The truth about cats and dogs
Can a cat person and a dog person set aside their differences and find love together?
OK, so that's sort of a silly question.
But pets play a pretty large role in relationships. And if you don't like your partner's pet - or your partner's pet doesn't like you - there definitely could be a problem.
I have a good friend whose rather large mutt hates her boyfriend and is generally unfriendly to men. Everytime the guy comes over, her dog barks and growls and, ultimately, has to be put outside.
Then there are the poor guys who get subjected to women's teacup pups. They end up standing in the shoe section of Macy's, waiting for their girlfriends, and holding the hot pink Juicy Couture dog carrier with the chihuahua or mini pinscher inside.
Perhaps the worst situation, though, is my poor boyfriend. He's a dog person, with visions of a large canine companion to roam the backyard and go along on hikes. Yet he's stuck with my cat - no small challenge, considering that he's allergic and spends a lot of time blowing his nose and popping allergy pills.
But I'm a cat person. And there was no way I was going to give up my pet when we moved into a house together. Still, I know that hasn't been too easy on him.
What role do your pets play in your romantic relationships? And do you see yourself as incompatible with someone who can't take your side in the cat-dog debate?
Comments (5)
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Cat person/dog person is usually one of the first things I find out when I'm trying to get to know a guy. And no matter how hot he is, I just know that I'm not going to get along that well with cat guys, so I don't wear myself out trying.
I embarrass cat men and they bore me.
Cat men want to be by themselves and they want things to be clean, quiet and predictable. I'm messy and noisy and I'll take a crisis every now and then if it keeps things from getting boring.
Posted on August 28, 2007 11:29 AM
I've known some cat people who are pretty freewheeling, but I find that a lot of the time they can be more of the look-out-for-number-one crowd.
It definitely matters. I'm an affable, goofy dog person and I sometimes find that my cat person girlfriend has some of the overly-compulsive qualities cats have. We tend to draw up some of our minor battle lines along the cat/dog divide — issues like alone time, excessive attention to cleanliness, willingness to be social or rowdy, etc.
For me it's been more of a learning experience than a deal-breaker, but, like you can't change some of your innate behavior, I don't know if you can ever change your cat/dog preference.
Posted on August 28, 2007 11:48 AM
I defintley sympathize with your boyfriend's dreams of dogs.
This isn't your situation, Ginger, but it remindes me of how lot of women seem bent on changing their guys in little ways - fashion, haircuts, food, friends, and so on. The cat deal seems to be no exception.
"Well, he'll like MY cats," I've heard women say.
Reality: If he likes your cats, it's because he likes you. And that's not all bad.
Posted on August 28, 2007 11:51 AM
Hey there Sassafrasquatch -
I'm with you there, as far as people being unable to change their innate preference for cats or dogs.
But I think you still can favor one while growing to appreciate the other.
Growing up, I never had a dog, and though I was fairly comfortable with my babysitters' dogs and friends' dogs, I just wasn't used to being around them all the time. And eventually I ended up a little afraid of them, after being chased by three dogs that belonged to one of our neighbors when I was still pretty young.
Meanwhile, we almost always had a shelter cat hanging around the house. So I was predisposed to prefer cats and think dogs were smelly, a little scary and just sort of gross.
That changed, though, when my brother got a golden retriever puppy. That dog, who is about nine years old now, completely reformed my feelings.
That said, I've never dated a guy who owned a dog. (I've never dated a guy who owned a cat, though, either. My boyfriends generally have been pet-free, though I'd speculate that most of them, like Ruby's guys, have been dog people.)
Posted on August 28, 2007 12:02 PM
Cats, dogs, whatever. If I pick up on the fact that a guy may not like any animal- he's out. Prerequisite numero uno in my book- you must like animals. I cannot stand it when people say they hate cats, or they don't like dogs. Gimme a guy who's not afraid of a kitty on his lap, or talking baby talk to a dog.
Posted on August 28, 2007 7:34 PM