T.C.S.S. #1 – Women like cats more?

I’ve been reading quite a few cat blogs here and there and it seems that the majority of cat owners are ladies.

Is it because
a) men who are cat lovers blog about other typical male “hobbies” like cars, computer games, women (??), soccer or computers; or
b) there are definitely more female than male cat lovers; or
c) men are embarrassed to be known as cat lovers?

I think option b) should be quite correct. Maybe even option c). I don’t know. I’m just guessing.

Actually I only personally know of 1 male cat lover though he technically does not own any cats (his mother does). 3 of my current female colleagues have cats. 2 are married and I would presume their spouse either like cats too or do not mind having cats around.

None of my friends are cat lovers. They don’t not like them but it has never occurred to them to be a cat owner though I know a couple of them would prefer to keep a dog rather than a cat. None of them have any pets currently except for one couple who has this one fighting fish.

What is it then with dogs and humans, especially man? Speaking from a man’s point of view, I think it’s the character of a dog which draws them. Men (and most humans of either gender) like to be in control, to rule, to be “THE ONE” with the authority etc. I think you get the idea.

Dogs are pack animals and will instinctively follow the top dog, the Alpha male. And this therefore gives rise to the perfect match. One wants to lead and the other wants to be led. Man calls “Come here boy”, “sit boy”, “roll over” and the dog dutifully does (mostly) whatever is the command. Man’s ego inflated liao. Satisfied. Ho sei liao. For the ladies, maybe they don’t have such a high need to be in control or perhaps they don’t have this big ego to satisfy. I don’t know. I’m just guessing. So don’t slaughter me.

Try that with a cat and I bet most people will have their blood pressure rising to the roof. A few special cats may respond but I bet the rest will probably bo chup you totally (some even turn their backs to you) or they may get back to you later during the year and only if they feel like it.

So does that mean that male cat lovers do not have the need to massage a big ego or maybe they don’t have a big ego to start with? Or is the allure of a cat too great to resist for certain males? Questions questions questions. I think a PhD thesis can be written on this topic.

So what is the charm of the cat? Is it their loftiness, subtlety in expressing themselves, arrogance, non-dependency (but not totally) on human company, feline grace, soft mews and purrs etc? They are for me, at least. It grows on you. You need to win their love. You have to work for it. I don’t need to feel that I am the one in control all the time. You do your thing and I do mine and when the planets come into alignment every so often, the cat will be beside/on top of/near you, keeping you company with no words spoken and with just that gentle look in their eyes. I tell you. That is the best feeling ever. It’s like falling in love all over again. Every single day.

Some of the best times I had spent with them are when I come back home late from work. The Wife is sleeping already and the house is deadly quiet and dark. I open the door and 5 pairs of shiny eyes greet me. They come twirl around my feet quietly, sometimes with a few soft mews. And when I settle down onto the sofa/floor/whatever, they will be crowding around me. Chang Chang/Xin Xin will be on my lap while Kim Kim will be seeking head bangs. Bon Bon will timidly try to sneak in for a pet here and there while Yuan Yuan will be seated a metre or so away observing. I can feel my tiredness going away even though I have been working for more than 18 hours. I can feel my blood pressure dropping as I gently stroke them. It’s heavenly. No words spoken and no loud barks. I think it reaffirms the connection I have with them. Within 15 minutes, they will go do their own thing. Only Xin Xin and Chang Chang will be near me. And I am fine with that. It’s good to know they love you but they also give you your own space, your privacy. It’s great. A perfect match.

Don’t get me wrong though. I love dogs too and I also enjoy their company. When I was younger, my tuition teacher’s silky terrier, Buttons which is the sweetest dog ever, would like to nap on my lap while I spent 2 hours going over grammar, sentence construction, essays, paragraphing, Julius Caesar and The Old Man & The Sea (this book is too not-it for the lower secondary). I enjoyed her company and her big round black eyes just melt you. And I think hamsters and rabbits and fishes and chinchillas and guinea pigs and whatever pet will be great company too.

But cats are in a different league altogether. To me, they are above that. And I think only those who are/were owned by cats will know that feeling.