Do "dog people" have difficulty getting along with "cat people"?

[Happyhippychick]

I've been doing my own unscientific research. I've noticed that the people I don't care for in real life either have cats or don't like animals in general (I'm a doggy person). Is this a coincidence or should I hang out at Petsmart when I want to find new friends?

[Fire Walk With Me]

1. I don't understand the need to negate one or the other. I like both.

Then again, I'm pretty much always weird, so there I go again.

[Skittles]

18. same here

I've never had a dog but I love them

[Deep13]

2. Me: cat person. Sweetie: dog person.

Actually, Sweetie thinks anything cute and fluffy ought to be living with us.

[Shell Beau]

36. Sweetie sounds a tad like me!

;)

[EndersDame]

3. I have lots of love for both although I prefer cats

I have three cats and a little hell demon puppy I personally can't stand anyone who can't sstand animals

[Shell Beau]

37. I have always felt that someone who doesn't like animals isn't right.

And we would not be compatible.

My S-I-L isn't a huge animal fan, but she never was raised around them. But she is an awesome, very caring person, so there are exceptions to my rule!

[supernova]

4. I find doggie people to be more extroverted

and cat people to be more introverted

Perhaps that's the difference you are noticing.

I'm a cat person because they require less attention and are just as affectionate as dogs.

[iris27]

45. Meh, maybe in general, but I'm a near-hermit and a definite dog person. n/t

[Broken_Hero]

5. I don't think so, I haven't really seen a divide

between the pet owners. Granted I know a lot more dog owners than cat owners, but the cat owners I know are all very good people and we get along just fine.

[Call Me Wesley]

6. Yet you have a cat as your avatar?

;)

I don't think there are difficulties. Every dog owner I know also has cats (to teach the dogs, of course!) People who don't like or care about animals are really low on my list ...

[Happyhippychick]

7. I'm really just kidding about cat people. I like anyone who loves animals, whatever they are.

[Call Me Wesley]

10. I have fishies, too!

Cat people are very special. ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3JpozIfWIY

:hi:

[Shell Beau]

39. I have fishies too! But one just died!

x(

But I had him/her for almost 4 years, so I guess I shouldn't have been too shocked when he was swimming funny. Still, it hurt my feelings.

[Arugula Latte]

8. I'm a cat person and, frankly, I find many of my dog people friends are rude to me about it.

They'll say negative things about cats or remind me that they don't like cats. Well, my cats are precious to me and I don't really want to hear it. Okay, you're not a cat person, you don't have to remind me. I don't go around saying things to them like, "Wow, your dog is super annoying when it sticks its face in my crotch" or, "Gee, your dog's barking would drive me insane in about three seconds -- I'm so glad I have cats instead!"

I've found that men who like cats are the BEST -- funny, smart, secure in their masculinity. My husband is a cat man, thank god.

[soleiri]

27. I agree

I've never heard a cat person say that they hate dogs, but I've heard from several dog people that they hate cats.
I won't generalize, but that tells me all I need to know about those individuals.

I won't lie, I would never in a million years have a yappy dog like a Chihuahua (my old neighbors had a pack of them that barked all night) but I'd never feel hatred for them. I just don't understand feeling hatred for an animal, indifference fine, but hatred?

[crispini]

29. Cat person who doesn't like dogs here. Well, actually...

I just cannot stand to be licked or jumped on. If the dog isn't going to do that, I'm cool, I will even say hello and hang out with the dog, because they can be a lot of fun, but if the dog is badly-behaved it really annoys me.

[WildEyedLiberal]

34. Ditto

I've known a couple of people who've had labs - both animals went into a FRENZY as soon as they saw me, jumping all over me, clawing at my legs, nearly knocking me over and bruising me, and wouldn't stop even if I or the owners yelled at them. I avoid going to those people's houses now because I hate their fucking dogs so much.

Edit because we have a corgi and he's fantastic. So I enjoy nice dogs, I really do. It's just the big dumb stupid ones that hyperventilate all over me I can't stand.

[Shell Beau]

41. Aw, I love those big stupid ones.

I can see, though, how they could be annoying, but that makes me love them even more.

[WildEyedLiberal]

46. Hey, if they're big and stupid and leave me alone and don't jump on me, I'm fine with 'em

Most of them seem to think it's fun to leap all over me, though, and when they can put their paws on my shoulders... yeah, it's a problem.

I know it's the owners' fault, but that doesn't really matter to me at the end of the day when I have 100 lbs of dumbass pawing and scratching all over me.

I prefer big and placid. My sister had a mastiff, and he was big and sweet without being an idiot. I liked that dog a lot.

[Shell Beau]

47. I had an idiot dog like that. He only acted up when my daddy wasn't around.

This sounds gross, but this really happened. A friend of mine thought it would be funny to pass gas in my dog's face. A GIANT OVERGROWN lab he was. He looked more like a Great Dane. And he thought that was a welcoming party or something. He took her by the shoulders and pinned her down and went to town (sex wise, not attack wise). I was horrified, but all of my other friends giggled their asses off. I remember telling my dad about it (who was the only person Ty minded) and he was so pissed and embarrassed. Dogs can be such lugs sometimes. But that is partly why I love them so. Wreckless abandon.

[Withywindle]

66. My parents have had two Bull Mastiffs, and they can be a handful.

The previous one was brilliant, adorable, protective, bossy, and conniving. She had my dad completely trained to do her bidding. Seriously: she told him when it was bedtime (for him!) and he obeyed her. She thought she was a lapdog too. You'd be sitting there, watching TV, and WUMP! 120 lbs of love, bones, and slobber in your lap.

The new one is a little smaller but she's a "teenager" in dog years so she's fucking insane and she pulls like a locomotive.

[Shell Beau]

40. I thought I would never have a yappy dog either... until I did!

But she has been with me for 10 years and I love her little yappy butt. She isn't so yappy anymore now that she is older, but she has embarrassed me a time or two.

[WildEyedLiberal]

33. I've noticed this too

I've met a couple of people who, when I mention I have a cat, immediately inform me that they "fucking hate cats." Wow, way to win points with me, asshole :eyes:

It's always guys, too - I don't think I've ever met a cat-hating woman. Not ALL guys, obviously, I know plenty of cat-loving fellas. But all the cat haters I've met are men. It's like code for chauvinism - cats are weak, "sissy" animals, real men have dogs - or some shit like that.

I guess the reverse could be true of me, because I'm not too crazy about most dogs, but that's because too many "dog lovers" have inflicted their poorly-trained and hyperactive animal on me. But I don't go around saying I HATE dogs, because I don't. I just have no tolerance for poorly-behaved 80 lb animals (or even poorly-behaved 15 lb animals) jumping all over me and knocking me over, or humping my leg.

[Withywindle]

67. Cat-hating is a sign of a man with serious fucked-up issues.

is it misogyny? In a weird way, yeah. Cats are associated with women in the public myth-mind. There are people who habitually refer to all dogs as "he" and all cats as "she" if gender is unknown--as if they're the male and female forms of the same species or something. And why the hate? Is it because cats don't come when you call? That they're really into their own headspace and might find their current nap more interesting than you at the moment? That they look poofy but have serious sharp bits? I dunno.

Men who love cats are usually awesome, though. That I do know. :)

[Arugula Latte]

53. One other observation on the way some (some!) dog people act towards me

I like animals, and I try to be a good friend. Even though I prefer cats, if I go to a dog person's house I say hi to their dog, pet it a bit, ask the friend how the dog/s are doing (especially if there have been health issues). I sympathize with them, if, say, their dog is getting old. I know the dog is very important to them, just like my cats are very important to me, and I act accordingly.

Many of the dog people, however, don't extend the same courtesies to me. They ignore my three cats, never bother to learn their names, never ask about them. It's not like I only talk about my kitties obsessively, either (well, okay, sometimes I do, but not around these people :) ). It's just that a little common courtesy would be nice if it were extended towards members of my family, just like I extend common courtesy towards them and their furry "children."

So, dog people, if you recognize yourself in the above description, please think a bit about your actions as a friend or family member. That's all I ask.

[Arugula Latte]

9. Dupe. nt

[TxRider]

11. I wouldn't, my dog wants to eat cats very badly...

[Rabrrrrrr]

12. I've noticed it the other way - the obnoxious people tend to be dog owners,

and the cat owners are the people I get along with.

[Happyhippychick]

16. Ya see? My thesis is correct! :)

[Bucky]

13. Here's why I don't get along with dog people...

(1) They're too eager to please
(2) They don't go to the bathroom inside
(3) They chase me up the tree whenever they see me crossing the street
(4) They always greet me by sniffing my butt.

But y'know what? At least they're not as dumb and standoffish as those bubbleheaded goldfish people.

[Happyhippychick]

15. If I come to your house I'll try to keep my nose out of your crotch. I know how annoyng that can be

[Bucky]

20. Let's just get coffee & talk at first, and then see where it leads

[lillypaddle]

14. Doggie person here

kitties have such sweet faces. However, cat lovers seem to think it is very cute to have dead animals dropped at their feet. I don't. I do not appreciate dead baby moles, birds, chipmonks, etc. lying on the sidewalk. I find it offensive, and yet cat people think it is very sweet that their kitties bring home these "teasures." I have to keep my doggies on a leash, and yet cats are free to do whatever they want. Hey, I had a cat for 13 years, and we never understood one another. Sorry. I wish no harm to cats. As far as the people involved, I find I have to suppress my feelings regarding cats.

[vixengrl]

17. I think I'm just "animal people" myself--although mostly dogs.

Dogs like a good wrestle or game of fetch, and cats usually can't be too bothered. But there's nothing wrong with just hanging out with a cat--I swear that cats listen (or at least look like they do, sometimes) at least as well as dogs do (they just hide it better), and they are generally about as amenable to a "scratch-behind-the-ears" session, which I think is about as relaxing for the "scratcher" as the "scratchee". I've always gotten along fine with cat-people and dog-people (and my last pets were fish.)

Pretending to be "dog people" or "cat people" is an affectation I think some people put on. My dad is an inverterate dog person, but I've seen him play-teasing a cat and enjoying it. And cats usually take the same shine to me as dogs do, although they show it differently. Dogs pester me for belly-rubs. A cat of my acquaintance who genuinely liked me peed on my coat.

Different strokes.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

19. i cant stand people with cat allergies who claim to hate cats. i think its shows

a remarkable amount of stupidity and narrow mindedness

aside from those people, i dont think fondness for a particular animal makes me like/dislike you.

[rucky]

21. I changed from a dog person to a cat person.

And I hate myself for it.

[BuelahWitch]

22. As a cat person, I love all animals

If I met a dog person who was the same, I'm sure we'd get along. But I would consider a dog person who hated cats to be too rigid and overbearing and doubt I'd want to get to know them.

[undeterred]

23. People don't seem to be satisfied with just one cat.

Whereas one dog is plenty.

Some of us dog people are highly allergic to cats, so even though we love animals we can't really enjoy them.

[soleiri]

28. as a person with 8 cats, I'll try to explain.

Dog people have to generally go out of their way to adopt a dog at a shelter or from somewhere else, at least in my area they aren't running around homeless.

I adopted a mother cat and her three kittens from a person who was feeding her grape nuts. She was on her third litter. I got her fixed. Eventually two of her offspring died and then she also passed away. We were left with one.

Another mother cat went into our garage and got into some cat food that we had left in there. We found her kittens in the wall of our garage and brought them in and then we had her and four kittens. They are now over six years old and they are all fixed.

This summer, another mother cat came in our garage and had three kittens. We found that they were covered in fleas, we took them to our vet in the middle of the night and unfortunately we lost two of them. We brought the mom cat and her baby in and now we have eight. Of course, we got her fixed as soon as we could.

Could we have found homes for them? maybe, but one look at petfinder or a trip to any shelter would tell you that there are so many animals that need homes that why add seven more cats to the already enormous list of homeless cats?

sorry about your allergies.

[Shell Beau]

42. I saw a show on Discovery I think about all of the stray dogs and

whether or not they are attacking people, etc. Stray dogs are a huge problem. I don't think as much as cats are, but I think a stray cat has a better survival rate because they can do fine on their own whereas a dog needs a pack. But either way, there are too many "unwanted" dogs and cats. If I had all the money in the world and tons of land, they could all come to my house.

[soleiri]

44. Yeah I've always said that if I won the lottery

I'd open a huge animal sanctuary like Best Friends.

[undeterred]

50. You are a good person.

I only know one person who has 8 dogs. Three are hers for keeps and she fosters 5 at a time. Its a lot of time, work and money but she is committed to it.

I bet you're the kind of person who opens the door and finds that someone has left a box of kittens.

[Avalux]

24. I am an animal person; 2 dogs and 3 cats. I like both.

My SO wasn't much of an animal person but he's been fully acclimated now; didn't have much of a choice if he's going to hang with me. Affectionately calls our house "animal planet", lol. :D

[jberryhill]

49. Dogs and cats are fun together

Living in a house with both is interesting, since there are so many ways that dogs and cats come to accommodate one another.

It's funny how people think they are "natural enemies" of some sort, because they aren't.

Sometimes they are best friends, and sometimes it is something of a cold war with limited diplomatic relations.

Our dog and our neighbor's cat are starting to come to an understanding. Our dog wants to be friends with everything and everyone, but the cat remains a tad suspicious of her intentions.

[fizzgig]

25. i'm a cat person and honey is a dog person

he loves my girls to bits and pieces, but still bugs me everyday for a dog :)

it's not that i don't like dogs, it's just that i prefer cats. i think it's cuz i'm such a lazy ass.

[Demoiselle]

26. I have two big dogs and seven cats.

Occasionally I have a fight with myself.

[Shell Beau]

43. You have your hands full!

;)

[cherish44]

30. I'm a cat person but I love dogs too

For me there are "animal" and "non-animal" types. Believe me I know a lot of people who think of animals as useful only as food and find most of God's creatures a source of annoyance. (Yeah they're mostly people who aren't happy unless they're bitching about something, I'm sure you all know someone like that)

[Taverner]

31. Only if they have Dogs and Cats that hate each other

[triguy46]

32. Plenty of good and bad of each kind of animal, including the humans.

[Shell Beau]

35. Well some people are both cat and dog people.

But people who are just dog people and people who are just cat people do seem to be different.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

38. I've always had cats but I love dogs, too.

The only reason I don't have one is my work schedule -- I'm gone too much. Although I guess I'm technically a cat person, I can't imagine not getting along with someone just because they're a "dog person." The only exception would be if the aforementioned dog person is an asshole about not liking cats. Anybody who hates cats (or any other animal) is a douchebag and I want nothing to do with them. Not liking any kinds of animals is a serious character flaw.

[Inchworm]

48. People suck in general

Cats and dogs pwn!

:hi:

[Inchworm]

51. You should see 'em in a Lieutenant !!!

Hmm.. ok.. I'll go watch my movie :)

:hi:

[flvegan]

52. I really expected this thread to be a bloodbath by now.

So disappointed.

[gbate]

54. I like most dogs, but I only like some cats.

I don't like the vibe I get from some "cat people" who think those of us who don't love all kitties are somehow not fully evolved.

[Rob H.]

55. I'm very much a cat person but have nothing against dogs

I like dogs, but I'll probably never have one just because I'm lazy and cats are so easy to take care of.

People who don't like animals at all, though? There's something wrong with them, imo.

[Jamastiene]

56. You forgot about spider people....

and gerbil people and ferret people and pig people and snake people and a bunch of other people.

I love both dogs and cats (and some of the others I mentioned above). I get along fine with dog people and most animal people, in general. If someone is cruel to animals or hates animals, though, I have no use for them at all.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

57. Dogs and cats attach themselves to me with equal enthusiasm.

My girlfriend says it's because I have a bright golden aura and they're all attracted to me because of it.

I'll take her word for it, and theirs- her teacup pup Rudy now quite often chooses to sleep with me at night instead of her. And this is with my two kittehs asleep on top of me at the same time...

[skygazer]

58. Never understood the whole one or the other thing

I love animals. Period. Now, people on the other hand....

[mnhtnbb]

59. Even though I 'm allergic to cats, we have two--and they're almost 14.

I've had dogs, too, although we are currently without one.

I like both. If I touch my face--especially around my eyes--without washing my hands after
petting the kitties, oh, boy. Major allergies requiring antihistamines. I've learned to
minimize my exposure to their fur/dander. Still, having allergies to cats has not deterred me
from having them as pets. When I was a kid, my mother wouldn't let me have a kitty.

[bing bong]

60. I find that I can get along with dog people...

Though I much prefer cats myself.

[petronius]

61. Speaking as a cat person, who cares?

;)

[Deep13]

62. Don't even get me started on rabbit people!

:hide:

[Arugula Latte]

63. Hey, I've got a bun as well as kitties.

And I'm a former horse freak. Now horse people -- Yikes. They have "issues." :D

[Manifestor_of_Light]

64. dog person here.

I am highly allergic to BOTH dogs and cats. I really cannot handle cats at all. Can't visit anyone who has them. I sniff, I sneeze, I cry, I break out in rashes, I hate the smell.

:hide:

[Withywindle]

65. Cat person here - though both my parents are dog people!

If I didn't look so much like both of them, I'd think i was adopted!


I like dogs and have no problems with them at all. I just think cats have more style and make better roommates. (And my girl is indoor-only, so no dead things -- well, she eats flies and spiders. But she EATS them, no gifts for me. Oddly, I don't feel bereft.)

I get along fine with dog people; if they're willing to listen to my interminable cat stories and picture-showings, I'll happily do the same for them! Reminds me of home anyway. My parents did a sort of informal dog rescue so the yard was always busy and barky; I grew up as just one more puppy in the pack. I like to think they (the dogs, I mean) raised me well to show good manners to all two-and-four-legs.

The only people I instinctively don't like are those who don't enjoy the company of animals at all. That just gives me a bad vibe.

[MrMickeysMom]

68. Mr. Mickey says,"trust, but verify all dog relationships"...

but, then, he's sheltered