Many people adore cats and have them as pets, and are happy to take care of them, constantly take photos and post these images on social networks almost every day.
We can only rejoice for the happy owners of Murchiks, Vaseks, Barsiks and Snezhinoks - after all, it has long been noted that tamed cats dispel melancholy, lift the mood, help to relax after a hard day at work, make up a cheerful company on fishing trips, barbecues, picnics and even on long journeys. It is not surprising that some people take their Fluffys everywhere, even on vacation to a southern resort and on a business trip abroad, if customs regulations allow it.
At first glance, there is nothing better than this strong friendship, especially for lonely people, for whom sociable and often demanding attention cats sometimes do not allow them to withdraw into a narrow circle of everyday problems and quietly go crazy. As strange as it may sound, you can “talk” to a cat, and you will get the impression that he will not only understand the person perfectly, but will also react in a peculiar way, slightly twitching an ear, squinting and nodding his round head, as if mocking the owner's problem and wondering how much importance he attaches to it and how one can worry about "such trifles."
Of course, it is difficult to overestimate the powerful psychological support that cold-blooded, "reasonable" and unperturbed cats provide to nervous people who often fall into anxiety states, are prone to depression or are experiencing a bitter separation and constantly need the presence of a living creature nearby.
That is why cats are especially loved by the fairer sex, who, as is known, perceive failures more acutely than men, immediately see in betrayal or the departure of a lover "eternal separation", and at the sight of someone else's success they immediately declare themselves "losers", that is, losers.
However, despite all the fact that cats bring undoubted and invaluable help to wounded souls and hearts, we have to admit that this coin has another side. Perhaps the most harmless part of it is the hairs that constantly fall out of the cat's fur, which quite quickly cover carpets and chairs in an even layer, and even appear inexplicably on the desk and clothes. Of course, they can and should be removed with a vacuum cleaner, but this will have to be done quite often, especially during shedding periods.
A more unpleasant surprise is the passion of some male cats to mark their territory with natural excrement, which can cause the apartment to be filled with the difficult-to-remove smell of cat urine. But even worse is that, judging by recent press reports, the cat is a carrier of microscopic harmful organisms that contribute to the development of schizophrenia in the owner.
Scientists have long since established that animals are much smarter than is commonly believed.
They find solutions to logical problems quite quickly, easily navigate unfamiliar surroundings, and are able to build chains of causes and effects. It is natural to assume that this observation also applies to pets, which are sometimes considered almost primitive machines, configured to perform the simplest physiological actions such as eating, playing, and sleeping.
But anyone who has kept an animal at home could probably notice that from a certain moment it adapts to the rhythm of its owner's life, remembers the time of feeding, and sometimes even accurately determines where exactly the treasured food is stored.
Such abilities are especially pronounced in domestic cats, who not only learn what and where is in the apartment, but also, by observing the owner, learn to use some purely human engineering devices - door handles, plumbing, a doorbell button at the entrance.
Moreover, - apparently, cats can also count, because they rarely make a mistake on the floor, independently climbing the stairs early in the morning. In order for the cat to let you know about his return home, you can make a floor doorbell especially for him, and the animal will most likely understand that by pressing the button he will give the owner a signal to open the door.
If you take a kitten home and let it live in an apartment for about three years, you will get the impression that as it grows up, it will begin to understand human speech. The cat will not only perfectly remember its name and will come running when called, but will also quickly master some commands, as well as threatening gestures in the form of a broom in its hands or a stern waving of a finger. At the same time, being a very subtle psychologist, the animal will quickly begin to distinguish which of the owners will definitely drive it away from a soft bed, and who will allow it to lie there even after spending the night on the street.
Judging by how thoughtful the look of an adult cat can sometimes be, he has clear logical thinking, allowing him to determine his place in the domestic social hierarchy, draw the right conclusions and make important decisions.
By constantly observing the household members around him, the cat develops a special approach to each of them. For example, he will be much more respectful of the owner who regularly gives him food than of her husband, whose communication with the mustachioed pet usually comes down to fun games and joint walks.
It is also quite surprising how tolerantly cats perceive the rather unpleasant and even painful pranks of children, in response to which they not only do not show aggression, but do not even rush to go to another room. Apparently, these animals understand perfectly well who they are dealing with, and therefore immediately forgive babies such antics for which they would immediately harbor a deep grudge against adults.
The mass fascination with pets, especially small ones that do not need a lot of food and have a sociable character, makes more and more people think about getting a dog or a cat.
And if in the first case it is possible to find a common language and establish friendly relations without much difficulty, then in the second case sometimes contradictions arise that can develop into complete misunderstanding, the only way out of which will be parting.
As practice shows, a cat may well leave home, simply not returning from another walk, if its relationship with the owner develops in an undesirable way. Even a quiet and obedient mustachioed pet, at first glance, forgiving all sorts of punishments for sleeping on the couch, gnawing on a package of valerian forgotten on the windowsill, eating sausage carelessly thrown on the table, will gradually accumulate resentment for the untimely delivery of food, cruel pranks of children, rudeness of the owner, and, having got used to the street environment, without hesitation can take advantage of the opportunity to start an independent life.
This indicates that the cat has a heightened sense of pride, which can overcome any rational considerations that at home he will be fed, if not always, and there he can warm up and sleep away from dangerous dogs and passers-by. That is why you should not treat a domestic cat as a soft toy, capable of steadfastly and meekly enduring insults, injustice and hunger.
Perhaps cats have less genetic experience of living next to people and communicating with them than dogs, and perhaps due to a slightly different way of thinking and living, cats are not domesticated to the same extent as dogs. If a dog is a man's best friend, then a cat is more of a comrade, "interlocutor", and even a "business partner" who regularly catches mice, but you shouldn't expect the same devotion and loyalty from him as from a dog.
With all this, even despite the preserved natural wildness and independence, the cat reacts sensitively to a good attitude towards him and is able to be imbued with respect for the owner if he sees logic and repeatability in his actions. Being a night hunter by nature, the cat highly values attentiveness, caution, sensitivity and determination in people.
By demonstrating these qualities and showing the cat that his stay in a city apartment is built into some fair and unchanging logic, you can get a friendly pet in him, ready to play with the owner, sit next to him when he is busy with something, and carefully “listen” to his story about the past day, while creating the impression of complete understanding of what was said.