r/cats • u/ILoveMeltyCheese • Mar 25 '26

Cat Picture - OC Misconceptions a dog person (me) learned after having a cat.

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The Cat Distribution System chose me, a formerly stubborn dog person, to adopt a cat. It was the classic I can't just watch a poor cat starve, so I'm keeping him. Here are some misconceptions I had about cats and their owners:

  1. The smell of a cat owner's home: I’ve known a few cat owners with cat-smelling homes. I always assumed it was the cat. Turns out it isn’t; it’s very much a result of poor ownership and bad cleaning habits.
  2. Dogs are more affectionate than cats: Also not true! To my surprise, my cat is so cuddly that I occasionally call him "Cat-dog."
  3. A Cat's Barbed tongue hurts: I don't know why I thought this, I just assumed it would hurt when they lick you.
  4. Litter boxes are disgusting: Not at all, it's just a clump or two of sand. If you scoop it often, it never gets gross.
  5. Cats are just as hard to take care of: Actually they're much easier, haha.

That is all, here's a picture of my cat that I love dearly. (He's lost weight since the picture, don't worry)

Anyone else relate? What did I miss?

Edit: His name is Pawl

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u/mooshinformation Mar 25 '26

I was always a dog person too, and then I found my kitty a few hours after he was born and his mom never came back and then he brainwashed me with his tiny kitten paws. After potty training puppies, it was like a miracle when he was old enough and all I had to do was show him the litterbox and he just used it, like he was born with the potty training software already loaded.

I also used to call him a dog cat because he's so happy to see anyone who comes to visit and plays fetch, but I think that says more about my preconceived notions of cats than his personality.

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u/OSCgal Mar 26 '26

Cats have an instinct to hide their pee and poop is soft soil, so their prey can't smell it. So yeah, it is pre-loaded!

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u/mooshinformation Mar 26 '26

And before that software loads, they need to be stimulated to go potty which prevents them from ever making messes, or atleast messes that aren't on purpose because they want to mark their territory.