Cats!

Lol, a paper I wrote about cats for my writing class. I was really excited about it. So here it is. 

Cats. What more is there to say? People love them, people hate them, people make 

movies out of them. Cats are cuddly, lovable creatures, which sometimes have a mean 

and grumpy streak to them. Despite where you go around the world, no matter how 

different you are, or where you live, if you prefer blue, or if you like red better, there is 

sure to be one thing that you have in common with anyone who walks by you in the 

street : you all know about this furry, domesticated mammal. What’s so special about 

them anyways? Impressively, there are approximately 73 million owners of cats in the 

United Sates alone. While some people have a strong dislike for the little clawed feline, 

there are others whom share a strong bond with them and have a special place in their 

hearts for these pawed friends. Having grown up with both parents with a strong dislike 

of cats, I am not so partial to them. But let’s lightly investigate and explore why people 

feel the way they do about these animals, and maybe by the end of reading this you will 

have had a change of mind. 

First off, let’s try to understand why some people hate cats. Why would anyone hate 

these cute and seemingly innocent creatures, you ask? Well, let it be known to you that 

studies have shown that 10% of the U.S. population have pet allergies - and cats are 

among the most common culprits. Allergies . . . no big deal, right? Wrong. People with 

over-active immune systems are easy victims to the annoying and disagreeable 

symptoms of cat allergies which ensue after even their slightest interference with the 

species. Among the common symptoms such as coughing and having itchy, red eyes, 

cats can also cause hives or rashes on the chest and face. You might think that 

grooming and sprucing up your cat so that less stray hairs get into the air may fix these 

problems, but I have to inform you that this is not the case being that the allergies are 

not cause by cats’ hairs, but instead are caused by the proteins in cats’ saliva, urine, 

and dander (things which we obviously have no control over in an attempt to reduce). 

Where there are cats, there will be allergies. Interesting yes, but what about people who 

are not allergic to cats and still hate them? Sadly, there is a majority of people who 

would say that the cat is a very snobby and spoiled creature. There are those that think 

it is very annoying and lazy, expecting everything from the owner and giving nothing but 

unfriendliness in return. And last but not least, a lot of people think they are just stinky 

and foul. Maybe with all this said you will now have a better understanding of why some 

people hate cats, although some of you might still love them. 

Now having heard why some people harbor a strong dislike of the cats, let us now 

discuss and deliberate why some people love these little animals. Universally, they are 

valued by many people for their companionship, which is a wonderful trait. People love 

cats because, generally, they are gentle animals and have a nurturing spirit about them. 

I think people who have pet cats will agree with me that they often seem to know what 

you are feeling and are there to comfort you when you are feeling a little blue. Besides 

their affable tendencies, cats have an impressively skillful ability to hunt vermin and 

household pests. Since they are crepuscular predators, they have a keen sense of 

hearing and possess the ability to see in darkness in order to locate their prey. While 

reading an article from yahoo entitled ‘What if all the cats in the world suddenly died?’ 

by a writer named Natalie Wolchover, I learned that a 1997 study in Great Britain 

revealed that 9 million cats of Britain were collectively killing close to 200 million wild 

specimens per year. I find this very impressive. Beside all these wonderful tributes, cats 

are undeniably cute. Purring with their unique throats, they are soft and cuddly. Clearly, 

these are definitely good reasons of why lots of people love cats, although some of you 

may still hate them. 

With both a love and hate of cats that our society hold, as a loud nation that likes to 

voice our opinion, we have resorted to placing the cats in the media and portraying 

them as various things we feel will give entertainment to viewers. We have portrayed 

them as spies, talking animals with hidden agendas, humorous and silly cartoon 

characters, as well as fighting icons in popular video games. What exactly have we 

accomplished by putting the cats in our wide broadcasting? Well, thanks to cartoons 

such as ‘Garfield’, we have now portrayed the cat as a lazy character which likes to eat 

lasagna. Thanks to the beloved classic ‘Alice and Wonderland’, we have portrayed the 

cat as a devious and sneaky thing with a creepy, crescent moon smile. Dramatically, we 

have also depicted the cat as a super-agent spy that is out to take over the world, as in 

the popular movie ‘Cats and Dogs’. Is there more to the seemingly shallow and 

humorous portrayals we have created in our cat frenzy? Yes, there is more. Amid the 

many organizations dedicated to stopping animal cruelty, thanks to ASPCA (which has 

helped this cause by repeatedly putting out commercials featuring clips of animal 

cruelty) millions of animals have now been saved. Appreciating the cats and their safety 

is all it took. Since showing the cat in it’s helpless state in the media, we have created a 

compassion which has moved people to work to stop animal cruelty in our society, and 

further prevent all animals from cruel treatment because no animal deserves that. 

Now having gone through the cons and pros of cats, I hope I have helped you develop a 

better comprehension and knowledge of the little creatures. As a previous cat hater, I 

must say I have developed a deep appreciation and respect for the little animals. 

Whether you love them or still hate them, or whether you kind of like them, or kind of 

hate them, you have to admit . . . without cats, our world would be a much less 

interesting place which would be full of mice. Cats are the creatures of diverse purpose, 

comforting some and constantly annoying others. Devotedly, they are there by your feet 

asking for a massage, and if they are not there, they are in your garbage groveling for a 

scrap of food. Near your pantries killing the mice, or in your backyard terrorizing your 

dogs. Being companions and friends always. These animals are pretty awesome. 

Cats . . . what more is there to say?