New to cat side

Just taking a little peek around the cat side here. I'm a dog person myself, but my husband's a cat person. We have a little 5-year-old (or so) black cat named Toby. He has fur just long enough to always look messy, and a broken tail permanently shaped like a question mark. He was a gift from my stepdaughter, after my husband's previous cat passed away. He's a real sweetheart - whenever he sees anybody coming, he runs out to the sidewalk and lays on his back waiting for whoever it is to pet him.

He thinks he's a dog. My dog, Jake, raised him. Jake used to carry him around everywhere with him, when he was a little kitten. Jake thought he was his puppy. I think that's why I like Toby - he's so "un-catlike"! He's not at all snobbish or aloof, and is extremely affectionate. He also only goes potty outside - so we don't have that awful litter box odor.

I think I'll go look around a little more. Just thought I'd introduce myself!

Well hi! Glad you have come to visit the Cat site. You don't have to be a dog OR a cat person. Loads of people here just love ALL animals. Glad you have come to visit us- please stay! There are some absolutly beautiful cats here to look at! :D

Welcome to the cat side!

Toby sounds like a character. We'd love more details next time you visit.

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Originally posted by AmberLee
Welcome to the cat side!

Toby sounds like a character. We'd love more details next time you visit.

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And pictures too!!:)

Welcome to the cat side. :D Toby sounds like a real sweetheart. I'd also love to see some pics of him. :)

Welcome!

Welcome to the Cat side! Toby sounds like a sweet heart -- and that fur! Every once in a while my Goldie would look like she was walking around in "wrinkled pajamas" cuz her fur was just long enough to look messy. Of course, being the neat little lady she was, she never walked around like that for too long.

Now my Mitzi is trying for that "wrinkled PJ's" look too, but somehow she just manages to look fluffy. It's that heavy fur thing ....:rolleyes:

Welcome.

If you read enough over here you will learn that not all cats are aloof and unaffectionate, even though most non-cat owners tend to believe this.

My cats are extremely loyal, greet me at the door, sleep with me but I would still not consider them dog-like. They tend to be less "demanding" than dogs.

I am honestly not trying to sound harsh, just honest. I will look forward to hearing about and seeing Toby in the future.

Thanks for all the welcomes! Do you think that some breeds of cats are more affectionate than others, maybe?

Some breeds have a reputation for having a certain personality, but it still varies animal to animal.

One thing is true of all kitties. They are much more discriminating
about everything, from what they eat to whom they show
affection towards.:)

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Originally posted by stacwase
Thanks for all the welcomes! Do you think that some breeds of cats are more affectionate than others, maybe?

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I've read that Maine Coons and Abys tend to be more social so sometimes people consider this to be more dog like. My cat Storm is a Maine Coon mix and he's a very social cat. I call him my grey doggie. Sunny is half Aby/Tabby and is very affectionate to me but is still very cautious of others. My newest furkid Sky is a Siamese mix and he's also very social. :) Cirrus is my wild child so he only lets me pet him and brush him.

First, welcome to the 'cat side'....now that we have that pleasantry aside...stick around long enough so that I might dispel all eight of your 'errors' about cats..he he he...

I have six..and except for my semi-feral, Minnie...my cats are very unaloof...greet me at the door, come to me when I call them, still don't take the time my ONE doggie does, etc..


And, I guess I must have something wrong with my nose....as I just don't get that litter box smell. My house was odor free up until April...when my puppy came to live with me;)


Again, welcome, but, boy oh boy do you have some funny notions about cats....:D

Welcome to the cat side! My two cats are Felicia and Beau.

Hi and welcome to the cat side.

I am a first time cat owner (I have always had dogs), and I am now totally in love with cats.

Everything I thought about them as a "non-cat owner" has been proven wrong....

Ally is never aloof or selfish - always affectionate - running to meet me when I come home from work, snuggling with me in bed or whilst I watch TV, comforting me when I am sick or upset - in fact, ALL the things that I always enjoyed about dogs, but wrongly assumed would not happen with cats!!!

I have also never had a problem with the litter box smell.

The only complaint (from my hubby - I couldn't care less) is the HAIR that gets "everywhere" - although I have never known a DOG that didn't shed, so this argument is nothing new in our house:)

Hope to hear (and see) more about your cat in the future!

Welcome on the cat side.
Toby sounds like a typical cat to me!

The behavior of cats depends strongly on how they live. If they live the semi-feral life of a barn cat they are not very emotional towards humans.

When they live with humans and are picked up often when they are kitties they learn to be the friendly affectionate purrsons we all love here:)

Filou and Tigris follow us around in the house and like to be where we are.

And that litterbox odor does come either from a litterbox that is not cleaned -then most kitties will not use it but pee somewhere outside- or from an unnneutered male who will spray.

In my house like in all the others here at PT there is no litterbox odor (but many people who are not used to cats come in and say: Oh, there is no litterbox odor here):)

Now we would like to see pictures of Toby and hear more stories about him.

Hi and Welcome.

I too would like to see pictures of your kitty!

I came from a dog only family but then I married a cat man. I now have three of them plus my little doggie. In fact my first cat, Ripley, convinced my mom that cats aren't so bad. She shocked us all when I persuaded her to start feeding a stray at their house and now, 6 years later, Ms. Kitty has taken over the house. This is a major thing because my mother totally disliked cats (one ate the baby birds outside her window as a child). I guess old age softens the heart.

Another Toby in the house! yay! :D Lets see some pics of him! Welcome to the cat side ... its rather entertaining here :)

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Originally posted by krazyaboutkatz
I've read that Maine Coons and Abys tend to be more social so sometimes people consider this to be more dog like. My cat Storm is a Maine Coon mix and he's a very social cat. I call him my grey doggie.

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Oh yeah about Maine Coons! Someone on PT described them as the St. Bernards of the cat world. :D My Mishi is definitely in that category -- very social, vocal and loves to be in the middle of everything. I love my big Mishi boy aka my Main Goon! :)

Well I guess Toby's not so unusual! I thought he was a rarity and that most other cats were not affectionate. You're right about them not being time-consuming. Toby doesn't take any effort at all, except to put food in his bowl twice a day and try to keep the dogs out of it! When we go on vacation we have to board the dogs, but we just have somebody come over twice a day to check on Toby and feed him.

Krazyboutcats' cat, Storm, looks very, very much like Toby - except Toby is black. As soon as I get my cord to my digital camera replaced, I'll post some pictures of him!

One problem we had with previous cats (one who died of congestive heart failure and one who moved out with my stepdaughter when she got her own place) is that they thought our damp basement was just one huge litter box. Toby's the only one who never did that. Is there a reason for that, and is there any way to prevent it?

Since you count on Toby going outside to potty, I assume you have NO litter box. If this is the case, the cats might simply have needed a box for the times they could not make it outside. My parents had an indoor/outdoor cat who did most of his business outside, but he liked the box for those days when outside was not favorable. (and also as he got older and wanted out less).

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Originally posted by stacwase


Krazyboutcats' cat, Storm, looks very, very much like Toby - except Toby is black. As soon as I get my cord to my digital camera replaced, I'll post some pictures of him!

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Does he look something like this?

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...8/fd6b89e5.jpg
This is my RB Pepper. Everyone thought that he and Storm were brothers even though they weren't related.