We are all dog people and love Dobermans. We had planned to get another Dobie when we got settled in our new house. However, the Dobie breed is having a lot of problems right now with lack of genetic diversity and 40% don't make it past age 5 due to dilated cardiomyopathy. This trend is worsening. So we decided we just weren't going to get a pet because again, we are dog people.

Last Oct our new family doc told me it would help my youngest daughter if I got her a cat. She absolutely put him up to it but in all fairness, she missed starting college last fall because of a couple of health issues, a by product of which is anxiety.

So I did a bunch of research. If I was going to have a cat in the house I wanted a large one that was mellow, low allergy, didn't shed a lot, was healthy, and was dog-like. When you throw that into the cat calculator you come out with a Male British Shorthair.

So I found Fritz, a 6 month old Brit kitten available for adoption by a reputable breeder that lived about 4 hours away. $1000 later my daughter had a cat. I bought all the stuff: Litter Robot, cat trees, nice crate, etc. We had him neutered right away ($700) and he started settling in with us. After about two months he was happy, walking around with his tail in the air.

At nine months of age he weighed about 9 lbs and was on his way to the typical 14-18lb range of the male Brtis. They were bred to go after rats, which required a big strong cat. His personality was prefect. He hung out with my daughter most of the time but would occasionally come visit my wife and I. He expected me to play with him. These cats aren't lap cats buy do like to be close by and see what you are doing. They also need alone time. They don't really like to be picked up but he would always yield when we had to pick him up and would start purring as soon as you had him.

A couple months ago he got a fever of unknown origin. $700 later that was resolved. About two weeks ago I noticed he was getting quite a pot belly. My daughter also noticed and took him to the vet. That was another $1100 for them to drain fluid and run tests. When everything came back he had FIP. They gave us a steroid and pain meds.

My daughter wanted to keep him at home as much as she could. I agreed, saying as long as he wasn't in pain that was fine. He finally quit eating last Monday evening and Wed morning my wife and daughter took him in to be put down.

I found that I was a little sad, which is unusual for and INTJ. My emotions are usually frustration and irritation, and on rare occasion I feel satisfaction. On top of that, I am a DOG person, not a cat person. But Fritz was the perfect cat and I had no idea the would interact with people so much. My wife and daughter were VERY torn up.

FIP affects one in 5000 cats. All kittens have the virus, but occasionally it mutates and when it does there is a 99% mortality rate. There is no way to screen for it.

The breeder offered my daughter a five year old female that for some reason she didn't adopt out when she retired her from breeding. My daughter has accepted. Paris is a very pretty black female, and we will get here the end of the month.

I had noticed that my wife really loved having a cat. (Observing how my wife feels is part of the reason we have been married almost 31 years.) Growing up in a rural area she always had a couple of cats around. I asked her if she wanted a cat for herself, since the daughter will take this cat with here when she leaves home. So when the breeder has a male kitten available, my wife will have a cat as well. She is going to name him Charlie and hopefully we won't be unlucky twice with FIP.

Like I said, I am a DOG person..................

Hey, growing up my family only had dogs. Lora and I have dogs but we are Cat People.

We love our pets/companions, we have 3 that load up in my work truck and spend everyday with me when I am making my rounds.

The reason I like cats is unlike dogs, they aren't slaves, in most cases if they decide they want to be petted they will go to their person and let them know they want some attention.

Our dogs are happy no matter whose is petting them.

Sorry to read of your families loss of the first cat, losing a dog or cat that has been part of your family, even if only for a short time is never easy.

Yeah, didn’t think I’d ever be okay with cats, much less like one....

I have 3 cats;2 indoor + one outdoor to rule the outer roost. I also have an Australian Sheppard that totally rules the entire property.She knows who lives here + who does not.She has a large territory to patrol but then again ,that is her job.My job;if the coyotes come too close to the house is just kill them from the upper deck.Wish I had some night vision optics.I would be MORE than interested in a way to dust these outriders rather

INTJ you have my sympathy. Lost one not long ago and it was as bad as losing a child. Probably the new ones will help.
good luck with them. Packy

I can relate.Many years ago I was not a 'cat person' but into my life came a little tuxedo cat that I named him Skunk.The neighbor kid thought it would be great fun to shoot him in the ass + then bury him in my vegetable garden.Spring tilling brought up Skunk after months of worry.When I heard the story from my boys via the school (no secrets there),I got a hold of that boy + slapped him 3 ways,deep,wide + frequent.When I told him to call his daddy to see if we need to continue this further;daddy backed off. Hell,I was so mad I was spitting nails.Long way around the barn but ever there after I have been a cat person.My babies rule the roost.

INTJ

Sounds like you've become a "cat person". I haven't had a cat since I was a kid, but have considered it lately. Your story encouraged me.
Thanks.

We have labradors - have done for the last 40 years -and one of my previous lives was a pest control supervisor on a local conservation project .

Boy - have I killed some cats in my lifetime. Trapped them , shot them , poisoned them , "relocated " them...

And never owned one.

But we go visit people who have cats and their cat invariably ends up curled up asleep in my lap because it knows its 100% safe.

Cats know more about people than people do about cats

True that.I had a white cat years ago (Zippy) that would know when I was going to the silverware drawer to get the can opener for the cat food. Any other time going to the silverware drawer would draw no response.Still have'nt figured that one out.

To show you how pathetic an individual I am, I have 3 cats that travel with me daily when I am making my rounds.

When I get up of a morning, two of them raise hell until I get the pickup set up for them to ride in.

Once that is done, all three run put to the pickup like dogs and jump in, one, whether ther door is open or not. If the window is down he bails in there.

With the temperatures being what they are, we freeze 2 liter bottles of water, wrap them in a towel and the boys lay on them while I am making my rounds.

I do have a blue heeler as well + she takes care of Ranch security (as Hank The Cowdog would say).Keeps the coyotes away,etc. but the cats rule the indoors.

I gave the wife a gray tiger striped Manx for Mothers' day one year and it decided I was her bestie. My wife broke out a pooch from the local prison, on the Puppies for Parole program. Gave him to me two years ago Fathers' day and he has been her buddy ever since. The cats still ruled the house over the years.