I Lost Friends For Saying This But Cats Are Overrated As Pets
And no, it's not just because I'm allergic.
Now, before all of you cat lovers draw out your claws and prepare to pounce on the comment button, let me explain myself. I’m not saying cats are bad pets. Some cats can be affectionate, playful, protective, and therapeutic. But are they the best pets out there? I’ll politely disagree. Why do I disagree? Well, I’ll tell ya!
I’m Allergic
Yeah, I know this one is my own personal reason… I’ll tell you a story of how I found out I was allergic to cats.
I had a friend that was a huge cat person. He had, if I remembered correctly, 5 cats! At the time, I had no idea I had a cat allergy — that is until I visited him for the first time.
When I entered his house, I saw his cats and thought they were mighty adorable. I pet, carried, and played with the lot of them. I was on my way to becoming a huge cat person.
I’ll let ya imagine what happened after… Hint: I’m allergic.
They Are Much Too Aloof and Independent
Cats are usually celebrated for their independence, and I can see the appeal. But that can also be their drawback.
I wanted to write this without mentioning, “Man’s best friend,” but looks like that won’t be possible.
Unlike dogs, who are extremely playful, eager to please, and crave attention, cats, on the other hand, will, well, slap you if you so much as look at them the wrong way. Don’t fool yourself into thinking they are your pet; you are theirs. You can only play with them when they themselves are in the mood — and that’s usually when you’re not!
They Are Nocturnal
Most cats are naturally nocturnal, which means they can get pretty worked up at night. Yeah, and their eyes glow — talk about nightmare fuel.
Cats like to take naps during the day to remain ravenous at night… So forget about playing with them after work. Also, the funny thing is most humans are not nocturnal, so cats are very likely to interfere with your beauty sleep.
They’re High Maintenance
You would think since they don’t require your attention as much, they wouldn’t be expensive to maintain — but you would be terribly wrong. They actually require a bit of care. They need to be fed, watered, and brushed — talk about having a furry plant as a pet. Yeah, and you also need to take them to the vet regularly for checkups, and in case you don’t know, vets can and will leave a hole in your pockets!
They require toys too! They need toys for scratching, toys for biting, toys for their entertainment, and my personal favorite, toys that they can destroy so they don’t take it out on your expensive white furniture. Yikes!!!
They Are Destructive
Curiosity kills the cat.
Cats are extremely curious, hence the saying. But this can sometimes — scratch that, I can guarantee it will lead to destructive behavior.
My friend’s house… Remember the cat person I was talking of earlier that gave me my cat allergy origin story? Yeah, him. His house always looked like it was attacked by a lion — I kid you not. Which conveniently leads me to the next reason.
They Can Be Aggressive
Lions and tigers are often referred to as big cats! Let that sink in for a moment. I could be wrong, but, doesn’t that mean they are like our regular cats, but bigger? Yeah, that doesn’t sit right with me.
Just like big cats, if our regular cats are threatened or scared, you’ll be better off picking up a cactus… And licking it!
If you’ve got kids or have pets that can’t defend themselves, they can turn into quite the bully. Yeah, and they also do that thing where their eyes get super dilated, which means they are in hunt and pounce mode — when that happens, you somehow triggered their killer instinct, and now, you’re prey!
Don’t get me wrong here; I don’t outright hate cats. They actually look kinda adorable — but guess what, bears look adorable too!
You know what? On second thoughts, please go ahead and pounce on the comment button — I’ll love to hear your counter arguments. But please don’t be a cat about it!
