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Having watched MCFH a bit, I'm puzzled at what drives people to knowingly NOT breed for better temperament in cats.
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My Cat From Hell TV show and wth happened to Animal Planet?!
- Thread starter eicanfly
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The vast, vast majority of cats are not bred. They need homes too.
What temperament do you mean?
We (Austalia) had a show about dogs a few years ago where a vet and an animal advocate helped people find the right pet for them. The advocate met with the family, performed an assessment of the family's requirements and checked to make sure the house was safe with a good fence. Then she went to the shelter and picked out three dogs after making sure the dog was healthy and had no behavioural problems. The potential owners would then choose the one that they liked the best. I wished they expanded it to cats.
As for Jackson Galaxy's show, I've only seen episodes on youtube and sure it's a bit over dramatic and clunky but it hopes to press on the viewer that every cat can be helped.
As for Jackson Galaxy's show, I've only seen episodes on youtube and sure it's a bit over dramatic and clunky but it hopes to press on the viewer that every cat can be helped.
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A temperament that isn't 'psychopath you have to tiptoe around and cater to.'
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All cats are individuals just as dogs are individuals. Breed doesn't guarantee anything.
I don't know how JG keeps from sucker punching some of these pet owning fools. It should be called Cat Owners From Hell. However he uses the more flies with honey than sucker punches approach. Many of the cat owners on the show are using the failed tactics for punishing cats and seeing their issues get worse.
I don't care for dogs and I really don't like the aggressive breeds. However Cesar Milan openly addresses that most of the dogs bad , horrible and sometimes downright scary behavior is of human origin. As much as I think Pit bulls and Paroles is good for a laugh at least the red haired woman addresses openly the needs of the dogs she's adopting out. Somehow when we get to MCFH the behavior is all on the cat in the previews and they have really skirted the issue of owner abuse in several. So yeah cats somehow come out as pets with behavior issues that humans have to endure and fix and dogs are victims of their owners who need to learn how to handle their dogs. Of course AP is also going to go for the ratings. I was an avid fan of Whale Wars and the antics of the Sea Shepherds usually left me rooting for the Japanese.I know that Cesae Milan's show The Dog Whisperer is not currently airing, but would you think that might have the same effect?
I agree though that the title is very poorly chosen.
I also like that it shows how workable most cat behavior problems are and what causes them. Also, the owners usually look really bad I think- I'm amazed at how many if them laugh when their cat attacks someone!
But it certainly could be having that effect. Tha being said, cats get a really bad rap in our society (outside of cat-lovers). How much more damage could this show possibly do, lol? Especially when there is a sweet and wonderful kitty at the end.
I also think television just becomes exploitative naturally, at least in our culture. Since its all ratings-driven, and sensationalism/exploitation sells...
Dogs and cats really shouldn't be compared. They both differ greatly.
Dog breeds DO guarantee a fixed temperament/traits, the rest is environmental factors. Like training or lack of. The way they have been treated. (Loved, neglected, spoiled, abused)
Cats, however, have NO guarantee whatsoever. Every cat is an individual. They come with their own traits. They do have breeds but cats do not look up to humans as dogs do. They see us as a symbiotic relationship. Something that takes care of their needs and in return they offer us affection. More like they are praising us (training us).
Haha, no guarantees! Yes, a well-bred purebred dog is very likely to have the proper breed traits, but there are always the cases of a Lab from champion retrieving lines who hates water and couldn't fetch his own food bowl, lol. Or a German Shepherd who loves everybody and will show the thieves where the valuables are kept. But, yes, if you buy a purebred from a decent breeder, you have a very high chance of getting the appropriate breed traits, because dogs have been selectively bred for thousands of years.
Cats have not. If you get a purebred from a decent breeder, there's a slightly higher chance you'll get a well-socialized cat with a good temperment than if you get a random cat off the street. But the chances are not that much higher, and that's mostly dependent on being raised in a nurturing setting. Cats are not very genetically malleable. We don't have 2-pound domestic cats and 200-pound domestic cats, it's just not possible. Their temperment traits aren't any more malleable than their physical traits.
And remember that the strongest selection pressure on cats up until very recently was their rodent hunting ability, not their housecat skills
. A cat who is passive enough to be a well-behaved housecat is not going to be a very good hunter. Prey drive comes with other drives as well. Perhaps in a couple hundred years, if humanity keeps heading toward a more technological lifestyle, cats will become "the perfect housepet". But if there's a resurgence of "back to the land" type living, or if technology fails, cats will just keep on being cats
. As for the show, yeah, I think they have to put some dumb reality show type stuff in there to draw ratings :/. I haven't seen it in a while, so I don't know if it still does that. But TV shows are a good way to draw attention to certain causes, such as "maybe don't be such a stupid cat owner ya twit", so that's a good thing. And Jackson Galaxy's books and website are very good.
The dog references you mentioned are exactly what I was talking about. Labs being afraid of water are environmental, I owned a lab and live no where near water (lakes, rivers, ponds) so when it rained enough and there was large amounts of water, she was afraid. Lab puppies are to introduced to water at an early age. The Shepard being friendly- that breed IS bred to be friendly and loyal, in fact their mentality is based on reading facial expressions and vocal volume. Very intelligent. If not taught to defend against strangers, it will in fact greet visitors even unknown to them.Haha, no guarantees! Yes, a well-bred purebred dog is very likely to have the proper breed traits, but there are always the cases of a Lab from champion retrieving lines who hates water and couldn't fetch his own food bowl, lol. Or a German Shepherd who loves everybody and will show the thieves where the valuables are kept. But, yes, if you buy a purebred from a decent breeder, you have a very high chance of getting the appropriate breed traits, because dogs have been selectively bred for thousands of years.
Cats have not. If you get a purebred from a decent breeder, there's a slightly higher chance you'll get a well-socialized cat with a good temperment than if you get a random cat off the street. But the chances are not that much higher, and that's mostly dependent on being raised in a nurturing setting. Cats are not very genetically malleable. We don't have 2-pound domestic cats and 200-pound domestic cats, it's just not possible. Their temperment traits aren't any more malleable than their physical traits.
And remember that the strongest selection pressure on cats up until very recently was their rodent hunting ability, not their housecat skills
Perhaps in a couple hundred years, if humanity keeps heading toward a more technological lifestyle, cats will become "the perfect housepet". But if there's a resurgence of "back to the land" type living, or if technology fails, cats will just keep on being cats
As for the show, yeah, I think they have to put some dumb reality show type stuff in there to draw ratings :/. I haven't seen it in a while, so I don't know if it still does that. But TV shows are a good way to draw attention to certain causes, such as "maybe don't be such a stupid cat owner ya twit", so that's a good thing. And Jackson Galaxy's books and website are very good.
Once again. Environmental= training factors.
I have a cat. She can't do a thing. (I love my cat to death but it's true) A mouse ran right past her. Didn't do anything about it. In fact, my aunt's Chorkie (chihuahua/yorkie) ran after it. Yorkies were bred to hunt rodents along with other terriers. He never seen a mouse before but that's his natural instinct as a selected bred canine. It's his BREED.
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German Shepherds are supposed to be naturally aloof with strangers (friendly and loyal to family, though) and naturally protective. True breed traits are supposed to be instinctual (but not guaranteed), like the terrier going after the mouse. So, retrievers retrieve, herding dogs herd, terriers hunt small prey, guard dogs guard, etc.---the basic instinct ought to be there without any training, although of course you'd have to fine-tune those traits with training if you wanted them to do it the way you wanted instead of the way they wanted .
I have a Collie who tries to herd anything that moves, even though he's never seen a sheep :tongue2:.
But, yes, a lot of dog behavior is due to environment too. Certainly a Collie who was raised with sheep would be better at herding than my boy, lol.
Yeah, some cats have lost their instincts. Most Persians wouldn't deign to even look at a mouse :lol3:. Because they've been bred for fluffiness, not mousing, for over a hundred years. Most cat breeds aren't that old, though. So their breed traits aren't very well set.
. I have a Collie who tries to herd anything that moves, even though he's never seen a sheep :tongue2:.
But, yes, a lot of dog behavior is due to environment too. Certainly a Collie who was raised with sheep would be better at herding than my boy, lol.
Yeah, some cats have lost their instincts. Most Persians wouldn't deign to even look at a mouse :lol3:. Because they've been bred for fluffiness, not mousing, for over a hundred years. Most cat breeds aren't that old, though. So their breed traits aren't very well set.
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I honestly don't like the show. The owners annoy me when they have to choose between getting married or keeping the cat. That makes me annoyed. I like JG, but not the pet owners.
When either person in a relationship says it's me or the cat ( fill in the pet/person/anything) its about control not what someone is trying to force you to do in order to be worthy of their affection.
Very true. I have chosen my animals over relationships before. Because gf/bf could decide to leave any day. They may not be permanent but animals are. The minute you take the animal home, they dedicate their whole life to you. The guys I've been with claim "I'll be with you forever" "I'll never grow tired of you"... Yeah[emoji]128529[/emoji][emoji]128529[/emoji][emoji]128529[/emoji] To this day my animals are still here, not them. [emoji]128522[/emoji][emoji]10084[/emoji][emoji]128049[/emoji][emoji]128054[/emoji]
I really don't agree that cat breeds have little to do with cat personality. Some newer breeds that have been bred primarily for a particular aesthetic, yeah the personality is secondary, but older more established breeds tend to have traits associated with them. ie if you want a quiet, lazy and aloof cat you probably aren't going to want a Siamese.
