What is it about cats that makes them so goddamn lovable?

[BurtWorm]

[DarkPhenyx]

1. When properly seasoned...

...they are quite tasty and nutritious. Makes 'em quite lovable in my book.

[BurtWorm]

2. So you'd say it was their free ranging lifestyles?

[DarkPhenyx]

3. yeah, that'd be it!

:)

[VelmaD]

14. Cats are food

:evilgrin:

[DarkPhenyx]

18. *evil grin*

Another one converted to the dark side.

[VelmaD]

22. Yup, you've corrupted me.

And now everyone knows who to blame. :evilgrin:

[grasswire]

4. all of the above!

But also because they become devoted to you and intuitive. I'll never forget the night before I had to make a drive over the mountains in an old and troubled car; the last leg in an unwelcome journey with cats and daughter and a heavy load of stuff. Chester hovered over me as I worried to sleep, putting his face against mine and curling against me and purring and patting me with his paw. It was so comforting.

[Catshrink]

38. Ditto

That's exactly what I was going to say.

How about sleeping on my head at night, or waking me up in the morning. I will never oversleep -- Sam and Ryno keep that from happening. Ryno paws at me and Sam just plops his fat self (25+ #s) on my head, back, whatever.

Love 'em!

[ScreamingMeemie]

5. Funny story...sort of. I was sitting in the kitchen talking with my

husband tonight, when Merlin walks up and starts pawing at my leg. I look down and say,"Hey,Sis (daughter) fed you, go and get it" Merlin keeps meowing until I shoo him away. After a seconds thought I said to my husband,"Merlin was probably telling us that Jessie (dog) was getting into the shampoo again, and has just walked away muttering,'stupid humans'"

[BurtWorm]

8. I get the feeling my cats are saying that about us

all the time!

[Bozola]

6. you meant "ballistic grace", didn't you?

[DarkPhenyx]

7. As in the catapult variety of grace?

[BurtWorm]

9. That would apply.

[xJlM]

10. All of the above PLUS their independance

I've said this before, but cats don't have to come around humans. They're natural predators capable of feeding themselves. They come around us for attention and love, and because they like us. But if you offend one it's quite capable of walking away and taking care of itself, at least for a while.

[DuctapeFatwa]

11. It's their remarkable long-suffering tolerance of human idiosyncrasies

Like our maddening inability to sense when it is time to stroll or recline on the keyboard.

Or our insitence that they submit to being petted while they are busy contemplating advanced concepts that we will never understand.

Our apparent inability to learn that just because our hands are covered with dough, paint, clay, or full of squirming infants is no excuse for making them wait to be petted.

Our inexplicable failure to understand that the purpose of fine furniture is to help claws stay sharp and healthy.

And worst of all, our brutish refusal to understand that shampooing is a grave violation of feline rights.

[Jeebo]

12. All of the above...

It's impossible to choose just one from the options you listed, so I choose all of them.

Ron

[Kathy in Cambridge]

13. Funny, sweet, intuitive personalities

My alpha male Reno is a true character. He is laid-back, easy going, but an anal control freak about certain things. When one of them has used the litter box, Reno comes to tell me it's time to scoop and flush. He also lets me know when the food bowls are getting low-even if he isn't hungry. And he sits on the sink and waits for someone to run water so he can drink. He is very affectionate, loves to groom his humans with his sandpaper tongue. He uses his paws like hands; he'll bring my hand toward his mouth so he can kiss it. Hemakes these deep groaning and grunting sounds when he sleeps or is relaxed.

Noah is an affectionate lap cat who loves to play. I work from home and he follows me around all day. He often falls asleep on my lap. His play behavior is very unique. Noah loves chasing the
flashlight although he knows it's me holding it and it's fake. He also loves crawling into bags and boxes. When Noah is curled up in a bag, Reno will often jump on it and start frisking with his brother.
Noah alsois mesmerized by bubbles in soda and selzer bottles. He meows or gurgles greetings to his humans when he jumps up on furniture.

Can you tell I love my boys?

[BurtWorm]

15. They sound adorable, all right!

:hi:

[scarlet_owl]

16. My cat is so big and squishy and fuzzy and lovable

and lazy. She's just so sweet! What's not to love about cats? Oh, right, litterboxes.

[BurtWorm]

17. At least they go in them!

That's a pretty amazing thing about them!

[DarkPhenyx]

19. You can litter box train a dog.

It's really isn't any harder than training a cat to do it.

[BurtWorm]

20. But most don't fit through the door, do they?

;)

[LWolf]

21. Their incredible independence.

Yes, their cute, furry, funny, smart, etc.

But what wins me every time is their stubborn independence. I've yet to meet a cat who will "obey." They decide to cooperate, or not...but it's always a conscious choice. My cats like me. They like my company, my time, and attention...on their schedule, not mine. They silently rule the place. And they let me live here.

[stickdog]

23. The way they yelp when you step on them.

Just kidding:

It's their sense of style and self-importance.

[DoNotRefill]

24. "I meant to do that!" moments.

when the cat does something really stupid, usually involving knocking something over and scaring the Bejesus out of himself or making a spectacularly bad jump involving a less than graceful landing, and then starts to groom himself out of embarassment, with a " I did that on purpose, REALLY!" look...

[BlueJazz]

27. Let me say that I do love cats but.....

....I did see 2 bumper stickers on a car once that was hilarious:
1> Do you long for your house to smell like a bag of shit?....Get a cat.

2> (a picture of a cat holding up a sign at a intersection)
Will Destroy your furniture, stink up your house and ignore you for food.

Mr. Bush Baud Man! He Vedy, Vedy Baud Man!!

[Hogarth]

25. Cats are okay, I guess ...

... but they always remind me of ruthless debutantes in high heels. They allow us to feed them and take care of them, as do dogs, but it seems to me that their approach to the whole business is very, very snobbish.

But I could be wrong. It's just a sense I feel after having been allergic to them for fifty years.

[LincolnMcGrath]

26. The Taste

sorry, only kidding!

[Eat_The_Rich]

28. There lovable...

because of the way they splat when you shoot 'em!
http://www.richsalter.net/flash_scrapbook_items/04_claykittenshooting/index.html

[geniph]

29. My guys are like Labradors

except they're quieter and they bury their poop. No one can come to the door without a "greeter squad" there to investigate and demand love. If you go into an unoccupied room of the house, after a few seconds, one cat will casually saunter in, then a few seconds later, another, and before three minutes has passed, all three cats will be in there with you. You can't do anything alone in a house with Maine Coons. They're the most affectionate, curious, loving pets imaginable.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

32. My kitties greet strangers at the door too

They pretty much follow me around all day also-I'm working in the living room and they're both asleep in their respective spots.

[Kamika]

30. they are just so damn CUTE

thats it.

[Lindacooks]

31. I vote for all of them

Smuckers has dancing eyes and loves to play and make mischief.

Bijou purrs constantly and is so soft and fluffy

Pumpkin has an attitude and is so smart and beautiful.

Cady and Bee (the twins - named after Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton) are acrobats, with anti-gravity fur, grace and agility.

And I've got more!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

33. It's the way they purr and rub against you while you're

washing off the hairball that's squished between your toes.

[populistmom]

34. I love cats, but my daughter is very allergic

So no cats. We have a dog, but the dog needs Paxil. I can like dogs, but I prefer cats.

[jmowreader]

35. I bought my wife a black kitten for our first Christmas together...

We lived 60 miles from the breeder. They gave it to me in a box. The cat figured out how to open the box, get out and curl up in my lap within five minutes of being in the car. When I get home..."Hi honey, here's your Christmas present, it doesn't like you."

[Silverhair]

36. They aren't so servile.

I'm a cat lover, and have been as long as I can remember. Every cat I have ever lived with, (One does not own a cat in the sense one owns a dog.)has been a unique individual with it's own quirks. You make friends with a cat, and the cat reserves the right not to make friends with you. The dog has to make friends with you as he thinks you are a dominate member of his pack.

And NO cat would put up with this: Here's the link:
http://www.hometownlife.com/news/WestlandObserver/default.asp?Page=10-19-2003/FullStory/10_19_03.1st.10.htm

It's a story of a guy that was arrested for having sex with a dog. The female was a German Shepard, a large dog. Even so the dog had to have been in severe pain. (For those that don't know it dogs have a skinny penis, except for the knobs at the base that lock them together.) Aside from the size problems with cats being too small, NO CAT WOULD TOLERATE IT. Could you imagine the shape the guy would be after the cat decided to object, and the objection would be lodged very quickly.

[xJlM]

37. You're killing me here!

The images you put in my head, I haven't stopped laughing yet!

[alwynsw]

39. Absolutely NOTHING!

Nasty animals, cats.

[jab105]

40. They dont really like you...

so you are always trying to get on their good side...

and yes, I have a cat (she's sitting on my computer monitor right now)...but if I try to pet her, I just know that she'll try to bite my hand off, and yet I still try...

[Booberdawg]

41. Because all cats are brain damaged!