Cats

[MaryAnn]

When the cat comes in, opens the kitchen cabinet and drags out things to play with, it is a reminder that you don't just have a fuzzball that purrs.
Dogs want leaders; cats want lovers. Cat people know this. Both want companionship, but the focus is different.

[Bellalkaloid]

Dogs see you as their leader. Cats see you as their roommate, sometimes servant... rewarded with occasional snuggles, but only on their terms, especially when they want something.

[Donn]

Cats and dogs both generally have fur, whiskers and a tail. As a rule, though some don't, particularly the tail. In other respects, it's my impression that they vary quite a bit from one to the next.

[Three Valves]

Cats throw up on my floor.

Dogs **** in my yard.

I view shitting in my yard the lessor of two evils!!

[Donn]

Cats throw up on my floor. [... etc.]

This illustrates a common design failure in home interiors. The matter in this case is the less offensive of the two by a considerable margin, the problem is really the floor. If only the floor would easily and naturally take care of stuff deposited on it, as nature does with the dog's by-products outdoors, then we could live in a really naturally clean home interior and enjoy Fluffy's companionship without reservations. A good start in this direction might be to use more concrete and stone, and install outflow gutters, so the house can be hosed down periodically.

[NC_amateur_euph]

Dogs have masters.

Cats have staff.

[mikebmiller]

My cats use the dog door and haven't used a litter box in years. Very low maintenance pets.

[Ace]

My cats use the dog door and haven't used a litter box in years. Very low maintenance pets.

Pet door. Great idea. But, how would that be if there are flower beds with loose soil outside? Every time I hear complaints from my gardener or neighbors, it revolves around cat poop buried in the flower beds. By the way, I love cats.

Ace

[mikebmiller]

Possums also fit through pet doors, as well as some (what's the best Orwellian Newspeak word...??...oh: here's one...) "uninvited" folk.

Yeah the disadvantage of the pet door is that the cats sometimes bring in live birds, baby bunny rabbits, and the occasional chipmunk. I have gotten good at rescuing birds in the house.

[MaryAnn]

Yeah I had an Aby who was good at bringing baby bunnies through the cat door. I did not like that much and she ended up with a rather large Cat House to watch the world from. Also got the litter boxes outside which helped with the atmosphere in the house. Lizards who were dumb enough to go in the cat house, well, I couldn't really help them.

[Donn]

This would be excellent, if only they could confine their predation to rodents and rabbits, whose fecundity practically requires that counterbalance.

[hup_d_dup]

One of my cats directs me to open the door so that he has the option of going outside, or staying in.

If he goes outside, he directs me to open the door so that he has the option to come back in, or stay outside.

Hup

[toobagrowl]

Dogs have masters.

Cats have staff.

You said it Cats are much more independent than dogs, they use the litter pan, and their fur smells as cute as they look. I love dogs too, but you have to walk them outside for them to pee/$hit, and dog fur stinks -- you have to wash them or have them washed every once in a while. Some cats need that, but most keep themselves clean enough.

I will just say my cat, Smores, completes my family. I've always grown up with cats

[tofu]

When you die your dog will stand guard - your cat will view you as a smorgasbord.

[MaryAnn]

The same cat who opens the kitchen cupboards has started talking back. I have a window covered with a taped-on garbage bag as a "window covering" and she decided she wanted to see out, so she started to remove the covering...and I said "Tootsie, No." She is generally very responsive to requests, but this time she talked back: MEW MEW MEW. Then 30 seconds later she started at it again and I said "TOOTSIE NO!" and she talked back AGAIN....MEW MEW MEW MEW! I had to tell her to leave the room. She's just now two years old, and I guess this is the onset of the Terrible Twos?

[Ace]

The same cat who opens the kitchen cupboards has started talking back. I have a window covered with a taped-on garbage bag as a "window covering" and she decided she wanted to see out, so she started to remove the covering...and I said "Tootsie, No." She is generally very responsive to requests, but this time she talked back: MEW MEW MEW. Then 30 seconds later she started at it again and I said "TOOTSIE NO!" and she talked back AGAIN....MEW MEW MEW MEW! I had to tell her to leave the room. She's just now two years old, and I guess this is the onset of the Terrible Twos?

Could you make a little peep hole in the window covering? Say, 5" by 5". Cats love to look out the window. Without that, it can be CATastrophic in their lives. Best wishes in solving your and your cat's problem.

Ace

[GC]

clear lawn trash bag or clear plastic film