36. Allergies.

If you're allergic to an animal you never really get to know and understand them. Dog person here, highly allergic to cats.

[InvisibleTouch]

37. Circumstance, for some of us.

I love them all, but right now I have several dogs whom I wouldn't trust around a cat. Thus, I can't have a cat. :( Though I've had cats in the past, and someday in a different living situation, I'll be able to have both. All species have their appeal, you just can't judge one by the standards of the other.

[TorchTheWitch]

38. It isn't strict

I'm a "dog person" because it is the type of pet that suits my desires in a pet as I'm sure "cat people" are that way for the same reason. It doesn't mean that "dog people" don't like cats or vice versa. I like affectionate cats quite well and if I wasn't allergic to them would probably have one (if I could avoid having to deal with a litter box, that is).

I love horses, but could never afford to own one and wouldn't have the time or the inclination to provide for one's needs, so for me, they make an impossible pet choice. Fish are nice to watch, I suppose, but they don't provide what it is I desire as a pet, and frankly, I don't even consider them pets at all but more like living decorations.

We have the pets we have because they meet our desires in what we want in a pet and what we can afford in both money and time. Doesn't mean we don't like other animals.

[bif]

39. You're right. They both suck.

[AsahinaKimi]

40. I am a cat person, however...

In my household, growing up we had Cats, Dogs, Hamsters, turtles, fish, parakeets, mice, Guinea Pigs, Ducks, and even a snake. My Dad liked animals..

It drove my mom crazy. Well, one day, she had just had it, and told him, .."Kazuki, just pick one!". Fortunately one of his friends also loved Animals and took them all in, except for the Cat, it was my Mom's favorite.

[Skip Intro]

41. I like them both, but cats are obviously cooler. nt

[ChoralScholar]

42. Well, one thing I can say for sure:

[WillParkinson]

43. As long as my dogs and cats are 'me' types I'm happy...

I have 4 dogs and 4 cats. Each has their own personality and brings something to our household. I can't imagine not having all of us together.

[PassingFair]

46. "Cat People" are afraid of DOGS, and "Dog People" don't understand...

people who are afraid of dogs.

Some "Dog People" are afraid of
cats, too.

One of my daughters doesn't trust cats.

[Arugula Latte]

48. I think a lot of cat people aren't necessarily afraid of dogs

but they do think a lot of dogs are annoying. On the other hand, I guess when I think about it when I'm around dogs I am always aware that if a dog decided to snap, it could do some major damage. You do hear about perfectly friendly Golden Retriever family pets who one day decide to maul their owners (yes, that sort of stuff is rare but it does happen). Cat claws can indeed inflict some damage but dogs can literally rip your face off. I never take it for granted that a "friendly" dog won't suddenly turn.

[PassingFair]

51. I know a few people who SAY they are not afraid of dogs...

then act all nervous and jumpy around them.

I don't fault them for it, many people have
had bad, even horrific experiences with dogs.

The bigger the dog, the scarier, of course.

I love dogs, but I feel uncomfortable when
large dogs run up on me, and I have 2 dogs.

I would have cats, and had multiple cats most
of my single life, but one of my kids is
really allergic to them.

[REP]

50. I'm with you

I "get" cats better, since I've lived with them all my life, but I like all animals and most bugs, especially bees.

[Rabrrrrrr]

53. Cuz dogs are smelly, dumb, slobbery. But I have no explanation for why some are dog-only people.

Probably because cats are aloof, independent, and think for themselves.

At least, any legitimate reason.

[ProfessorGAC]

54. Rabrrrrrr!

How you been?!?!? I haven't been here for a while.

And watch that dog stuff! My big boy will come looking for ya!
GAC

[Rabrrrrrr]

63. Busy declaring Kanly on the canine owners and using the weirding way on them.

"Dog Whisperer? Really? Here - try a little bit of weirding way, you dog-owning schmuck."

I've not been here a lot, either - busy with other stuff. But I come here to rant once in a while, or spend a few hours.

Life has been kinda busy, and DU was more fun when we all came here to point out war crimes and other malfeasance of Shrub. Since Obama's been elected, and we aren't unified in our hatred of the most incompetent and ethically bankrupt and intentionally stupid president we've ever had, we're spending a lot of time fighting each other.

Typical of revolutions - easy to get people together to tear down the current leader, but then once the new group has the power, they tear at each other.

That's why I keep a 'thopter running at all times.

[zanana1]

55. I feel that way, too.

Cats, dogs and farm animals top the list.

[clyrc]

56. I love both

I am more of a dog person, but I love my cats as much as I love my dog.

[ElboRuum]

57. My guess. Pet owners choose pets that are similar in personality to themselves.

If one considers how difficult it is to be warm, affectionate, and attention-hungry while simultaneously being distant, aloof, and attention-averse, one sees clearly how a person may favor one over the other.

[mcollins]

58. I am both.

They are very different creatures of course. We have both dogs and cats in our lives and each has there own personality. I am most connected with the oldest dog, a ten year Black Lab. I think it has to do with how each person connects to other entities. Some just connect better with cats. Or dogs. Or goldfish.

[Shell Beau]

59. I love them both. I've had them both. In fact, I have had

way too many animals as pets. However, I think it has to do with personality. I am a dog person. I prefer the kind of pet they are. That doesn't mean I don't think cats are awesome and beautiful, but dogs are just more for me.

[Withywindle]

60. I like both too.

Though I am more of a cat person. They seem to suit my temperament better. Also, I grew up in a house full of dogs, and was never able to have a cat although I really wanted one. So as an adult, I might have gravitated to what I was "denied" as a child.

Also, dogs are a bit needy and demanding for me. But I don't hate them, far from it, and I certainly don't look down on "dog people."

I DO kind of look down on people who actually hate one or the other, or don't like animals at all. That seems far creepier to me than having a preference for either. I can understand not wanting a pet because of life circumstances, but not an actual aversion to them.

[triguy46]

64. Our dogs and cats tend to become quite good friends with each other...

we do live on a farm and theirs plenty of room, not sure I'd recommend it for inside. That said, I just prefer dogs. I can relate better to them, and vice versa.