Welcome to the vortex! It's filled with many random and fandom things. (Disclaimer: While mostly tame, mature content may show up at times and will be tagged accordingly. Enjoy!)
I want a dachshund or other small dog because it seems like a good middle ground
Sorry for the unsolicited advice, but please do think it over. Dachshunds (and many other small breeds) actually require quite a lot of activity and exercise (mental and physical)*. If those needs aren’t met, that can cause so many difficult behavioral problems. They’re working dogs, after all: if they aren’t given a job, they’ll find one themselves (and it’ll be likely something very annoying or unpleasant to you)
*yes, it does depend on the individual dog, but the general tendency points to those breeds being high energy
Also, a lot of people who do like cats want a Maine Coon because they’ve seen pictures of mine or others’, and they’re majestic! Huge!! Fluffy!!! Such a good kitty!!!!
Maine Coons are dog-smart, and basically tiny thumbless toddlers who will never grow up. They have long memories, they hold grudges, and they want things the way they want them. What you want is probably not a Maine Coon. I love them, but jumping from “cat” to “Maine Coon” is like jumping from “dog” to “border collie”. Don’t do that unless you know what you’re getting into.
If you think you want a Maine Coon but what Seanan has said above does not appeal, what you probably actually want is a Ragdoll, or actually actually a domestic longhair.
If you want the middle ground between ‘cat’ and 'dog’ in personality, you want one of the big sighthounds. Greyhounds and up are couch potato buddies BUT now you need the physical infrastructure and financial resources to contain and support a carnivore the size of a small pony that has a seven-foot vertical leap, all the common sense and impulse control god gave a garden hose, and land speeds exceeding 35 miles per hour. So maybe reconsider a cat.
and don’t get a Ragdoll (or scottish fold or munchkin) unless you’re 100% sure you’ll be able to afford years of buying pain medication (and if failing that bad behaviour like peeing places and agression) because these breeds have joint pain built into them.
Cats Copy. Hence the phrase copy cat. And this cat is clearly fond of this dog as a family member, and just now realized by observing:
“OH WAIT Human is making biscuits on this dog brother and it HELPS with his pain??? Hey I can do that!! I can do that too! Look! Biscuits!!”
Veterinarian at the next follow up: “Dog is looking really good! But I’m concerned - with this kind of progress, it looks like Dog is getting HOURS of massage every day. If you work yourself into a repetitive motion injury, you won’t be able to keep up with Dog’s home physical therapy, and, you know, you’ll be hurt, too.”
Human: “I give Dog a massage for about 30 minutes a day. The rest is all Cat.”
My aunt’s cat is very shy and hides when there are guests in her house. She semi-trusts my parents and will at least be in the same room as them. Tonight, my dad made some progress:
A cat is a small creature in the middle of the food chain that is fully aware that you are a very large thing that could stomp its head in at any moment and yet it chooses to rest its tiny little head on your leg for a nap and spreads out on the floor near you exposing its belly and its most sensitive organs. It brings dead mice and bugs to you to share food.
Don’t you get it? This tiny thing trusts you. It wants to help you too. It licks your leg thinking that it’s helping. It kneads on you to find comfort. It shares its body warmth with you in the cold and gives you your space in the heat. It hisses at other mammals it sees outside including other cats in an effort to protect its family.
Cats love you so so much. But they will keep trying to eat plastic.
ALT
