Just curious. Any other straight guys out there who are cat lovers?

Question

Never thought of myself as a cat lover, although I certainly never disliked them. However about a year ago a kitten showed up at my back window and simply would not leave until I took him in. I'm surprised how attached I have become to him - as much as I have been to any dog.

Also would be interested to hear about other great mousers out there. My cat has 24 hour access to the outside (live in the country) and he will bring in up to 5 or 6 mice, birds, and rabbits A DAY sometimes! I mean I know cats are superior hunters, but this guy could feed a housefull of cats. Would be curious to hear about other little killers out there.

Answer 1

Yeah, I'm a badass, nascar, football, straight dude and I love cats. I have had other cats, but the one I have now is tops. His name is Taupe, he came from a college dorm. they needed a home for him and he ended up here. He is kind of big. He doesn't kill anything. He sits on my desk and purrs alot.
My girlfriend has a small female named Sabrina. She is the killer. She catches mice and birds. It is funny watching her stalk crows three times her size.
We love our cats, but would have dogs if they were allowed here. I like Shelties and my girl likes Pugs.

Answer 2

You should not bell a cat they can't hear traffic or other animals. It also doesn't help wildlife when they hunt. Have you ever watched a cat while it's stalking prey. Have several bird feeders around the house and my dogs are the ones that gets the birds. I have 5 cats now. One that forgets what he goes into a room for, one that is the Queen *itch of the house, one that came with the house, one that was a neighbor hood cat that we saved from strangulation by removing the flea collar, Those cats we have had for six years now. The latest cat we picked up at a rest stop going through Oklahoma. His official name is Miles 3 I 35 north, we call him Miles or Highway. Have two dogs a corgi-husky mix and a beagle-boxer mix. I have discovered that cats are like little men in fur coats. Only come around when they want something; whereas dogs are like little women in fur coats. Always wanting to know if you still love them.

Answer 3

Loving a cat is not about being gay or straight for men.
Its the TOM CAT thing, the flowing of testosterone.
when a man learns to love a cat he tends to think of them as a tough alley fighter, the great hunter etc.
not the soft purring cuddly thing that women think of.
Fortunately, cats are both of these things and appeal to both men and women.
Cats are the most Popular pet in North America today.
although i am not a "Cat" person, (i prefer dogs) I still like them and have a wonderful relationship with my neighbors cat who likes to come over for visits. And yes, he has brought me presents on occasion. just not as much as he takes home.
I prefer dogs because i am somewhat of a control freak and prefer to be the pack leader. I like making the decisions in my life and don't need a cat around deciding that the mouse he killed, whos trailing bloody guts smear the floor belongs in the house. No thanks
a visit once in awhile is quite enough thank you.

Answer 4

What a load of rubbish to suggest that cat loving has anything to do with a man's sexuality. Most of the above writers have hit the nail on the head, so I won't repeat their main points. Let's just say that a man who admits to loving cats and can ignore the jibes of other males is to me (I'm female) sensitive, mature and a REAL man.
Just a word about hunting - I have a skinny little tortoiseshell rescued cat who tries to drag fat, squawking pigeons through the cat flap, has deposited huge, live frogs on the carpet etc. Her chunkily built brother brings in worms and butterflies.

Now him I AM worried about !!

Answer 5

My husband loves our 2 cats. There were declawed when spayed but if something such as a mouse does find it's way into our home, they have no problem catching it. (It seems to be more of a game for my cats than a "free meal") We also live in the country so we do get the occassional field mouse. Cat's are just as loyal and love their owner as much as any dog. Cats think THEY own their owners and that THEY are the "Masters of the House".

Answer 6

Yep.

Many folks have the idea that dogs form stronger bonds with humans, and I believe they're completely wrong. I don't think there's anything quite as deep and intense as the love of a cat.

One big difference is that dogs are pack animals and they're programmed to become attached to the head of their household - the "leader of the pack." Although cats are highly social critters (not everyone knows that about them!) they aren't hard wired about it in the way dogs are.

Dogs will give you unconditional love because it's in their genes to do that. And it says nothing particularly good about you if a dog loves you. The love of a cat is not unconditional (unless maybe they bond with you almost from birth.) A cat loves you because you've shown that you deserve it, not because it's programmed for it. And the love of a cat is a great honor that speaks volumes about what kind of a person you are.

It sounds like you've got a superlative little hunter! I've known many cats that were good hunters (and a few who weren't) but none seemed as determined or successful as your kitty.

I recall the first summer my late great Boys were both with me. Scooter had been with me a few years and Rusty, an ex-feral, had arrived that winter. The two were just starting to become good friends, and they went through a period of what appeared to be competitive hunting. Whenever one of The Boys caught a mouse the other would feel compelled to go get one of his own, and it seldom took more than a few minutes to come up with one.
For a whole season they wreaked havoc on the local rodent populations.

I suspect they sometimes hunted cooperatively, too. That first summer of The Boys we didn't know that a population of coyotes had moved into the park nearby, so I used to let them stay out late sometimes. Usually they'd head off in different directions but every so often, usually when the moon was full or nearly so, they'd go off together. Shoulder to shoulder, tails held high, they'd stride off towards the park. Whenever they did that I knew they'd be home very late and they wouldn't be hungry when they got back. Watching them go I could imagine them saying, "Hey bro', let's go kill somethin'."

I have to say this: Please reconsider the 24/7 access to the outdoors. Being in the country means that you're sure to have some dangerous nocturnal critters that would make short work of a cat. Coyotes, fishers, bobcats, racoons, possums (which do Not usually "play possum" when they're threatened) stray or wild dogs - any of those could kill your kitty easily. I'm in a semi-rural, semi-suburban area and even here it's extremely dangerous for a cat to be out at night. I stopped letting The Boys out after dark many years ago and no cat of mine will go out at night again.

Since you're apparently fairly new to being a kitty dad, here are some links you might find interesting and informative:

http://www.catinfo.org
(you'll see why kitty so craves those fresh rodents)

http://www.vas-awareness.org
(what every cat lover needs to know)

http://www.catshots.com
(more about VAS)

http://web.vet.cornell.edu/Public/FHC/FelineHealth.html
(a great site for feline health information)

http://www.petfooddirect.com/
(for the good stuff you won't find in stores)

Edit: Hunting isn't just about food. Studies have shown that domestic cats routinely eat heartily before they go out hunting. But despite how good fresh-killed raw meat is for them, wild animals are also a source of parasites and disease. So be glad kitty is bringing his trophies home to you instead of eating them!

Answer 7

I'm surprised he still hunts that much if you feed him. I only have one that hunts a lot and he only gets a mouse or mole about once a week in the summer.

My wife and I have five cats, but one is my favorite. When he was young we lived next to a suburban train station and in the afternoon a train would come in every 20 minutes or so. About a dozen people would walk by my house from every train and my cat would come out to meet them and get petted just like a dog. When I came home he would come in with me to get fed. Now he's 13 and sleeps with my six-year old daughter.

Answer 8

Okay, I'm a woman, but ALL the guys I know who have cats are straight - I think it takes a real man to show care and compassion to all creatures! Interesting about your killer cat - I had a cat once who everyday would bring me a robin at our back door, and he was so proud! And I was so mad, because there are so few robins out there these days!

Answer 9

I was a "dog person" all my life and never thought I would like cats. I met a girl(now my wife) who was a total "cat person" and just had to have a cat. 10 years later, we currently have 6 cats(and 1 child) and we've fostered several others. Although, I consider my cats to be more dog-like than cat-like.

Answer 10

I can't answer your question, but I just had to say "Awwww, how sweet!" Cats have a way of really purring their way into your heart! My own kitty was a great hunter (passed away a year ago boo hoo) bringing in 1-3 mice/birds a day in the summer.