This is an off-the-cuff post and it is probably a slightly complicated subject which may require more than I am willing to give it. It is more a discussion document than the complete package.
As they are retired, older people are around the home much more. They are able to get involved with their cat much more which would lead me to believe they would be good with a more active or demanding cat. However, older people are less motivated and more static and therefore are more likely to prefer a docile, less demanding cat.
Also older people become less able to do things properly. They screw up because their skills deteriorate. This implies older people would prefer a docile, undemanding, easy to keep cat.
As for younger people you’d have thought they’d prefer a more active cat but….younger people are working hard nowadays in a more competitive world which obliges them to be away from home a lot and/or with less energy and time to devote to their cat when they crawl home from the hard slog of the workplace.
This leads me to believe that younger people might prefer a docile undemanding cat. This in turn leads to the conclusion that modern humankind increasingly prefers a docile highly domesticated and undemanding cat able to be content with his own company.
If I am correct, I have to come to the conclusion that the sooner the domestic cat loses his/her wild cat tendencies the better.
I have consistently come to the sad decision that the fact that the domestic cat is less domesticated than the dog is detrimental to the cat. The domestic cat has to become more domesticated to suit modern living.
There are other factors too. Older people are likely to downsize which means to an apartment. Apartment living is fine for a cat if it is on the ground floor and the gardens are large and safe for cats (if let out) and provided neighbours tolerate cats. There are complications. Once again this leads to older people opting for an easy to care for cat able to cope with full-time indoor living (possibly).
Younger people are more likely to move. Moving is bad for a cat. The best sort of cat to cope is a docile cat who has little interest in expressing his wild cat heritage.
Yep…young people and older people want the same cat: undemanding and highly domesticated.
I am the same. We need our cats as much as they need us. They keep us alive and alert. Also there is some physical element too which helps with weight loss or stopping us getting overweight. I need a cat because I need to care for someone. I need to nurture like a father. It is hardwired.
I THINK THAT MY CATS AND DOGS KEEP ME GOING,KEEP ME ACTIVE.I AM 67 AND I KEEP ON MY FEET NEARLY ALL DAY AND MOST OF IT IS TENDING TO MY FUR BABIES.OF COURSE ,I DO HAVE MY COMPUTER TIME AFTER MY DAY IS DONE. MY CATS ARE ALL PILED UP AROUND ME.MOST OF MY CATS ARE GETTING OLD LIKE ME.
The mammies have such serious stuff and grief in their lives that sometimes they go silly for a while for a bit of relief. You should hear them sing silly songs and laugh like drains, we go out and leave them to it. We do have such fun though with them. They think they look after us but it’s the other way round really 😉 😉 they couldn’t be happy without us around.
Hey Cal Good to See you havent seen you in ages!!!! Where you been??
Kittens are just so much fun. And we do help nurture purrsonality. It really can’t be helped! Kittens are so much fun, especially as they grow into their bodies at one-year of age, do you agree? lol! That is when you can feel the muscles developing, and we can massage their shoulders, making them relax, wanting more.
<3
Why would any catlover get new furniture–maybe to see the wonderful unconditionally-loving marks they leave? My flatmate’s cats prefer sharpening their lovely clws in my Heywood-Wakefield wicker chairs. This led to ‘mastering’ the art of cardboard furniture. Maybe that is why they prefer it to the leather couch? I love it, because they like to sleep on the couch, with me. I am so blessed <3 especially the purr emanating from Shrimpster…
<3 prrrrrrr<3prrrrrrr<3prrrrrrr…