Cats (and cat people) are often misunderstood.
Cats get a bum rap. Throughout history, they’ve been tied to bad luck and dark magic. They’re called aloof and uncaring, even toxic. The media loves to insert slinky, shadowy cats into horror movies, and they’re regularly portrayed as omens of bad fortune.
And it’s not just cats that get the villain treatment. In plenty of movies, tv shows, and books, cat lovers are cast as scoundrels and anti-heroes. The Godfather’s Vito Corleone had a tabby named Cannoli. Dr. Evil would never match wits against Austin Powers without Mr. Bigglesworth by his side. And who would Hogwarts Headmistress Dolores Umbridge be without her mischievous Persian Patronus?
The truth about cats
Cats are remarkable creatures when compared with most other domesticated animals. Somehow, they’ve managed to maintain their autonomy and something of their wild hunter ways. Whereas dogs have been bred for thousands of years to obtain serviceable traits, cats have remained largely unchanged by cohabitation with humans.
That wild, independent nature makes them more sensitive to their environment. Genetically, your housecat is much closer to a cougar than a dog is to a wolf. Cats’ ears, eyes, nose, and whiskers send constant signals to a very lively mind. That means, cats can become overstimulated in noisy, novel places (like a vet’s office) with lots of interesting aromas (think: parakeets and hamsters) as well as quite a few scary smells (think: strange people and dogs).
Also, whether you agree or not, in a cat’s mind, you are equals (if you’re lucky).
And they are particular about who they form friendships with. After all, they’re purr-fectly content with their own company. In other words, vets, vet assistants, and other cat lovers have to earn the trust of a cat, which takes a little work.
The truth about cat people
Lots of studies have been done on the psychology of pet owners, and cat lovers do often share some traits with one another. The most notable difference we see is a devotion to their furry friends that would have made the Egyptian sphinx proud. Cat people love their pets because their wild and mischievous. They appreciate the proud bearing of their tiny lions, and they get that a cat’s love is a sign that you’ve been stamped high quality by the most finicky judge.
We know all this because we’re cat people.
That’s why we’re constantly working on ways to make our practice more cat-friendly. We want our place to be a place your feline pal loves to visit. At Gloves Cities Veterinary/Dove Creek Animal Hospitals, cats have their own examination rooms with no disturbing dog scents, and each Cat Room has a cat-approved scratching and climbing tree and popular feline toys. Special diffusers emit calming pheromones, and our Fear Free Certified, Licensed Veterinary Technicians wear the same pheromones to put cats at ease. When cats and their people are visiting Gloves Cites Veterinary/Dove Creek Animal Hospital, we do everything we can to make them feel at home.
If you want to discuss your cat’s upcoming visit, call Gloves Cities Veterinary/ Dove Creek Animal Hospitals to speak to a fellow cat lover at 518-725-8117.
