Cat Person?

[Luthien]

Ah, the things I get in my email...

Cat Person Profile Quiz
Is your devotion to your cat and "cat things" in the training stage, at a moderate level, or extreme? Or are you an all out shameless "cat-a- holic?" Let's just see how you rate as a "cat person," shall we? See how many of these can you give an HONEST "yes" answer to:

--Can you meow so well that you can fake out your cats?

--Have you ever called your husband/wife by the cat's name by mistake?

--Do you think of your cats as the "furry kids?"

--Did you ever decide to buy a house or rent an apartment based solely on the potential spot for the litterbox?

--Do you think cat hair in your food is a good source of protein?

--Last Christmas/Hanukkah, did you spend more money on cat toys than you did on gifts for the kids or grandkids?

--Are you at a loss as to how to talk to people who don't own any cats?

--Does your wallet contain more photos of your cats than your kids or grandkids?

--Have you often slept on the very edge of the bed so that you won't disturb the cat who's sleeping in the very middle?

--Do you leave messages for the kitty on the answering machine?

--Have you ever invited a guest to sit down by patting the seat and making that noise with your pursed lips?

--Does your answering machine have the cat meowing on the outgoing message?

--When you go to the bathroom do you think of it as "using the litterbox"?

--Have you made a habit of setting a place at the table for the kitty?

--Do you know your cat's birthday (or if not, have made a good guess) and have a birthday party to celebrate?

--When your husband/wife gives you the ultimatum, "OK, it's me or the cat," you don't hesitate for even one second.

--Do your neighbors talk about you as "the nut with all the cats?"

How many did you answer "yes" to? I think just answering one with a "yes" is enough to qualify you as a "Cat Person." But the number of yes answers determines the degree.

Your "Cat-ability" Score"

--1 to 4 yes answers: In training - you could do better, but it's OK, you're learning.

--5 to 8 yes answers: Moderate - working on it, improving nicely. Potential is there.

--9 to 13 yes answers: Extreme - just about there, almost mastered the art. Keep stretching yourself.

--14 to 17 yes answers: Totally possessed, hopelessly devoted, cat-a-holic. Congratulations! (But you'll find no 12 step program here!)

[knowledgegranted]

I got a 0.

[artoodeeto]

Looks like I scored a 2.5 (the .5 comes from the b-day question) -

--Can you meow so well that you can fake out your cats?
*sigh.....yep. and it's fun! that's the sad part.

--Have you ever called your husband/wife by the cat's name by mistake?
nope.

--Do you think of your cats as the "furry kids?"
Yes. It really is like having a couple furry 3 year olds...

--Did you ever decide to buy a house or rent an apartment based solely on the potential spot for the litterbox?
no. in fact, the apartment I'm in has a not-so-great litterbox location but there's nowhere else for it to go.

--Do you think cat hair in your food is a good source of protein?
hell no, but it gets in there (and everywhere else) anyway.

--Last Christmas/Hanukkah, did you spend more money on cat toys than you did on gifts for the kids or grandkids?
nope. my cats like free things like bags, twisty ties, tufts of fur, chinchilla poop (I have 3 of those little fuzzballs)

--Are you at a loss as to how to talk to people who don't own any cats?
No. I just pity them. :P

--Does your wallet contain more photos of your cats than your kids or grandkids?
No photos in the wallet. course, I don't have kids or grandkids either.

--Have you often slept on the very edge of the bed so that you won't disturb the cat who's sleeping in the very middle?
no. but i've been careful about getting out of bed so as not to disturb the cat who's sleeping on the edge.

--Do you leave messages for the kitty on the answering machine?
good lord no. that's just silly.

--Have you ever invited a guest to sit down by patting the seat and making that noise with your pursed lips?
heh. no.

--Does your answering machine have the cat meowing on the outgoing message?
nope.

--When you go to the bathroom do you think of it as "using the litterbox"?
no. although when the cats insist on trying to join me in there I usually tell them that I don't try and join them in the litterbox.

--Have you made a habit of setting a place at the table for the kitty?
no, but one of them jumps on the dining table anyway.

--Do you know your cat's birthday (or if not, have made a good guess) and have a birthday party to celebrate?
made a good guess, yes (both my cats are resues, one was 6 months old and the other 2 years old when I got them). never done a b-day party. c'mon. they're cats. they'd have no clue what was going on.

--When your husband/wife gives you the ultimatum, "OK, it's me or the cat," you don't hesitate for even one second.
nope. I'd pick her every time.

--Do your neighbors talk about you as "the nut with all the cats?"
no, although we *do* have a neighbor who seems to be a nut with 2 cats. honest. I know the name of one of them is Yoda, but my girlfriend calls them White Kitty and Smushface (that's Yoda) :D

[NightrainSrt4]

Fiance and I took this together. We total ~11. Took some liberties on the meaning of some of them, so probably a bit lower if they are taken exactly literal.

[x88x]

I'm a 3-3.5 (again with guessing the birthday-ish, but not celebrating it), though that score only really applies to the cat I used to have (died about a year ago now :( ). Unfortunately the apartment complex I'm in right now won't let me have pets, but I'm moving in August, and that's definitely on my list.

[Kayin]

Something approaching 6. I likes my fuzzface. It bites a lot though. Siamese tend to do that.

[Luthien]

I only scored a 4 myself, but since I have no kids to buy gifts for of course I spent more on the "furry kids." I didn't count that as a yes. Also, I don't carry a wallet, but do pics on my cellphone count? If so, it'd be another yes...Those two extras would move me up to 6.

Also, congrats on the engagement NightrainSrt4

[NightrainSrt4]

Thanks. I did it a year ago, but we've got a date and such, just didn't want to rush things.

We have two cats. I like dogs, I just always had a cat growing up so am more attached to them.

[msmrx57]

Only a 4 surprisingly. But she is DEFINITELY one of the family.

[Luthien]

I have 2 dogs (1 stays outside all the time) and 1 cat right now. I'm getting a kitten in a few weeks when she's old enough to leave her mom.

[artoodeeto]

I can't resist....gotta post pics of the fuzzy children. The first one is Tiger, he's about 16 pounds, total sweetie, looooves attention, sadly has super-sharp claws, and he likes to flop from a standing position, which can cause small earthquakes (or knock you over if you're sitting on the couch). You can also hear him purring from across the room:
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt53/artoodeeto/crawler%20update/10--01-31DSC_0002.jpg

And this one is Peek-a-Boo. She's a bit smaller, around 12 pounds, and I think she's mostly Birman, but definitely a mix since Birmans are short-hair and she isn't. She's a very pretty cat, rather airheaded, and loves to smack small toy balls around...looks like she's playing soccer. It's hilarious :)
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt53/artoodeeto/crawler%20update/09--11-01DSC_0006.jpg

Oh yeah, and she likes to go into small tight, dark places..bags, boxes, etc. She even climbed in the silverware drawer once...while it was closed! (she climbed in over a half wall from an adjacent cupboard). that was fun trying to get her out of there, and hearing the forks and knives clinking around.
this shot of her, she was inside the outershell of my old 2nd sandcrawler model, looking up through the fan hole in the roof.
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt53/artoodeeto/07--06-10PICT0001.jpg

[Luthien]

Here's a pic of my dog and cat. They actually get along.
http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab231/sarenaerin/Mobile%20Uploads/0430002159.jpg

[SXRguyinMA]

does this apply to dogs too? if so I'm screwed lmao

here's my princess and I
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs475.snc3/26021_103736743000009_100000910526206_32817_114045 3_n.jpg

shhhhh....don't wake the pit bull...she might lick you to death!
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs475.snc3/26021_103744572999226_100000910526206_32937_761821 5_n.jpg

[artoodeeto]

awwww.....too cute! :) My girlfriend and I want a dog someday, but it'll have to wait til we're not in an apartment (the limit being 2 pets. course, we have 5 - the two cats and then 3 chinchillas)

[Luthien]

Cute dog!

[SXRguyinMA]

we got her off of craigslist for free. they had too many for their apartment and she didnt get along with their other dogs, so they were going to have her put down. shame too because she's such a loveable little baby!

We got her at about a year old, at which point she had been used as a bait dog for fighting dogs and had puppies of her own @ 9 months old. poor thing. she was so timid and shy when we first got her, but she's perked right up now :D

[Luthien]

It's great that you rescued her. I got Hawthorne (the cat) from the local humane society.

[x88x]

The only time I ever got a cat from the humane society he died ~1 week later and gave me ringworm. :(

Disclaimer: Not a bash against humane societies, I think they're wonderful things, just recounting my experience.

[artoodeeto]

that reminds me of an abandoned cat my ex and I found a few years ago. poor little guy was obviously only about a year old, hiding behind a toilet in a gas station bathroom near Grapevine on I-5 in CA. He turned out to be SUPER friendly and loving, sweetest cat ever (he "helped" drive the car on the way home after we found him...paws on the dash, looking up over the steering wheel)...and 4 months later he died from FIP, which is sort of a cat version of AIDS, no cure for it. It was amazing how in such a short time he'd made himself part of the family...it was tough losing him.

[Luthien]

I'm the type that rescues strays when I get the chance. I saw a cat outside of Waffle House Tuesday night and tried to get her. I offered her a piece of sausage but she wouldn't come to me. Now I'm worried about her.

[NightrainSrt4]

My oldest cat (2.5y) just had his second seizure in two months. This time it was really bad, or it at least seemed that way to me in those moments that seemed to last decades.

Took him to the vet and had blood work which came back perfect. Sigh. Looks like he is just going to be one of those cats that has them, as they couldn't find anything wrong with him. He can't take the meds even if the vet wanted to give him them as he throws up anything that isn't his specific food; he's got a really sensitive stomach.

Just something I'll have to make it through. I can't imagine it will get any easier over time.

[Luthien]

Poor kitty. At least he has a good home and someone who cares for him.

[artoodeeto]

exactly. those seizures won't get any easier, I think about the only thing you can do is give that kitty as much love as possible.
I feel especially lucky to have gotten the orange tabby that I got - there was another one just like him who was adopted the week before, and as it turned out he ended up needing surgery. The family that adopted him was able and willing to afford it...but if it had been me there's no way I could have forked over $4k...just didn't have that kind of money. Luckily my two are very healthy.