--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The cat required far less attendance than…" description: "\"“The cat required far less attendance than a human child, which is one of the reasons why spinster ladies prefer felines to babies.”\" — Elizabeth Peters" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/969/elizabeth-peters-11531_cats_the-cat-required-far-less-attendance-tha_980104.jpg" --- # The cat required far less attendance than a human child… ![“The cat required far less attendance than a human child, which is one of the reasons why spinster ladies prefer felines to babies.” quote by Elizabeth Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/969/elizabeth-peters-11531_cats_the-cat-required-far-less-attendance-tha_980104.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/969/elizabeth-peters-11531_cats_the-cat-required-far-less-attendance-tha_980104.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/969/elizabeth-peters-11531_cats_the-cat-required-far-less-attendance-tha_980104.jpg) > ““The cat required far less attendance than a human child, which is one of the reasons why spinster ladies prefer felines to babies.”” [Elizabeth Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-peters/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cats need less care than children, so solitary women often choose them over babies. **In simple terms:** Cats are low‑maintenance companions. Key Takeaway Consider a pet that fits your lifestyle. Themes loneliness pet ownership choice Mood reflective practical Type advice observation When to use this quote - single life - home life - pet adoption Key Concepts care companionship Questions to Reflect On - Do you value independence over companionship? - How does a pet affect your daily routine? A Different Perspective Pets still require emotional commitment and may not replace human interaction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cats/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Felines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felines/) [Spinsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spinsters/) ## Related quotes > [I am not a cat man, but a dog man, and all felines can tell this at a glance - a sharp, vindictive glance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/i-am-not-a-cat-man-but-a-dog-man-and-all-felines-can-tell-this-at-a/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [It is a curious truth that many cats enjoy warmer, more convivial, even affectionate relationships with humans than they could ever do with fellow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-fogle/it-is-a-curious-truth-that-many-cats-enjoy-warmer-more-convivial-even/) Bruce Fogle > [“Cats and Felines: Fun Facts & Incredible Pictures on”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-saunders/cats-and-felines-fun-facts-incredible-pictures-on/) Tiffany Saunders > [“Felines are probably more loyal than a man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-hatler/felines-are-probably-more-loyal-than-a-man/) Susan Hatler > [“Kittens are lively as the days of spring. They make everybody happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhuwan-thapaliya/kittens-are-lively-as-the-days-of-spring-they-make-everybody-happy/) [Bhuwan Thapaliya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhuwan-thapaliya/) > [“A trademark of something that works well, the cat body has hardly changed since its inception. Like with today's cats, their digestive systems could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-childs/a-trademark-of-something-that-works-well-the-cat-body-has-hardly/) [Craig Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-childs/) > [“Felines were a species that showed promise, though they were prone to bickering, and tended to have the biggest egos. Ordinary house cats always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-repino/felines-were-a-species-that-showed-promise-though-they-were-prone-to/) Robert Repino > [“The white cat Sal-al was lying on the straw matting in the empty conservatory. She looked at us with a wicked, conceited expression as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denton-welch/the-white-cat-sal-al-was-lying-on-the-straw-matting-in-the-empty/) Denton Welch > [“They may look soft and cuddly, but even the most pampered house cat is a bloodthirsty butcher at heart. Felines love murder, and that’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-lambourne/they-may-look-soft-and-cuddly-but-even-the-most-pampered-house-cat-is/) Meg Lambourne > [“He is a young man with a future of power and opportunity and we are young women destined to be either wives and mothers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippa-gregory/he-is-a-young-man-with-a-future-of-power-and-opportunity-and-we-are/) [Philippa Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippa-gregory/) > [Sex ages us. Priests are boyish, spinsters stay black-haired until after fifty. We others, the demon rots us out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/sex-ages-us-priests-are-boyish-spinsters-stay-black-haired-until/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [All sorts of articles and letters appear in the papers about women. Profound questions are raised concerning them. Should they smoke? Should they work?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/all-sorts-of-articles-and-letters-appear-in-the-papers-about-women/) [Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/) > [I'm not going to accept your challenge. There will be no duel." "Why not? Because I'm a woman?" "No, because I've seen the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/i-m-not-going-to-accept-your-challenge-there-will-be-no-duel-why-not/) [Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/) > [There is no detective in England equal to a spinster lady of uncertain age with plenty of time on her hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/there-is-no-detective-in-england-equal-to-a-spinster-lady-of/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [I know so well what becomes of unmarried women who aren't prepared to occupy a position. I've seen such pitiful cases in the South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/i-know-so-well-what-becomes-of-unmarried-women-who-aren-t-prepared-to/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) ## More by Elizabeth Peters > [“The room was so neat and tidy it made me feel quite depressed...I do not allow myself to repine about what cannot be helped;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-peters/the-room-was-so-neat-and-tidy-it-made-me-feel-quite-depressed-i-do/) [Elizabeth Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-peters/) > [“He hesitated for a moment. Then he said softly, 'I love you, Mother.' He took my hand and kissed it, and folded my fingers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-peters/he-hesitated-for-a-moment-then-he-said-softly-i-love-you-mother-he/) [Elizabeth Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-peters/) > [“As Ramses did the same for his mother, he saw that her eyes were fixed on him. She had been unusually silent. She had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-peters/as-ramses-did-the-same-for-his-mother-he-saw-that-her-eyes-were-fixed/) [Elizabeth Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-peters/) > [“Men are so easy to manipulate, poor things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-peters/men-are-so-easy-to-manipulate-poor-things/) [Elizabeth Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-peters/) > [“Why is a man with a knife after your blood? Who sent him? I would like to write the fellow a letter of thanks!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-peters/why-is-a-man-with-a-knife-after-your-blood-who-sent-him-i-would-like/) [Elizabeth Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-peters/) > [“For a time Emerson politely endeavored to conceal his boredom - like most men, he is profoundly disinterested in all children except his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-peters/for-a-time-emerson-politely-endeavored-to-conceal-his-boredom-like/) [Elizabeth Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-peters/) > [“Stop," he ordered, in a low but compelling voice. "Do not take another step, or I fire! Dash it," he added vexedly, "does the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-peters/stop-he-ordered-in-a-low-but-compelling-voice-do-not-take-another/) [Elizabeth Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-peters/) > [“Don't sound so surprised. I have sensible moments, you know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-peters/don-t-sound-so-surprised-i-have-sensible-moments-you-know/) [Elizabeth Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-peters/) > [“Have you caught cold?' 'It would appear so.' 'You could give it to Margaret,' Ramses suggested. His uncle turned the tinted spectacles toward him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-peters/have-you-caught-cold-it-would-appear-so-you-could-give-it-to-margaret/) [Elizabeth Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-peters/) > [“...DAMNATION!' No device of the printer's art, not even capital letters, can indicate the intensity of that shriek of rage. Emerson is known to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-peters/damnation-no-device-of-the-printer-s-art-not-even-capital-letters-can/) [Elizabeth Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-peters/) > [“What a nice neat deep trench,' I said. 'Er - should Nefret be down in it?' 'She thought she saw a skull,' Ramses said.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-peters/what-a-nice-neat-deep-trench-i-said-er-should-nefret-be-down-in-it/) [Elizabeth Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-peters/) > [“The man had no more romance in his soul than a codfish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-peters/the-man-had-no-more-romance-in-his-soul-than-a-codfish/) [Elizabeth Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-peters/) > [“Stokes is running a little late this morning, ma’am. Like, an emergency, you know.” Being a woman of moderate expectations, Jacqueline accepted the stumbling”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-peters/stokes-is-running-a-little-late-this-morning-ma-am-like-an-emergency/) [Elizabeth Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-peters/) > [“They will have difficulties to overcome,' I admitted. 'Including the differences in their religions. However, marriage is always a chancy business, Katherine. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-peters/they-will-have-difficulties-to-overcome-i-admitted-including-the/) [Elizabeth Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-peters/) > [“...I felt obligated by friendship as well as duty to make certain they were comfortably housed. Since men seem to measure comfort by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-peters/i-felt-obligated-by-friendship-as-well-as-duty-to-make-certain-they/) [Elizabeth Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-peters/) [Explore all 58 Elizabeth Peters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-peters/) ## More Cats quotes > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I liked Cats as a kid, now its hard to say. I dont live in New York anymore so dont see so many.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-moennig/i-liked-cats-as-a-kid-now-its-hard-to-say-i-dont-live-in-new-york/) [Katherine Moennig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-moennig/) > [“The next day, Trixie pawed Maddie awake, patting her arm gently. “I’m up,” Maddie groaned, blinking sleep out of her eyes. “Mrrow.” Trixie peered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jinty-james/the-next-day-trixie-pawed-maddie-awake-patting-her-arm-gently-i-m-up/) Jinty James > [“So Nikki came aboard as Jaqueline's spare cat, presumably in case our prime cat, Eliza, goes on vacation, takes industrial action, or requests a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-s-wren/so-nikki-came-aboard-as-jaqueline-s-spare-cat-presumably-in-case-our/) Christopher S. Wren > [One reason why my memory decays is that I have three cats, all so loving and insistent that they play cat's-cradle with every train…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-townsend-warner/one-reason-why-my-memory-decays-is-that-i-have-three-cats-all-so/) [Sylvia Townsend Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-townsend-warner/) > [It's an interesting fact that fewer than 17 % of Real cats end their lives with the same name they started with. Much family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-s-an-interesting-fact-that-fewer-than-17-of-real-cats-end-their/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [The dog is guided by kindly instinct to the man or woman whose heart is open to his advances. The cat often leaves the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/the-dog-is-guided-by-kindly-instinct-to-the-man-or-woman-whose-heart/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [When I see things through my eyes, I don't want to ever just be really negative towards someone's performance. There are many ways to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stone-cold-steve-austin/when-i-see-things-through-my-eyes-i-don-t-want-to-ever-just-be-really/) [Stone Cold Steve Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stone-cold-steve-austin/) > [One cat just leads to another. The place is so damned big it doesn't really seem as though there were many cats until you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/one-cat-just-leads-to-another-the-place-is-so-damned-big-it-doesn-t/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“In the morning, when she wishes me to wake, she crouches on my chest, and pats my face with her paw. Or, if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/in-the-morning-when-she-wishes-me-to-wake-she-crouches-on-my-chest/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [Kittens can happen to anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gallico/kittens-can-happen-to-anyone/) [Paul Gallico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gallico/) > [“Curiosity killed the cat, but not before teaching her that honey bees are not sweet, tweeting birds are slow to react, mice can serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/curiosity-killed-the-cat-but-not-before-teaching-her-that-honey-bees/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“Quin took on the air of someone who has just realized it's time for the yearly visit to the spinster great-aunt in a desperate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-fecteau/quin-took-on-the-air-of-someone-who-has-just-realized-it-s-time-for/) [Amy Fecteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-fecteau/) > [“Save for the ancient Egyptians, he found, virtually no one kept cats as pets until the latter part of the 1700s. The first people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-mcauliffe/save-for-the-ancient-egyptians-he-found-virtually-no-one-kept-cats-as/) [Kathleen McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-mcauliffe/) [Browse all 3,253 Cats quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cats/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The cat required far less attendance than a human child, which is one of the reasons why spinster ladies prefer felines to babies.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elizabeth Peters" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-peters/the-cat-required-far-less-attendance-than-a-human-child-which-is-one/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cats" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-peters/the-cat-required-far-less-attendance-than-a-human-child-which-is-one/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/969/elizabeth-peters-11531_cats_the-cat-required-far-less-attendance-tha_980104.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/969/elizabeth-peters-11531_cats_the-cat-required-far-less-attendance-tha_980104.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/969/elizabeth-peters-11531_cats_the-cat-required-far-less-attendance-tha_980104.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The cat required far less attendance than a human child, which is one of the reasons why spinster ladies…” — Elizabeth Peters", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Elizabeth Peters", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-peters/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The cat required far less attendance...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-peters/the-cat-required-far-less-attendance-than-a-human-child-which-is-one/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-peters/the-cat-required-far-less-attendance-than-a-human-child-which-is-one/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```