Dogs have masters but cats have staff.

I grew up with dogs but I've had rescue cats for about 15 years now. I see pets as family members.

The earlier scientific name for the cat was Felis domesticus. The dog was (and is) Canis familiaris. In other words, the cat belongs to the house, the dog to the family.

Ha!

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ha

so true.

it were my parents that neutered him, they did it when he was getting his vaccinations.

I'm definitively a cat person, although I currently don't have a pet at all, since I had to let my cat euthenized (he wasn't eating anymore and lost more than 1 KG of weight in his last month).
That being said, I do like and get on with dogs too, just never had one, just cat(s) since my early youth.

I'm thinking about getting another (asylum) older cat again, just haven't taking it into action (yet?). It has to be a type that doesn't has to go outdoors as I do not know many cats that can operate elevators (and it certainly is a lot of stairs going down and up again).

Mine was not, he was more timid. Even got chased back into the house by another cat which I had then to forcefully evict FROM my home.

Neutering is standard in the UK nowadays. When I was growing up, only tom cats were neutered to stop them stinking up the house. Nobody neutered a dog. Now it's rare to find an unneutered one unless it's being used for breeding.

Rescue homes always neuter both sexes before they pass them on.

I'm down to one cat and one pony at the moment, but the pony is on full livery elsewhere and the house I live in also houses a dog.

For a while after moving in I used to walk the dog every night, often followed by a cat. Now the cat comes and finds me every night and Stares*, miaows or just sits nearby until I take them both out. If I'm late the dog sidles up as well but she's less direct.


*Those familiar with cats will probably be familiar with this: cats often stare, but they can also Stare.

Sorry to hear syg00, my condolences, and trust me I know very much how you feel. We put down a wonderful 5 year old pup earlier this year due to some unknown disorder that we could not diagnose, but it was clear that he was in distress. You find yourself taking too long to help them, hoping that new meds and treatments can help them, and sometimes it fails you. But this is why we actually have just the one at the present time. I'm sure we'll get another, but it's only been a few months and we need some time.That's an interesting concept. I agree that when we get along in years that the questions about how to deal with the lifespan of a pet can become troublesome. Meanwhile the family is still large enough that it's not a real concern, as well as that the younger family members would probably take our dog(s) if my wife and myself both passed away.

When I was growing up mumble years ago, the parents would take the family for a walk down the lane after supper when the weather was nice (I grew up on a farm--the lane was a quarter mile long). The dog, of course, would walk with the family.

The tom cat (Tom Pinky--he ruled the neighborhood for years) would accompany us, but would do so eight rows into the field that bordered the lane. Only the occasional rustle would alert us to his presence.

I think he didn't want us to know that he thought of himself as a member of the family.

my cat likes this remote too much :P

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happy to see a happy kitty.
If I manage to see the little chappy still enough for more than a fraction of a second will try to post a pic.

I love to dote on animals, and dogs win there, they have the highest tolerance of just being coddled and pet of them all, on average.
At least in my experience.

Cats are good, too, but even the cuddly ones seem to have enough of it eventually. Must pet fuzzy creature.

Chickens are great, too. Very pettable. Good birds. Smelly, though.
Cows are also great, they enjoy pets quite a bit.

Dogs rule. Cats drool.
I have had a cat in the past, but at heart, I am a dog person. Currently I have Hazel who is super smart. Her best trick is dropping to the ground and playing dead in response to a finger gun and "Bang". She is a brindle mix. My ex kept Lucy, a black pit mix with giant pointy ears like a bat. When I moved to a house and could take her, I asked for her, but he wanted to keep her. And then after I got Hazel, he changed his mind, but I cannot do two dogs. Now poor Lucy is super chubby because no one exercises her and is bullied by his new wife's dogs. Milo crossed the rainbow bridge about 7 years ago. He was a shar-pei mix and feisty until the end.

I'm a cat person — I always stop to speak to them in the street — but I've never kept one. A cat in a flat, alone all day, is not a good idea, in my opinion. Of course, I could have got one after I retired, but somehow I didn't. As a child, I did keep snails — very restful! Dogs are to me unclean and dangerous — I'd never touch one.