This is why I prefer dogs

[cartman]

Holy sweet baby jeebus, I think this cat is channeling Satan himself!!!

[WSUCougar]

If somebody named me "Burger" I'd be screaming like that, too.

[molson]

Cats absolutely hate us. Yet some people invite them into their homes and feed them.

[Ksyrup]

Well damn, that wasn't quite what I was expecting after mis-reading your comment as "this cat is channel surfing himself!"

[CraigSca]

Obviously one of Michael Vick's cats.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

Originally Posted by CraigSca

Obviously one of Michael Vick's cats.

So herpes does that to a cat? (I heard he shares it will all pussy cats he comes in contact with.)

[JeeberD]

Yeah, dogs never get upset when you put them in an steel box surrounded by strange animals...

[KWhit]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

Yeah, dogs never get upset when you put them in an steel box surrounded by strange animals...

I'm sure that's part of it, but there's likely more to it than that. I wonder what else that cat's been through to cause him to act like that. Kind of sad, actually.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by molson

Cats absolutely hate us. Yet some people invite them into their homes and feed them.

My two cats are the most loving pets I've ever had (I grew up around dogs and cats.)

[RendeR]

How massively traumatized does ANY animal have to be to begin acting that way?

Terribly sad.

[chesapeake]

That is exactly how my red cat has reacted when in a cage at the vet. At home, she is sweet, loving and downright snuggly. But the second you take her out of her element, she is a paranoid hissing machine. I learned that the hard way, when she scratched the vet and bit me. Examinations are now very brief and involve long sleeves and the clever use of a towel.

[molson]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

Yeah, dogs never get upset when you put them in an steel box surrounded by strange animals...

Unless he was horribly abused, I'd guess the dog would wag his tail furiously at any person who came by, trying to get their attention. (Which is why going to a pound is such a depressing experience).

[cartman]

Originally Posted by RendeR

How massively traumatized does ANY animal have to be to begin acting that way?

Terribly sad.

Demonic possession knows no bounds

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

Yeah, dogs never get upset when you put them in an steel box surrounded by strange animals...

And beyond that, there are certainly things dogs do that could make you say they're not good pets:

hxxp://www.wivb.com/global/story.asp?s=6768851

[Radii]

Originally Posted by mckerney

And beyond that, there are certainly things dogs do that could make you say they're not good pets:

hxxp://www.wivb.com/global/story.asp?s=6768851

holy shit... there's GOT to be more to that story right? that the dog was being used for some uhhh... similar, horribly unsavory purposes by the mom or something and that this was actually a learned behavior??


Also, i know tons of people say that pit bulls are safe and friendly if not raised to be agressive and all, but I can't imagine keeping a pit bull as a pet with a young child around. I'm timid around dogs and basically afraid of larger dogs though, so I'm probably a pretty poor judge of that.

[Synovia]

Originally Posted by chesapeake

That is exactly how my red cat has reacted when in a cage at the vet. At home, she is sweet, loving and downright snuggly. But the second you take her out of her element, she is a paranoid hissing machine. I learned that the hard way, when she scratched the vet and bit me. Examinations are now very brief and involve long sleeves and the clever use of a towel.

Kitty Burritos are awesome.

[RendeR]

Originally Posted by molson

Unless he was horribly abused, I'd guess the dog would wag his tail furiously at any person who came by, trying to get their attention. (Which is why going to a pound is such a depressing experience).

You don't have much experience with Dogs I take it. The vast majority of dogs may well act like you suggest, but there is a goodly number that turn into biting attacking fiends as soon as they become uncomfortable in any situation.

At least a cat can't kill you or your children.


And please don't get me wrong. I love dogs, owned one and my family has many, but your post makes it sound like dogs would never act like this and are far superior to cats, which is simple ignorance.

[molson]

Originally Posted by RendeR

You don't have much experience with Dogs I take it. The vast majority of dogs may well act like you suggest, but there is a goodly number that turn into biting attacking fiends as soon as they become uncomfortable in any situation.

At least a cat can't kill you or your children.

And please don't get me wrong. I love dogs, owned one and my family has many, but your post makes it sound like dogs would never act like this and are far superior to cats, which is simple ignorance.

"Vast majority" is all I was going for, but I would emphasize the vast.

And I'm definitely of the opinion that dogs are superior to cats, but everyone's either a dog person or a cat person. Just my opinion. 95% of new dogs I've encountered have been happy to see me, while the percentage for cats is 0%. Maybe it's just me they don't like.

[Synovia]

Originally Posted by molson

"Vast majority" is all I was going for, but I would emphasize the vast.

And I'm definitely of the opinion that dogs are superior to cats, but everyone's either a dog person or a cat person. Just my opinion. 95% of new dogs I've encountered have been happy to see me, while the percentage for cats is 0%. Maybe it's just me they don't like.

Part of that is that dogs tend to be more socialized than cats. Nobody takes the cat out to meet the neighbors cat, or the neighbors. So, it takes time to get a cat to like you.

I've got a cat and a dog, and I can say, unequivicably, the cat is smarter than the dog.

[hawk4669]

I don't know why, but that video made me laugh so damn hard I had tears flowing.

The rest of the guys at my station were just looking at me kind of odd as they only heard the screaming sound and saw me busting up.

*shrug*

Cheers!

[JeeberD]

Originally Posted by molson

"Vast majority" is all I was going for, but I would emphasize the vast.

And I'm definitely of the opinion that dogs are superior to cats, but everyone's either a dog person or a cat person. Just my opinion. 95% of new dogs I've encountered have been happy to see me, while the percentage for cats is 0%. Maybe it's just me they don't like.

*shrug*

The wife and I went to PetSmart on Saturday and the local humane society had dogs and cats up for adoption. I played with numerous cats that afternoon, and didn't have a problem with a single one...

[Pyser]

im allergic to this entire thread

[Ksyrup]

Instead of focusing on the stereotypical negatives of cats, you people should be pointing out the positives, like this little guy:

[timmynausea]

My cat is stuck up a tree right now. His whining is a lot less aggressive and a lot more pathetic than that.

[terpkristin]

That poor kitty.

I must confess though, when I clicked on the thread, it was because I'd misread the topic and thought it said "This is why I prefer drugs."

/tk

[JeeberD]

OK, I'll admit that this cat may very well be channeling Satan...

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl...nt/4998868.html

Cat accurately predicts deaths of nursing home residents

By RAY HENRY
Associated Press


PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours.

His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. It usually means they have less than four hours to live.

"He doesn't make too many mistakes. He seems to understand when patients are about to die," said Dr. David Dosa in an interview. He describes the phenomenon in a poignant essay in Thursday's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

"Many family members take some solace from it. They appreciate the companionship that the cat provides for their dying loved one," said Dosa, a geriatrician and assistant professor of medicine at Brown University.

The 2-year-old feline was adopted as a kitten and grew up in a third-floor dementia unit at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The facility treats people with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and other illnesses.

After about six months, the staff noticed Oscar would make his own rounds, just like the doctors and nurses. He'd sniff and observe patients, then sit beside people who would wind up dying in a few hours.

Dosa said Oscar seems to take his work seriously and is generally aloof. "This is not a cat that's friendly to people," he said.

Oscar is better at predicting death than the people who work there, said Dr. Joan Teno of Brown University, who treats patients at the nursing home and is an expert on care for the terminally ill

She was convinced of Oscar's talent when he made his 13th correct call. While observing one patient, Teno said she noticed the woman wasn't eating, was breathing with difficulty and that her legs had a bluish tinge, signs that often mean death is near.

Oscar wouldn't stay inside the room though, so Teno thought his streak was broken. Instead, it turned out the doctor's prediction was roughly 10 hours too early. Sure enough, during the patient's final two hours, nurses told Teno that Oscar joined the woman at her bedside.

Doctors say most of the people who get a visit from the sweet-faced, gray-and-white cat are so ill they probably don't know he's there, so patients aren't aware he's a harbinger of death. Most families are grateful for the advanced warning, although one wanted Oscar out of the room while a family member died. When Oscar is put outside, he paces and meows his displeasure.

No one's certain if Oscar's behavior is scientifically significant or points to a cause. Teno wonders if the cat notices telltale scents or reads something into the behavior of the nurses who raised him.

Nicholas Dodman, who directs an animal behavioral clinic at the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and has read Dosa's article, said the only way to know is to carefully document how Oscar divides his time between the living and dying.

If Oscar really is a furry grim reaper, it's also possible his behavior could be driven by self-centered pleasures like a heated blanket placed on a dying person, Dodman said.

Nursing home staffers aren't concerned with explaining Oscar, so long as he gives families a better chance at saying goodbye to the dying.

Oscar recently received a wall plaque publicly commending his "compassionate hospice care."

[Pyser]

cool story. i believe it.

cats know when humans are sick...they stick by them much more. probably for warmth, but all the same, they sense something. pretty interesting stuff.

[cartman]

According to Paulie Walnuts, they steal your breath.

[Desnudo]

I can't believe they let that cat kill old people

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

No one's certain if Oscar's behavior is scientifically significant or points to a cause. Teno wonders if the cat notices telltale scents or reads something into the behavior of the nurses who raised him.

Have they even considered the possibility that the cat is killing them?

[Brillig]

Hmm, Oscar could be shortened to Oz. When did tk become so fragile?

[Ksyrup]

[RendeR]

Originally Posted by mckerney

Have they even considered the possibility that the cat is killing them?

I sincerely hope you're being sarcastic, because if you're serious about this you have issues that a team of eaglesfans## couldn't cure.

[JeeberD]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Oscar even made the local news way out here in DFW. He's a star, I tell you!

[clintl]

Originally Posted by molson

Unless he was horribly abused, I'd guess the dog would wag his tail furiously at any person who came by, trying to get their attention. (Which is why going to a pound is such a depressing experience).

Not true. When I was growing up, we had a dog that was treated very well from birth (and I know this because he was the puppy of one of our other dogs). He did not like anyone who wasn't part of the immediate family. Even with time, only two other people were able to sort of make friends with him. Anyone else, he would bark viciously at.