Should Men Living Alone Get a Cat?

  • Thread starter FlexGunship
  • Start date
In summary, Flex is considering getting a cat, but is worried about the judgment he will receive living alone with one. He thinks that a slightly older cat from a shelter or from someone on Craigslist would be a better option.
  • #36
zoobyshoe said:
Women view a guy who has a good relationship with a cat as extremely desirable boyfriend/husband material.

Elaine might disagree with you there.
 
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  • #37
Flex, shelter animals need some attention and care. They also deserve a chance with a loving human, so go for it.

Cats need far less attention than dogs,but they WILL tell you when they want it. Dogs will beg for attention, and cats will demand it. I prefer dogs to cats, even though dogs really need personal interaction, walks, exercise, chances to run freely, etc. When Duke wants my attention, he'll lay on my feet, roll up onto my ankles/legs and look up at me upside-down with a grin on his face. At ~55#, I am really glad that he doesn't jump on me like a needy cat.
 
  • #38
dacruick said:
There is so much wrong with this post lol.
What are you talking about? My rationalization is impeccable!
 
  • #39
dacruick said:
Elaine might disagree with you there.
All I hear you saying is that you're a guy and you have a dog.
 
  • #40
You're going to be a great cat-dad, flex! Get that sweet old kitty out of the shelter, bring her home!
 
  • #42
rhody said:
Here is my cat picture as promised, siamese female 3 years old, Luna;
Is that you we see in her eyes?
Edit: I did that 3-d trick by crossing my eyes and seem to see someone holding out a camera.
 
  • #44
Dude, a lot of chicks like cats... so, for every one that will think you're weird, there will be one or more that will like the fact that you like cats.
 
  • #45
Is this the type of cats you're looking for? :biggrin:

[PLAIN]http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/funny-pictures-orange-jabba-cat.jpg

Though, it's obvious from your first post that you are not going to get one.

P.S. How's my fiancee, Andre? No pics? I miss him :!)
 
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  • #46
lisab said:
She's beautiful :!)
Lisa,

I posted her awhile ago in another thread for another reason, and you commented then too.

Jimmy Snyder said:
Is that you we see in her eyes?
Edit: I did that 3-d trick by crossing my eyes and seem to see someone holding out a camera.
Jimmy,

You are one clever devil, are you sure you didn't used to work for the intel/spook world ? You had a 50/50 chance anyway. It was either me, or a human looking tripod. I prefer the tripod myself.

Rhody...
 
  • #47
zoobyshoe said:
Guy's who like dogs over cats are extremely questionable. Women view a guy who has a good relationship with a cat as extremely desirable boyfriend/husband material.
Yep. +1
 
  • #48
zoobyshoe said:
Here's some more rationalization/ammo: Cats are invariably symbols of the feminine. They're picky, fickle, high maintainence, vain: always grooming themselves. If a guy likes cats it constitutes absolute proof he likes women and is not gay. Guy's who like dogs over cats are extremely questionable. Women view a guy who has a good relationship with a cat as extremely desirable boyfriend/husband material.

who are women you talk of :rolleyes:

FlexGunship said:
  1. I have nice things and I don't really want to have them broken or clawed at by a cat, and
  2. Do men who live alone with a cat look as ridiculous as I suspect?

As of a personal opinion, I see guys who have cats or love cats more classier than those who have dogs. Kind of stuff feminine or classier women love.
 
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  • #49
Get the older cat. No one wants them, how someone can dump an older cat or dog is beyond me. Give the older cat a loving home, they'll be less likely to cause damage.
 
  • #50
I highly suggest getting a pair of kittiens, siblings if possible. If you're going to be gone for a few days at a time every month - that's a lot of abandonment for a cat if they're overly needy. The time away is also time that your cat is left to their own devices, alone. A parter cat helps them keep busy - both from a mental/social aspect and a physical aspect. However, I would plan to be able to spend some continuous time with them to start and see how they interact in your home - but having a pair mitigates the possibility for kittien-disasters (because they get curious-destructive when bored). The only thing my pair did from a young age was tear at toilet paper and plastic grocery bags (they still go after the grocery bags if left out...). I attribute this rather easy house-weaning to there being 2 of them, I didn't have to redirect much at all.

Also, getting an older cat - you're going to be left up to their idiosyncrasies. If you and the cat are out of sync - it could be a rough few years. If you raise kittiens from a young age - they'll adapt to you and everyone will be happier. My pair of almost 3 y.o. cats have been with me since they were 10 weeks old - they're some of the most social, friendly, happy cats I've ever seen. They know my routine and abide by it for the most part. They even adapted very well to moving in with my (now) wife. They took to her without question.
 
  • #51
I now have two teenage cats (less than one year old) -- that makes me the odd mammal out. They've ripped up the house from stem to stern. Anything not bolted down is fair play. Tonight I can't find my glasses.

My last cat, Kitty, was a longhair sweetheart (part Maine Coon?), adopted at about 10 human years.
 
  • #52
zoobyshoe said:
Here's some more rationalization/ammo: Cats are invariably symbols of the feminine. They're picky, fickle, high maintainence, vain: always grooming themselves. If a guy likes cats it constitutes absolute proof he likes women and is not gay. Guy's who like dogs over cats are extremely questionable. Women view a guy who has a good relationship with a cat as extremely desirable boyfriend/husband material.
:smile: I've had cats and dogs. We usually have two or three cats to one dog. Except for our current dog, all our cats and dogs have been strays, although one was adopted from a shelter. Our current dog was a pet for my mother-in-law until she couldn't handle it, so she came to live with us.

I've thought about adopting a greyhound or two, because I like greyhounds, and it would be nice to go running with them. However, we'd need to move to a larger place.
 
  • #53
Silly talk.

Everyone has cat's and/or dogs and nobody thinks anything of it because it's so common. Just don't start collecting them. The more important question you should be asking yourself is "am I ready to commit 12+ years of my life to caring for this animal".
 
  • #54
FlexGunship said:
So... here's the deal.

That you're posting this and that I have an opinion on this is scary.

I live alone and I'd love to have some company. Girls make the best pets (oh, god, don't flame me... just let me have my joke), but I'm looking for something less likely to judge me for where I leave my dirty socks.

Well, cats don't like dirty socks, but they do identify their food-providing owners with whatever odors their owners supply, so they're probably comforted by your socks.

I live in a small condo and I often travel for a few days at a time for work.

I kind of think a dog is out even though I love dogs. There are lots of people that have dogs in my condo community, but the place is small, and I don't have much of a yard. Not to mention it would be hard to board him/her every time I travel for a couple of days.

So... I was thinking of getting a cat.

I like cats... a lot actually. They're pretty neat and clean. They don't need to go outside constantly, and can survive for a day or two without you

I'm allergic, but that didn't stop girlfriends or a wife from taking up the nasty habit. Actually, I like the little critters. All have learned a prolonged scratch on the head is NOT a prelude to lap time. I love 'em, but at a distance. So long as I reminded them I love 'em daily, they're fed and their litter box is changed on a regular basis, they've left me more or less alone. Long stares of mutual appreciation across the living room and all that. They like my company, and know I like theirs, within reason.

The cool thing about cats is that once litterbox trained, they fend for themselves quite well. Even if they tend to overeat, it's difficult for them to do so in a week, and a couple of days of water/food malfunction won't hurt them, particularly when you have two long-term food/water stations instead of just one.

Anyway, I have two principle concerns:

Can't answer the first one.

Do men who live alone with a cat look as ridiculous as I suspect?

Depends on how they interact with their cat. I've never had a cat as a single adult male. I inherited them with the fairer of our own species. Loved them right along with their owners.

EDIT: I would probably adopt a slightly older cat from a shelter or from someone on Craigslist. Probably wouldn't get a kitten.

Why not? The best cats I ever had I raised from eye-opening or earlier.
 
  • #55
zoobyshoe said:
Here's some more rationalization/ammo: Cats are invariably symbols of the feminine. They're picky, fickle, high maintainence, vain: always grooming themselves. If a guy likes cats it constitutes absolute proof he likes women and is not gay. Guy's who like dogs over cats are extremely questionable. Women view a guy who has a good relationship with a cat as extremely desirable boyfriend/husband material.

You can at least back that up with some sources man...
http://articles.sfgate.com/2005-01-09/living/17355781_1_maine-coon-cat-cats-protection-single-women
The survey showed that 85 percent of men, and 94 percent of women, don't think it's wimpy or needy for a man to love his cat.
Yes, according to this same British survey, women love men with cats. Ninety percent of single women surveyed thought men who like cats are "nicer" -- i.e., more caring and sensitive -- than those who don't. A quick poll of my cat-loving single girlfriends bears this out.

Oh and some gratuitous material for some of our other members...
http://www.foundanimals.org/cat-days-summer/6-packs-9-lives
 
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  • #56
lisab said:
You're going to be a great cat-dad, flex! Get that sweet old kitty out of the shelter, bring her home!

I, uh... don't know how I feel about the term "cat-dad." I don't think I'm her biological father... although, if she's 12... that means... hmm... the circus... And people who treat their cats like children are... uh... more lonely than I.

TheStatutoryApe said:
Oh and some gratuitous material for some of our other members...
http://www.foundanimals.org/cat-days-summer/6-packs-9-lives

Oh god... this does NOT resolve the concern that a single man with a cat is of questionable sexuality.

Anyway, I've been thinking more about it and I've been browsing some shelter websites locally. I don't think I have the time to help a kitten not die. Don't get me wrong, I can be very dedicated, but I found a stray kitten once and took care of her for about a week before her owners claimed her and she was pretty darn hyperactive. I would leave her for the day when I went to work and come home to her limping and some piece of lighting being broken.

At least with an older shelter cat, some of the quirks might be known quantities that I can evaluate. With a young cat, it's all up in the air... for all I know, the cat might have laserbeam eyes and a general dislike for the movies I love.

EDIT: Also, I want a cat that snuggles with teddy bears. I saw it on YouTube.
 
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  • #57
TheStatutoryApe said:
...
http://www.foundanimals.org/cat-days-summer/6-packs-9-lives

:smile::smile: It's the name. It's killing me!
 
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  • #58
Dembadon said:
:smile::smile: It's the name. It's killing me!

I just assumed it meant beer. :frown:
 
  • #59
I have never been a cat-owner, though a cat "owned" me for a while. My wife and I lived across the street from a couple that had 'way too many cats. The cat that adopted me was called "Midnight" because Dave said that was the only cat they could see at midnight. She was a fluffy white Persian with blue eyes, and deaf as a post. I could stare at the other cats, and they would avoid me. Not Midnight. She'd shadow me as soon as I came in the house, and as soon as it'd sit down somewhere, she'd be in my lap, purring like a chain-saw and rubbing her head all over my chest.

It was pretty comical, really. Some cats are much more charming than others. My sister's litter-mate cats (Yin and Yang) were destructive and a handful, even when they were a few years old. Go to the shelter and "audition" a few older cats. You should be able to tell if the cat is properly socialized and is comfortable with you.
 
  • #60
turbo said:
Go to the shelter and "audition" a few older cats. You should be able to tell if the cat is properly socialized and is comfortable with you.

That's my plan. Just lonely coming home to an empty house everyday. I've had live-in girlfriends off and on over the last few years, and they're nice... but the cost of ownership goes up steadily (first it's a pair of boots for the snow, then it's a pair of matching shoes to wear after the boots come off, then it's a new sweater with matching Lexus).

A cat should be nice... it'll need attention (and I love to give attention), and maybe it'll watch movies with me, or listen to the music I write... or... conspire... :devil:
 
  • #61
FlexGunship said:
That's my plan. Just lonely coming home to an empty house everyday. I've had live-in girlfriends off and on over the last few years, and they're nice... but the cost of ownership goes up steadily (first it's a pair of boots for the snow, then it's a pair of matching shoes to wear after the boots come off, then it's a new sweater with matching Lexus).

A cat should be nice... it'll need attention (and I love to give attention), and maybe it'll watch movies with me, or listen to the music I write... or... conspire... :devil:
Sounds good, Flex. I always loved having a pet to come home to.

The ferret in my avatar was Turbo, and he was almost like a dog because he loved attention. We had Pergo flooring in the living-room (my office was on one end) and he loved to play "ferret-bowling". He'd come to me, playing keep-away until I caught him, then I'd scale him across that slippery floor. He'd work like hell trying to get his feet under him and scrub off speed, just so he could run back to me and play keep-away again. We'd do that for probably 15-20 minutes at a time, until he came back to me and put his front paws up on my leg, letting me know that he wanted to be held so he could take a nap. That was good for both of us.
 
  • #62
turbo said:
Sounds good, Flex. I always loved having a pet to come home to.

The ferret in my avatar was Turbo, and he was almost like a dog because he loved attention. We had Pergo flooring in the living-room (my office was on one end) and he loved to play "ferret-bowling". He'd come to me, playing keep-away until I caught him, then I'd scale him across that slippery floor. He'd work like hell trying to get his feet under him and scrub off speed, just so he could run back to me and play keep-away again. We'd do that for probably 15-20 minutes at a time, until he came back to me and put his front paws up on my leg, letting me know that he wanted to be held so he could take a nap. That was good for both of us.

Even I have to "awww" at that. I hadn't considered a ferret. They're cage pets, though, right?
 
  • #63
FlexGunship said:
Even I have to "awww" at that. I hadn't considered a ferret. They're cage pets, though, right?
No, none of my ferrets were ever caged. They are easily litterbox trained and had free run of the house. You have to ferret-proof your place, though, because they are the most inquisitive little critters you can imagine, and they have a great deal of dexterity in their "hands" so that latches and catches have to be installed on cupboard doors and anyplace else you don't want them to go.
 
  • #64
FlexGunship said:
but the cost of ownership goes up steadily (first it's a pair of boots for the snow, then it's a pair of matching shoes to wear after the boots come off, then it's a new sweater with matching Lexus).

:smile: Your "maintenance comment" cracks me up. On a practical note, try to find one that regardless the age, is not like a hair trigger ball of fire about to spook or pounce at a moments notice. You say you need a mellow cat, there are plenty of those. It will all fall into place, trust me grasshopper.

Rhody...
 
  • #65
There is no such thing as "men with cats". There are, however, "cats with men", and by all statistical definitions, yes, they are odd: they are among the 1% of cats that have male servants to take care of their survival needs while they strut around chasing tail and sleeping in precarious places. They will occasionally toss scraps to their servants (in the form of a dead bird or rat) without a care for the emotional integrity of the servant, but for the most part, they could hardly notice that you are there, bending to their every need, holding up the foundations they strut about.
 
  • #66
TheStatutoryApe said:
You can at least back that up with some sources man...
http://articles.sfgate.com/2005-01-09/living/17355781_1_maine-coon-cat-cats-protection-single-women
Wow, by complete accident it turns out at least one woman agrees with what I said:
zoobyshoe said:
Women view a guy who has a good relationship with a cat as extremely desirable boyfriend/husband material.
Jane Ganahl said:
It's long been said by women that cats are excellent guy-o-meters -- capable of spotting a bad one with a sniff. I always found the converse to be true: Men who were good to my cats -- and not in a manipulative, let's- impress-her-with-my-sensitivity kind of way -- were going to be good to me.
 
  • #67
FlexGunship said:
...people who treat their cats like children are...

Let's just say even the most cat-wonderful cat owners I've met were able to maintain their grasp on reality.

My cats have all had very unique and different personalities, despite the fact I raised them all pretty much the same. Some were spastic. Other's were cool and calm. Others were princesses. The one thing I noticed over the years is that none of them became bitchy princesses, the cool and calm were never arrogant or demanding, and the spastic knew when to chill out. This is in contrast to other owners and their cats.

My deduction is that some aspects of a cat's personality are learned, others are genetic. That's hardly news, though, is it? I have kids, too, and see much the same.

Oh god... this does NOT resolve the concern that a single man with a cat is of questionable sexuality.

Are you questioning my sexuality on the sole basis that I've been a single man with a cat? If you would, Sir, I'd be happy to address your concerns with four or five well-reasoned arguments...

Seriously, that's crap. Guys and gals are people. I prefer dogs, but as I was always coming and going, cats were just so much less maintenance.
 
  • #68
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  • #69
Tulip is my favorite.
 
  • #70
Dembadon said:
Tulip is my favorite.

She does seem sweet. I can't figure out why people give names like that to a cat.

Neutrino for a small quick cat.
Higgs for a big cat that likes to hide and is hard to find.
Tachyon (Tacky for short) for a cat that's just preposterous in general.

Instead... Tulip. A flower. Bah!

EDIT: I also thought of adopting a black cat because they're so rarely appreciated.

DOUBLE EDIT: Still pretty fond of Hunter.
 

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