What's Up with the Cat?

Here's a fact that might surprise you: Americans have more cats than dogs - as this USA Today story from last year says, "...cats outnumber dogs by more than 10 million (82 million to 72 million)." So why do dogs get all the attention and why do I have a book on my nightstand titled, "Why Dogs Are Better Than Cats"?

Well, I don't have a good answer for that - I love both dogs and cats and right now I am a proud cat owner, sans dog, for the time being. Our cat, Wabby, is very loving and cuddly and easy to take care of. Every morning I hold her for awhile, I walk around with her in my arms and she purrs in my ear and she loves looking at all the "up high" stuff (as she really can't see much past her nose, I don't think!)

But, the USA Today story, even though it's a year old, describes a sad situation. It says, "But here's the dirty little secret: Cats are more often neglected than dogs, more often relingquished to shelters than dogs and less often taken to veterinarians than dogs."

<big sigh>

Cats are pets. To me. They deserve better than they get. I know that many people who read this blog and the Scratchings and Sniffings blog are cat lovers. Dr. Larry made it a point to discuss the value of obtaining pet health insurance for your cat, recently. My daughter in Buffalo has 3 cats and treats them like babies (don't we all?) and I see so many blogs and twitter folks who are staunch cat lovers, that I hope the tide is turning and cat lovers are finally making themselves known.

I discovered this site written by a veterinarian who discusses all pets but has a great article on "Unwavering Devotion to Cats" that is well worth visiting.

And, there is actually a site called Feline Advisory Bureau - which discusses cats and more cats. I like their page on Books for Cat Lovers. (looks like they're out of the UK, but Amazon likely has the books, too)