Literatrix

Book reviews, art, gaming, Objectivism and thoughts on other topics as they occur.

Jul 12, 2007

Here Kitty, Kitty

I like cats. Given, I'm also allergic to cats and I don't have anywhere to put a cat, but I still sort of wish I could have a cat. Well, my allergies haven't been bothering me that much recently and I will certainly be getting my own apartment as soon as I can, so I figured the first thing to do was to look at some cats. Now, most people would start looking for an actual apartment first, but I like to do things my own way.

I found the above site with a list of all the "official" cat breeds, and I just thought it was cool. I like the Ocicat the best, I think, but I'm also very fond of the Egyptian Mau. Mau is the Egyptian word for cat, go figure. We should name animals after the sound they make, too, you wouldn't have to correct your kids when they insisted that the dog was a "bow-wow". On the other hand, I'm not sure I'd want to be calling dolphins the "eeeekeeiaekkkkeeee"; that's a little hard to pronounce. Spots aside, I also like some rather plain fellows like the Bombay, which really does look like a miniature panther, and the Korat and Russian Blue.

The hairless cats look kind of sad, though.
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10 comments:

Myrhaf said...

I own a Ragdoll, for which I paid $500. The beast sheds unbelievably. You can run your hand over his body and then find your hand covered in cat hair. He is stunningly beautiful, and that is his job -- to lie around looking good. He's friendly on his own terms, but my other cat, who I got for $25 from the pound, climbs all over me and purrs.

The only advice I would give to anyone looking for a cat is to pick one that is friendly when you first see it. The one in the litter who comes to you is the one you want, because that kitten has a friendly nature. Cats form their character quickly and then they never change. If a kitten hisses and spits at you, it is not a friendly cat and it will never be one, especially with strangers; you might establish some relationship with the cat, but you will always be fighting its aggressive or timid nature.

11:42 AM
Jenn Casey said...

That's an amusing idea, naming animals in onomatopoeia-fashion, lots of fun to be had there.

"Hey! I just heard a hoo!"
"Who?"
"Not who--hoo!"
"Hoo-hoo?"

Now I'm in the mood for Dr. Seuss!

Good luck with your kitty search. We have a regular old gray tabby (so sweet) and a beautiful sneeze-inducing Maine Coon (sooooo unbelievably soft and she comes with attitude as a bonus feature).

12:04 PM
Jennifer Snow said...

Oh, I love Maine Coon cats, they are pretty! I've never seen one in the flesh, though. According to the site they are almost like a dog personality-wise.

I think I will get a cat when I get an apartment, even if I have to consume a lot of allergy pills to avoid being stuffed up. I've lived with cats for two or three days without significant problems before, so I think the severity of my allergies is dwindling as I get older.

5:25 PM
Anonymous said...

You might want to think about investing a carpet steam cleaner sometime down the road too. That will really cut down on cat allergens in your apartment.

6:06 PM
Jenn Casey said...

My Maine Coon is beautiful, gorgeous, soft. She does act a lot like a dog. Definitely NOT a lap cat. She likes to play and hang out NEXT to her humans. She's a very calm cat, generally. The attitude I referenced before stems mostly from advancing age and the fact that she hasn't got over us having human children to displace her. She's been a really good cat and has never once missed the litter box!

If you can take a daily antihistamine, or better yet, a nasal spray such as Flonase, you should be able to handle living with a cat. A HEPA filter on your vacuum is a must. Also, since we found out about my cat allergies, we banned them from the bedroom, keeping my pillow and bedding cat free, which I think is very important since you are lying down breathing it in all night.

I've never seen a Ragdoll cat--must go look for some pictures!

12:06 PM
Galileo Blogs said...

I will echo Rational Jenn's comments. I have cat allergies but I vacuum regularly with a HEPA filter vacuum. That clears the cat dander from the air and surfaces. I also never touch my face after I pet my cats. In fact, I always wash my hands with soap after I pet them. Finally, Claritin-D is very effective for my allergies, with Benadryl providing the rarely needed hard-core relief.

With those precautions I have been able to enjoy my cats for 16 years now. I also have found that my allergies have declined much over the years.

Overall best recommendation: the vacuum with the HEPA filter.

As for cats, I've gotten all of mine from the pound, and have loved every one of them (all short-hair, better for allergies).

Enjoy your kitties! Btw, I recommend getting at least two. If they play with each other, they are hilarious to watch.

10:56 PM
Jennifer Snow said...

When my parents got kittens the last time they got 2 calico kittens and they are adorable. They have *very* distinct personalities, too, which is kind of interesting.

Now, I have a question: why did I get so many comments on my post about cats and I almost never get comments on my (to me) more valuable posts about books?

I bet it's because very few people that come to this blog read the same books I read.

10:38 AM
Suzanne said...

Just ran across you while searching on Ocicat and allergies. I have a friend who's VERY allergic to cats, who can nonetheless live with an Oci. So if you're mildly allergic, and like cats anyway, that might be a good breed choice for you.

Not having allergies myself, I can't attest to the truth of the claim, but can say that it's fun to play with my friends' ocicats when I visit them! I've never played 'fetch' with a cat before!

3:46 PM
Jennifer Snow said...

Thanks Suzanne! I think I'd enjoy having a pet, so it's definitely something to consider for down the road.

7:16 PM
Sheona McCaig said...

As both an allergy sufferer and a cat owner, I can attest to the fact that Ocicats are a great choice for anyone with cat allergies.

I myself own an Ocicat and have had no issues whatsoever due to the combination of an extremely close-lying coat, the very short fur and the lack of shedding. If you do suffer from allergies, I would recommend that you stick with owning just one cat, as the more cats you own the more of the substances that cause the allergic reactions are likely to be in your house.

Besides, Ocicats have such amazing personalities that we couldn't bear to be without ours now!

8:06 AM

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