[amyhinmn]

I admit last night was NOT a good night for me to read a post like I did. I was feeling quite down and out. I apologize if I came off strong. I swear to god I was a cat in a previous life. But, I have always been one to root for the underdog, so to speak. And IMHO it is a dogs world, just as it is a man's world. If people see a stray dog, the world stops. If people see a feral, homeless cat, they often do not think twice.

Nonetheless, I think that Hickey007 has provided us with the most enlightening and helpful perspectives on cats and dogs. They are different. Just because cats do not express things as dogs do, does NOT mean that they do not need the same things. If a human is more introverted, does this mean that they need less human companionship? I know that when my cats are off napping, as they sleep more than dogs, and I got start to pet and love them, they purr and roll instantly. And there is NOTHING like a purr. And Chelsie1978 saying that cats love nobody? I don't even know how to respond to that. You are basing your "facts" on anecdotal evidence of the cats you have known in your life. My most independent cat is far more needy than many dogs I have known. Any sentient creature on this earth wants/needs love. I am speechless by the comment that cats love nobody. And it is not a "proven fact" that cats are more independent and yorkies are higher maintenance than other dogs. That's impossible. There is far too much inter-breed variability for that to be a "fact."

And those of you who think cats are motivated by food and that we are no more than a can opener, you are fooling yourselves. Remind me, again, how do we train dogs? Hmmmm, with TREATS?!?! I saw a documentary once on dogs and why they are so social, and it was really an unromantic take on the reality of dogs. They are pack animals, and they submit and seek approval from alpha because alpha allows them to live, through acceptance in the group and food. BOTH CATS AND DOGS ARE EQUALLY MOTIVATED BY FOOD, THEIR MEANS OF SURVIVAL. They just respond differently to food and those who supply their food. All animals are motivated by survival, and all animals love.

To the breeder who indicated that a yorkie may not be the breed for me, and that I may not have known that. I researched dogs for over 6 months before settling on a breed. I talked to the breeders who were dooms-dayers, saying that if we work full-time we should not have a yorkie, or that yorkies are never completely housebroken. And then I have talked to others who laugh at those notions. How many people own yorkies that are of the luxury to not work? I work 8 hours, and then I am home almost every other hour of the night and weekends. I don't even take vacations b/c I know how lonely my cats will be (and know my dog). I don't enjoy vacations, because my furries are not around. I know/knew what I was getting in to. BUT, just as with kids, dogs/cats are what you make them. If you only feed your cat, and watch him/her sleep, that is what you will get from your cat. If you bend to your dogs every need and desire, you will end up with a spoiled naughty dog, like a bratty kid. We all know those people who we don't want to visit because of their obnoxious dog/kid. If you expect obedience and manners, that is what you will get. In fact, I do so much reading on training that I learned if you overreact to your puppy upon your arrival home, you are setting your puppy up for problems with separation anxiety. And I am pretty sure that separation anxiety is awful for a dog to have to deal with.

Nancynancy--I think you should try getting an adult cat from a shelter who already has an established super-friendly personality. If you like yorkies, you don't know what you are missing. I joke that yorkies are not dogs, they are cats that bark. Our Libby even plays like a cat. Our cat toys haven't gotten such a workout in years! Especially the remote control car and the Garfield panic mouse. Cats are so unique and quirky, I laugh at them every day. I think that their sense of entitlement, their narcissism, is hilarious. I remember a New Yorker cartoon of a dog and a cat, hilarious, I will try to attach it below.

Because cats are often viewed as second-class citizens next to dogs, they sometimes are not socialized well when they are young. But a poorly socialized dog is no more friendly than a cat socialized the same way. I will concede that cats appear more independent, but they are not. They just don't wear their heart on their sleeve. Try going up to your "aloof" cat who is sleeping, stroke him gently, under the chin, talk sweetly. Do this a few times a day. I guarantee you your cat's personality toward you will change.

I rescued a feral kitten at 3 months old. She was terrified. She would not even bat at a toy, and she was a kitten! She remain frozen and horrified by me for hours. Eventually, she batted at a toy. And she has never been the same. For those convinced that cats are just food obsessed slave drivers--the cat I am referring to, Leia, is 17 lbs. She is on a diet, but she LOVES food. Nonetheless, I am her universe. She will NOT eat or take affection from anyone but me. She can be starving in the morning, and my boyfriend of 3 1/2 years will try to feed her. She will stare at him and lay by me. I will get up and shake her bowl, and she will run to eat. If she does not get enough attention from me for what she deems as too long of a time, she will let me know by chewing through my speaker or phone cord. She sometimes meows at me until I sit down so that she can knead on my belly, and sometimes she gets so relaxed in the process that she drools. She rolls on her back and talks when she is feeling loving. Cats are capable of just as much expression of love as dogs. It's just a different language. Listen closely.

Our yorkie is NEVER in the pen when she does not have to be. BUT, we do not let her know, as someone wisely said about the kid crying in the store, that whining gets results. When we come home, she would cry and carry on. I would sit in front of the playpen (she is in a child's playpen too while we are gone) and talk nice to her until she settled down. As soon as she did, about 20 seconds later, I would praise her and take her out. Now, when we come home, she is already learning that she wags her tail (whole body, actually) because we will take her out right away if she is not whining. At night, she sleeps right next to our bed in her playpen. If she wakes and starts whimpering, I will say, "shhh, sweetie, we are here." She stops and goes back to sleep. What my original post meant was that I want a dog that knows crating is sometimes necessary and tolerable, even when we are home. Things that I may have to do while she is a puppy that breaks my heart will only give her more freedom and happiness as a well-adjusted dog.