Thread: cat shows
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Old April 29th 04, 02:59 PM
Kristine Kochanski
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On Wed, 28 Apr 2004 12:54:56 -0500, kaeli
wrote:

In article ,
enlightened us with...


I phrased that wrongly, I was trying to make the point (badly,
obviously!) that cats are territory-led and don't like being removed
from it.


I see. Sorry about that. Most cats DO hate being taken away from home,
but if you get them used to it young, they don't mind.
My one cat loves going for walks, but she's been doing it since she was
8 weeks old. The other two would really prefer to sit on the porch.
*heh*


Same here, I have one that howls to be let out, her littermate doesn't
enjoy the outside world at all and would much rather find a nice warm
windowsill to sit on and watch the world go by. They each have their
own little personalities )

Also, unfortunately, unless socialized well and taken places, dogs are
just as bad as cats at being taken into unfamiliar territory. It's just
more common for people to take their dogs places, but if you look at the
sad cases where the dog was kept in the yard its whole life or chained
to a fence or a tree, it's very shy and afraid, like a cat, or worse,
aggressive.


I guess so ( Any animal is shaped by its experiences. I had to stop
watching those 'pet rescue' type programmes, far too upsetting.

Again, I didn't put that very well, the dogs don't spend their
showtime sitting miserable in a cage, only taken out to be examined.
They get a chance to show off, please their owner, get a few treats.
There's much more in it for the dog at the show than a cat.


Yeah, there is more in it for most dogs. I'd agree that they are a lot
happier with the whole thing.
I think though that most cats, hating the odd surroundings, would prefer
the cage. Well, they'd prefer staying at home, really, but they like
small, safe places. I've seen a few bold cats that liked it. Most had
that kid-in-church (can I go home now?!) look though. *g*


Heheh, yeah, they prefer the cage to being outside the cage in a
strange place, but if they're stressed by being away from home I think
people should question whether it's in the cat's interest to put it
through that, for the sake of saying 'look at my lovely cat'. Be
content just knowing that your cat is the most beautiful one in the
world! I know mine are ;o)

We are humans, so we think like humans. We don't like cages. However,
dogs and cats often think of cages as safe places. Cats love to hide in
places like boxes, small closets, under houses, and the like when they
feel threatened. Dogs are den animals by nature. The cat shows I went to
had the cages covered partially with sheets or towels for added comfort
for the kitties, so they felt secure and safe.


They only seem to think of them as safe places if they enter
themselves though - ever tried getting a cat in a box to go to the
vet? ;o) Then you get them to the vet and you can't get them back out
the bloody thing! Fickle little monsters.

See that book above I was talking about. It's a great read about how
humans have a really hard time thinking about things in the same way
dogs do (and by extension, cats) because we're a lot more like primates.
Really interesting. I loved the part about us using our voices
repetitively and moving our hands about when we get excited. *heh*


Heheh, I'll try track that book down, thanks for the recommendation!