What's so batty about people who take their pets with them when they fly to Paris? My wife and I take our dogs every time we go!

We love taking our dogs to Paris because, as you would know if you have ever been in Paris, dogs are permitted everywhere, even fine restaurants! (On a leash, of course). Paris is a very dog-friendly town, and I have never seen a sign that says "chien n'a pas laissé" ("no dogs allowed"). You will see people going into high fashion boutiques with man's (and woman's) best friend obidently on a leash.

It's true that Parisians should clean more up after their dogs, but this shortfall is more than atoned by the leniency in permitting dogs everwhere.

Oh, my wife's dog flys first class with us. It's a 4.5 lb. Yorkie that fits nicely in a basket carry-on. She doesn't bark, so most of the time no one even knows little Saddie is there.

My own dog does not get first-class treatment because he is too big, a 60 lb. American Boxer. Galoote has to be sedated and crated over in the cargo hold. This is a small price to pay for the experience of walking around in Paris with both our dogs!

Call us "batty" - we fly our dogs to Paris and they dine with us at fine restaurants, including being fed small pieces from our plates as they rest under the table!

Au revoir.

 

I'm not quite sure what to make of that comment above.

How can their cats hurt them enough to need emergency treatment? What the hell are they doing, scaring them to death or purposefully acting like a scratching post/prey?

I've had one really bad scratch on my palm which left a scar for a couple of years, given to me by a friend's cat. It was pulling it's claw down my hand at the same time I was pulling my hand away from it so it got in really deep and about 10cm long. But other than that, I've had no really bad scratches, and even that one didn't require stitches (was ok after about a week of bandaids).

 

That's basically what the stories in the book are like. People flying their pets to other countries and takin them to restaurants, though the people doing so are proudly embracing their eccentricity; use that as a synonym for "batty" if you like. Personally, I would not want to eat in a restaurant where someone's cat or dog were being fed, though that's hypocritical, as often as we toss morsels to our audience of felines at home.

Dogs are dirty, though.

 

As for their injuries, I found them kind of strange, but they remarked on it multiple times. Most of the hospital trips were for bites, not just scratches, but there were numerous mentions of iodine and bandages kept on hand for severe scratches. Given that a simple claw clipper can reduce that problem to nothing, it seemed amazingly stupid that they didn't take that step. It was just a symptom of their lack of control over their household, though.

One cat developed the habit of peeing in the kitchen sink, and the wife approved, and seemed puzzled why her husband objected once he finally discovered the cat at it.

 

Dogs are dirty! Then don't go to Paris, you dumb cracker of a spoiled California asshole!

 

Will all reviews of animal-themed books bring such entertainingly-odd commenters out of the woodwork? If so I'll have to read some Lassie books.

I'm not sure what Paris has to do with anything; there are plenty of dogs in California, and from what I've heard from world travelers, it's the humans in Paris who you've got to watch out for, when it comes to not showering or wearing deodorant.

At any rate, dogs are inarguably dirty; they don't groom themselves like cats and they are leash-tuggingly eager to roll in any sort of filth they see on the ground, up to and including every sort of feces. If that weren't enough, their dietary predilections towards their own vomit and cat feces would certainly put them over the top.

It doesn't mean people can't like dogs; Malaya loves Darwin, but let's not kid ourselves...

 

And how exactly do you feel about Darwin, eh?

As for cats being clean, it's just a nice myth really.

They're covered in cat spit.

 

Dogs are no dirtier than cats. They are animals!

Dogs are a HELL of a lot more friendly to humans than cats.

Dogs are much better protecting you from threats. Who's ever heard of a cat attacking a burgler (and surviving)? What woman would rather go jogging through Central Park with a Tabby than with a Doberman?

Hygenically, the humans in Paris are no different than most the rest of Europe. Or most of America, I might add.

My dogs are able to travel frequently to Paris because I have earned enough money and been sufficiently successful in my chosen career that I can afford it. I am not a leech on my girlfriend or father's trust account, and I am not pining away toward the day that my crappy fantasy novel gets published (which it won't - and if it does won't make anyone a dime).

Cats are leeches who don't show much affection or serve any real purpose other than lie around soaking up food. They do provide a low level amusement for their owners, but it is inferior to the joys of dog-ownership.

Cats won't fetch. They won't learn tricks like to sit, heel, and roll over. In other words, they are quite stupid.

Cats are more suited as pets for females than for males. Generally, they are passive and reactive. Males who like cats more than dogs suffer from latent homosexuality, or are so pussy-whipped and dependent on the woman in their life that they almost are a woman themselves.

Do read some dog books, Lassie if you must, and you might get a better understanding of what you are missing by tolerating your cats (or vica versa) instead of enjoying a dog.

Darwin owned a dog, and named his ship the Beagle.

 

So, Dogs, aside from not refuting a single one of my points as to why dogs are indeed filthy, and launching some rather limp ad hominem attacks, do you have anything to add? I said nothing about personality or behavior, I just said they were filthy. Which they are, by personal preference.

It is, of course, possible to wash dogs (or any animal) and make them less filthy, but their natural state is filthy, and I don't see why you're screeching so much about that. Just accept it and move on. Move the debate to, to paraphrase Jules, how far their personality takes them, since the cleanliness one is a loser.

 

There is nothing ad hominem about the points I have made.

As my litigation professor used to say when I was in law school, "leave no stone unturned and no arguement unmade." Anything less is lazy and incomplete.

Dogs are no dirtier than cats. Cats scratch around in the same dirty litter that they defecatef, regardless that they are scratching up the same pee and poop that they dropped two hours ago.

Cats lick their anus and other filth exactly the same that dogs do, except more frequently.

Cats have raspy tongues that retain crap and filth more than dogs. Dogs don't have raspy tongues to the same extent as cats.

Cats shed filthy fur more than many dogs do, requiring more dry cleaning for humans that sometimes wear suits to conduct business (unpublished fantasy writers don't have to worry about wearing business suits, of course).


Cats use their sharp claws to destroy furniture and clothes, something dogs don't do nearly to the same extent. While a cat is shredding the new Armani suit, a dog will gnaw on the odd dog bone.

Worry not, I can think up a few more anectodes as to why dogs are cleaner and more desireable than stinkin' filthy cats! Just ask me!

 

That's 3 posts and still not a word why dogs aren't filthy. Just about why I suck, and why you fly to Paris, and why cats are dirty, etc. I'm guessing that little anecdote about your litagation prof is one of your only fond memories from law school?

And with that, I shall move onto other issues. Thanks for playing.

 

Eh . . . thanks for playing. Not a very substantive or clever response.

A loser copout if I ever saw one. Coward. Go back to your mummy.

 

Well see, you're 3 (now 4) posts in and you've contributed nothing but rambling dog-themed anecdotes and insults. What exactly am I supposed to do with you? My name and picture and bio and opinions are on this site, and you're an anonymous commenter... and I'm the coward for not endless entertaining your rambling, baseless attacks?

This isn't a forum; this post is 5 or 6 down the main page. No one's reading your or my comments at this point, and if not for blogger emailing me when new posts appear, I wouldn't even be aware of your pointless persistence.

Comment on something with words that are worth reading, or go away. There are plenty of websites run by people who won't point out that dogs are filthy, and you'll probably enjoy reading them more than this one.

I have many other/better things to do than absorb your childish insults while continuing to point out that you've once again changed the subject. I would hope you do as well?

 

Cats suck. They are dirty.

Dogs rule! They are clean!