Cats emotionless and selfish?

[suri]

I love cat's so much and I think they have all kinds
of emotions, personalities and not all are selfish.
But I have a friend who doesnt like cats because of this.
She thinks they are emotionless and completely selfish.

What are your opinions everybody?

 

[otto]

My opinion is your friend has never spent any time with a cat, so has no idea what cats are like.

You might point out to her that if cats are emotionless, they cannot be considered selfish. To be selfish one would have to feel and think.

On the other hand, don't bother.Your friend may be trying to get your goat, if she repeats this opinion to you frequently. Until a non-believer has experienced cat love, you'll never convince them.

I have witnessed first hand several people who "didn't like cats" discovering how wonderful it is to live with a cat. And every single one of those people now have more than one, and cannot imagine life without them!

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

I agree with all that has been said. In my mind, I am not sure to trust someone who has a bad opinion of cats.

 

[clucas976]

Let me be the first then to agree that cats are selfish...not emotionless however.

My little snuggle bunny madison is very selfish...about me! God forbid that dog enter the bedroom during nap time with mom, he get so0o incredibly put out he can't even look at me, and every day when I get ready for work, he does his best to try and snuggle me back to sleep, distract me, and then attacks my clothes as I try to put them on.

I picked up our other cat yesterday, He made the most angry yowl at me and gave me the most hurt expression.

He also claims every toy for himself. they're all his, and he hates to share his toys with the dog, even if they are geared for her species.

i've never understood people not liking cats, or dogs, or animals. One bad experience cannot equate for the entire species, every single animal is different. that'd be like having a bad day with people, and deciding you hate them all and never interacting with them again.

sounds to me like your friend is being more selfish than any kitty is.

 

[pookie-poo]

My most favorite saying is:
How empty are the lives of those who have never been blessed with the spirit of a little cat invading their hearts

I think it describes your 'friend' pretty well, don't you?

 

[mystik spiral]

I guess my cat is selfish when she wakes me up too early when she's absolutely starving to death. Or when I'm on the computer and she sits on my keyboard and flicks my face with her tail because it's playtime by her schedule.

But emotionless? No, no, no!!! Holland knows when I am having a bad day, I am sure of it, because I always get extra cuddles on those days. Whenever I have to leave her overnight, she MOPES when I get home, making sure that I know she is NOT pleased.

I was a lot like your friend when I was a kid, I thought I hated cats and couldn't understand why anyone would want one. I still didn't know a whole lot about cats when I adopted Holland. Lots of research (and this forum) helped me to understand how special they are.

 

[pat traufield]

I think being a cat lover, dog lover, rat lover, horse lover, etc is part of our genetic code. I do not get people who cannot connect with another species and I am sure they do not me...

 

[nurseangel]

My cats can be a little...ahem...self-centered, but they are not emotionless. Speck is a great example, because he worries when I or one of the other cats are sick. Once, Siamie got sick in the bathroom and got choked. I wasn't sure where she was...I could hear her but couldn't find her. Speck started meowing loudly and led me to her like Lassie. He's done things like this before. His forehead even wrinkles when he's worried. And of all mine, except the sweet Marshmallow, are a prime example of one emotion: jealousy.

 

[mysterycat]

I can't believe that someone would think that cats are emotionless...they can even read our emotions. One time I was crying for some reason then I saw Charlie's Aunt staring at me, when I looked at her, I heard her saying a very low toned meow and walked towards me then she rubbed her body against mine! Touching!

 

[missymotus]

Sounds like they've never spent time with cats, my family thinks that way, they are not cat lovers at all. Neither was I until my early 20's when I first owned a cat.

 

[mrblanche]

Originally Posted by Suri

I love cat's so much and I think they have all kinds
of emotions, personalities and not all are selfish.
But I have a friend who doesnt like cats because of this.
She thinks they are emotionless and completely selfish.

What are your opinions everybody?

I guess that friend isn't going to have any kids, because that pretty well describes them.

 

[ut0pia]

Well your friend isn't entirely wrong there, I mean most animals, including humans sometimes are selfish..
There are a few animals known to engage in altruistic behaviors, but cats aren't one of them..It's just not their nature, being predators and obligate carnivores..
And it's true that cats don't develop very strong bonds with each other, and with humans, because they don't need anyone to survive, they hunt alone..the bonds they have with humans is entirely useless to their survival, and it's not in their biological make up, but yet we know our kitties do have a bond with us, it's just more of an equal relationship than say, with dogs where the owner is the master who is loved unconditionally..with kitties you have to deserve to be liked and work up to it ...
I think it's not about whether or not cats are selfish and emotionless, it's about whether you think they deserve to be pampered, selflessly loved and cared for, regardless of whether or not you think they reciprocate the feeling, and just because they are so darn adorable

and of course, such a pleasure to take care of and share your life with..

 

[mystik spiral]

I think I may have posted this on the forum before, but it seems appropriate for this topic. I am taking online classes and I had a writing class last term. This is one of the essays I turned in (got a good grade, too!!):

Are you a cat person or a dog person? This is the million dollar question among the pet lovers of our society. I knew one bird person many years ago, and of course there are always those few who choose animal companions like ferrets, rabbits or hamsters. When it comes to our favorite pets, though, Americaâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s top two choices are cats and dogs, and for the most part, we are fiercely loyal to our favorite.

I never thought I was a cat person; we always had dogs when I was a kid. Granted, they were for the most part miniature poodles, since that was the only breed my Dad wasnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t allergic to. I can recall professing my objection to cats on more than one occasion. Like many dog people, I considered cats to be aloof, self-centered, and generally completely useless. Plus, they made me sneeze (allergies run in the family). So why am I now putting forth the argument that cats are superior to dogs in the great pet debate?

I live in a condo with no yard and I missed having a pet. Needless to say, Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]d had my fill of small yappy dogs in my life, and besides, I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t have the heart to keep a dog cooped up all day long. So I crossed over to the feline side and came to the conclusion that people who say they donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t like cats just donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t really “get†them. Cats are the perfect companion for those of us who have on-the-go lifestyles, and they really are better than dogs for many reasons.

First of all, cats donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t drool on you. They donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t jump on you and try to knock you down when you get home after a long day at work. They donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t require your assistance in bathing, and while some people believe litter boxes are nasty and foul, letâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s face it: would you rather scoop poop out of a 12-inch by 18-inch box or your entire back yard? Finally, reflecting back on the busy lifestyle, cats are pretty independent and self-sufficient. You can leave them for a couple days and theyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ll fend for themselves quite nicely.

Of course, cats are not for everyone, but I do contend that they are misunderstood little creatures who have been slapped with a bad reputation. What may come across as aloof is actually independence; cats can and do take care of themselves. What seems to be self-importance is really pride. If youâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve ever seen a cat fall off a table or chair, then act as though they did exactly what they meant to do, you know the pride of which I speak.

The main reason I have fallen in love with cats, though, is that they make you earn their love and respect. Unlike dogs, who will give their life for you if you pat them on the head, cats make you work for it, which makes the bond between human and animal that much stronger. At the risk of outing myself as one of those stereotypical “crazy cat ladiesâ€, I have realized, acknowledged, and embraced my love for the cats of this world.

 

[chinacat]

I suppose cats could be described as 'selfish' but that character trait could also be described as a 'survival instinct'. They are very self reliant and personally I find that an attractive feature rather than a criticism!
They are definately not 'emotionless' though. Like most animals they feel fear, stress and happiness. I think your friend is the emotionless one if she thinks cats don't 'feel' anything.

 

[otto]

I do not think that the characteristic selfish can be applied to cats. Cats are what they are, they act on instinct and learned behavior, but selfish....in my definition of selfish, that does not fit any cat I have ever met.

I don't think it's a concept: 'selfish vs sharing' that can be applied to cats.

 

[mrblanche]

Well, let's be upfront. The job nature has given every cat is to live long enough to produce enough offspring to replace itself and its mate. After that, everything is gravy.

I think the longer a cat lives, the more "social" it becomes.

 

[otto]

Originally Posted by mrblanche

Well, let's be upfront. The job nature has given every cat is to live long enough to produce enough offspring to replace itself and its mate. After that, everything is gravy.

I think the longer a cat lives, the more "social" it becomes.

Social, you mean, social behavior toward humans?

Some of that is nature, you know, some cats are just naturally made more friendly than others, but a lot is nurture. The more attention one pays to one's cat, the more developed the cat's personality will be.

 

[ut0pia]

I was just being general when I said cats can be selfish, because all animals (well, most, not all to be accurate but the majority) will put their survival and their needs before anything else, and that can be interpreted as selfish, but to me it's not something that's bad..

But, cats hunt the mice and help humans that way, so that's one characteristic that can mean that they aren't selfish!
It's pretty dumb though, to think of any animal as selfish, considering how you get a pet to take care of it, not to receive anything out of it...at least IMO

 

[catnurse22]

I have had both cats and dogs my entire life. I've always loved cats, but in all honestly would have considered myself a dog person up until about 2 years ago. This was because I thought dogs had so much personality and love for humans and cats really could take me or leave me. BUT...

When I started working in the veterinary field a few years ago and as I spent more and more time around cats, I grew to appreciate them more. Especially since I've been working in a feline only clinic for the last year I've come to realize this. And now that I'm living on my own and have 3 kitties that are physically, emotionally, and financially mine not just a family cat, I've seen how amazing these creatures really are.

The cats that can be seen as selfish and emotionless really just take time to get to know. To a non cat person who doesn't want to make the effort, I'm sure they do see them as just that. But, every cat is wonderful and unique. With dogs, most labs are going to have very similar personalities, as are terriers, hounds, etc. Of course each dog is different...but you can pretty much be certain if you first meet a young lab, it's going to be goofy and hyper. Cats seem to have so many more facets to their personalities.

I think almost anybody can become a cat person if they spend enough time around cats and give them a fair chance. It's the ones that easily dismiss the loner, grumpy, hissing cat that make themselves "not a cat person".

 

[mrblanche]

Originally Posted by otto

Social, you mean, social behavior toward humans?

Well, that's true, too, but I really meant toward other cats in the household.