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Resolved: Atheists Are More Cat People Than Dog People

Having co-habited with many cats over the years, I've found them to be free-thinking and inquisitive, like atheists. Dogs seem to be more accepting, more willing to go along. I think this accounts for the fact that atheists tend to favor cats over dogs. (I'm not saying atheists hate dogs--just that we're better attuned to cats.) Comments?

Tags: atheists, cats, dogs, pets

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Permalink Reply by Richard ∑wald on March 19, 2012 at 8:35am

Was it a crazy cat lady, Loren?

(joking)

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Permalink Reply by Loren Miller on March 19, 2012 at 9:07am

Actually, if memory serves ... yes, it was!

Permalink Reply by Heather McIntosh on April 20, 2009 at 5:13pm

I still don't understand the point of cats if they're going to be so independent and have their own life. It's like having a roommate and not a pet.

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Permalink Reply by Heather McIntosh on April 22, 2009 at 1:08pm

I guess some dogs are needier than others. Mine is pretty independent.

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Permalink Reply by Lisa Hamilton on April 22, 2009 at 2:25pm

I agree with you 100% on everything except the loyalty of cats. My cat Creature I've had for 14 years. If I'm downstairs he's ON me. He follows me around. He's so protective. If I go upstairs (I live in the 'in-law' suite of my father's house) where the computers are he HOWLS like he's dying. My other two cats are okay just being around, more like 'normal' cats, but Creature is a man all his own.

I found my dad's poodle to be very draining. He was all play play play play and drool drool. He was a tongue with feet. I couldn't handle that. I like throwing the toy, but once it gets covered in dog slobber it isn't fun anymore. My dad had to put him to sleep a couple of months ago. It broke my heart. I really liked this dog, but I prefer cats.

And what is that saying? "Trying to organize Atheists is like herding cats."

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Permalink Reply by Lisa Hamilton on May 5, 2009 at 6:05pm

Thanks ;-) Creature was named by my cat Athena. When I first got him she followed him around the house at a distance like he was something from outer space.

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Permalink Reply by Julia Rutledge on May 2, 2009 at 3:41pm

I wouldn't say cats can't be loyal...my childhood cat used to come rubbing against my knee, mewing with the most distressed look, whenever I cried after a fight with my parents or bro. He would put his paw on my knee and rub his face on my cheek then lean back to see if I'd smiled yet. While he liked my family, if I called him, he would come running every time, even from outside...but he only came for the family if they bribed him with cheese.
I taught all three of our cats before mine to beg like a dog for their meals, just because someone told me I couldn't teach a cat tricks. And these cats were feral, too timid to let me touch them, but at a hand gesture or voice command, they would sit on their hind legs and mew every time.
I also had a dog before the military, beautiful Rottriever, and he was loyal and sweet, but never seemed to grow past the childish excited boisterous display of affection that scared my friends. My bro trained both our dogs to obey voice commands instantly without having to yell. But on walks on or off leash they have to have constant attention to keep them on the strait and narrow.
Cats can be ignored, or loved on, and they respond equally well to both.

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Permalink Reply by Kate Korolenko on May 9, 2009 at 11:10am

The fact that cats are independent is what makes them good pets for people who live in the city or who (like me) spend a lot of time not home. All you need to do for a cat is provide food, water and change the litter box. As much as I love dogs, I could never one because owning a dog is not unlike having a young child - you need to be there all the time and provide everything for them. Like Rosco mentioned, when a cat decides to show you affection it really means something since they're taking time out of their own lives to love you. Even my own cat, who I've already said is a momma's boy, really only shows it when he feels like it. If I spend extended amounts of time at home, then I'm lucky to get a sidewards glance...

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Permalink Reply by dusk on April 16, 2009 at 1:57pm

definitely a cat person.
i was joking around with my sister that dogs are like wine. things like breed, pedigree, and training matter immensely just as with wines things like region, style and grape matter immensely. i was raised with seeing eye dogs since my mother is totally blind so i was always used to the best of the best. i thought that i could go either way with dogs or cats. then i was around other people's dogs and for the most part they are untrained and spoiled. there are few things that annoy me more than an untrained dog outside of the untrained dog's owner complaining about cats. so to close the analogy if i had only drank screaming eagle wine at home once every few years it would be nothing short of repellent to then be served gallo everywhere when i went out.
i have two cats and am very happy with them.

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Permalink Reply by muhammad amer on April 16, 2009 at 2:36pm

It would be intrestig to observe what cats like more. Being close to an atheist or a religious person?

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Permalink Reply by FreeThinker on April 16, 2009 at 5:36pm

I doubt they'd care as long as you feed them, pet them, and change their litter box.

I like both dogs and cats, though I prefer cats. I currently have one cat. He's very laid back and never fusses unless he wants to go outside. I would prefer to keep him indoors, but he was a stray and he's used to being outside. He gets stressed if he is kept indoors for more than a couple days.

I wouldn't mind having a dog, but I live alone in a condo and I'm gone for about 10 hours a day. I don't think it would be right for me to keep a dog inside for that long everyday.