Oh, I love dogs, and don't have any allergic reaction to them, either. We usually choose a breed that does not shed, like a Yorkie, poodle, etc. Of course then we have to have them groomed to get their hair cut. We haven't had a dog in over 3 years now; my heart was broken when little Harry died and I'm not sure I want to go through that again.
Fortunately, I don't have a problem with cats. Dogs with long hair do bother my breathing. I don't know if it is the hair or dander, but I've always had short haired dogs for that reason. My son is highly allergic to cats and his father in law's wife and her daughter are cat lovers. Now, the wife is a physician and knows full well about my son's allergies. Yet when he visits them, she insists on bringing the cats out all the time. After my daughter in law passed away I told my son to limit his visits with them for this reason. She is such and ignoramus.
My Barney is a little different. If I call his name he'll come from wherever he is to be with me. He'll also follow me when I ask.He's the same in the other way, however, in that he'll pester me if I'm occupied with something besides him.
I;m glad you called that a crackpot theory in your closing sentence. Until that I was thinking you were kind of nuts.
I read a book on cat behaviors and they said if you look at the cat then look away that is an invitation to the cat. More people who like cats watch them and don't take their eyes off them. There again if you don't like cats you look away. I have no way of proving that but it might be the reason.
The way a cat treats its owner will differ from how it treats strangers in the home. Most of my cats would come when I called them, although many of them would take their time about it, and come to me in a round-about fashion so that I couldn't prove they had come because I had called them.
"Once a cat determines you are no threat many will be friendly. A person with allergies is deemed not a threat quickly because they try to avoid the cat." I think that is a very sensible theory. It may be somewhat off-topic but I knew a guy who'd brag about the cats he shot on his property. If I'd caught him at it I'd ask to see his rifle and then shoot him.
Barney does something else I find unusual. When I'm very sick and don't want his company and push him away, he stubbornly tries to be close to me and cries a lot. He is usually more quiet and obedient when I push him away for other reasons but when I'm ill he wants to be very close to me. I may be reading too much into this but I actually think he's concerned about me. Also, when he thinks I'm mad at him he will, instead of avoiding me, he will pester me until I give him attention.and tell him I'm not angry at him. He actually seems to understand much of what I say. He is a very intelligent and affectionate cat. But to answer my own question, maybe I AM reading too much into these things because he's my closest companion and I want someone to care about me. Maybe the above seems like I'm trying to elicit pity for myself. I'm really not.
From my point of view, you are not I lived with foster parents for a while and had a close bond with their dog, she would actually come in from outside to find me always at those times I was feeling sad, they are so precious and very instinctive
Makes perfect sense to me, Dwight. My little dog Harry and I were in tune with each other; he was my best little pal. Nothing beats the love and devotion of a little pet.
__________________Felix____________________Chloe__________________________________Maggie___________________ Mind you, I'm not one of those crazy cat persons you hear about.
@Dwight Ward I got my dog and my cat (both long deceased) as very young puppy and kitten when I was in my early 20s, single and doing animal rescue work. I was well on a career path, had bought a home, gotten married and divorced, enjoyed promotions and suffered layoffs, and was in my early 40s when they died. You can imagine the amount of life they ushered me through. The empathy you sense is not projection on your part.
Stories of My Attack Cat My cat (Snowy) was an attack cat. Snowy loved me and hated my wife. It cracked me up, since she picked Snowy out at the animal shelter before we got married. When we divorced, there was no discussion on who got Snowy. As far as Snowy was concerned, the feeling was mutual. When I would come home from work, Snowy would often be on top of the refrigerator behind the entry door ready to jump on whoever walked in. I would make sure to say "Snowy! It's me!!" and she would sit up and meow. (Think Kato of the Pink Panther movies.) Snowy has literally chased adult friends out of my house. I would lock her in a room when they would come over, and the uninitiated would hear the mournful kitty cries through the door and unwittingly open up the gates of Hell. Snowy would chase them through the exterior door, and they would be outside holding the screen door shut as Snowy tried to bash her way through it to get at them...even after they were outside! I would be at my neighbor's house sitting on the couch, and we would hear a BAM! at the door. Startled, we'd look at each other and then at the door. There Snowy would be, standing up and peeking in. It was time to eat. Snowy would walk down his small porch steps, run up, and literally launch herself at the door, peeking in at every episode until I got the message, went home and fed her. If a car door slammed in the neighborhood at 2AM, my dog would sleep through it. Snowy would sit up and growl. I loved that cat.
@Nancy Hart One cannot "own" a cat. Cat's, however, certainly "own" their "masters". Kick a dog, it will come slobbering back for more, over and over. Kick a cat: you will only get to do it once.....now tell me which animal is smarter?? Frank