10 Reasons Not to Have a Cat

Here are 10 reasons why you shouldn't keep a cat as a pet.



Cats are cute, loveable and easy to care for....or are they? Here are ten reasons not to own a cat.

Number 10: Their sandpaper tongues. If you've ever been licked by a cat, you know it is not an enjoyable experience. Their tongues are covered in what are called backward-facing barbs or papillae.

Number 9: Cats are manipulative. A study published in the journal Current Biology determined that cats can manipulate humans into feeding them by combining an urgent cry or meowing sound with a purr. They have seemed to figure out that this meow mix of sound can coerce us into bowing to their needs.

Number 8: Cat pee stinks big time! And if your cat decides to pee somewhere other than the litter box, it is incredibly hard to get rid of that smell.

Number 7: Hairballs. Those nasty lumps of cat hair and vomit are no fun to clean up, but are much worse to step in.

Number 6: Speaking of hairballs, bathing in your own spit is kinda gross and it seems like they are doing it all of the time. Veterinarian Dr. Cynthia McManis says, "cats spend up to 50 percent of their waking hours grooming" themselves.

Number 5: The "butt in the face" move. According to experts, this booty presentation is a sign of attention and trust. Consider it a cat hug.

Number 4: Random attacks on humans. You think you are safe walking down the hall and suddenly your cat strikes out of nowhere. Most of these episodes are not done out of hostility, but mainly because they are bored and are practicing their hunting techniques.

Number 3: They come running like savages when you open any can, especially tuna. A cat's sense of smell is fourteen times stronger than ours, so they can smell that tuna as soon as that can cracks open.

Number 2: Cats bad behavior is all your fault - most of the time. If you don't keep up on cleaning the litter box, kitty will let you know by defecating somewhere else, like your pile of clean clothes.

Number 1: Don't let their cuteness fool you -- they are ferocious serial killers. All told, cats kill between 1.4 billion and 3.7 billion birds a year, and between 6.9 and 20.7 billion small wild mammals like chipmunks, rats, and mice.