just a few points to correct with anon tho:
unless a cat has some sort of oral health or other medical issue, there is no residue left behind from licking their fur. they also simply can't clean their entire body in one sitting, so there would be no way all of their fur could feel that way at the same time anyhow since, even IF there was a residue, it would be rubbed off between cleanings in the course of their daily activities (body rubbing, rolling around, moving sleeping positions, so on and so forth).
given that they don't leave behind much saliva anyway and their main purpose of grooming is to literally comb their fur (of shed/dirt/parasites/etc) rather than wash it i'm extra confused by this claim. they typically only "wash" their face and that's usually after eating. the rest of their grooming habits are different methods of combing - unless they've obviously gotten into something like mud or whatever. the only thing i could possibly even hypothesize anon could be feeling is some sort of bizarre allergy reaction since they are indeed allergic and saliva is the #1 cat allergen culprit.
since dogs don't groom even a fraction as much as cats do, their fur DOES build up a residue of oils, dust, dirt, and dead skin if they aren't bathed regularly. it's not bad - it helps protect their fur and skin if they weren't pampered indoor pooches and were instead outside all the time and exposed to the elements. most dog owners don't bathe their dogs on a regular enough basis to prevent that buildup from happening, and thus their fur Gets That Feeling which is Icky (I feel like double-coated breeds are the only ones that don't have that particular fur-feel - and that may be down to the fact double coats HAVE to be regularly maintained idk). plus, most dog fur has been ultra specialty-bred. different breeds need different maintenance (rarely taken into account by their owners) and with mixed breeds you just don't know what you're gonna deal with most times. cats are remarkably under-bred for how long they've been domesticated. the vast majority of cat fur is identical in form and function, we've really only altered the length and color throughout the ages.
like, taking pet status out of the equation entirely, a stray dog is going to feel ten times grimier than a stray cat purely due to differences in grooming and fur structure. so. yeah. whatever this feeling anon is getting is from something else entirely i suspect.
Cats only spray if they are a) an unaltered sexually mature adult (most usually a male, but females in heat do it regularly), b) a male that was altered later in life or c) have health issues that translate into behavioral issues. all of these reasons can almost always be addressed and corrected.
(and just to level the playing field here: dogs just as frequently pee on things and in places they shouldn't. just because they don't spray doesn't mean its less of a problem.)
You can only smell the litterbox if it isn't being kept properly clean or like, literal minutes after a poop. i have worked in cat rescue for many years and have seen all manner of litterbox upkeep, including multi-cat homes with undetectable litterboxes. this also comes down to type of litter used to a degree but even the cheapest kind shouldn't smell if it is being maintained correctly. i've had 6 cats at one point and the only time their litterboxes were noticable was when it was getting near time to replace the litter and clean the box. even in my current situation with my cat and my brother's late cat using entirely different boxes with entirely different litter, neither have been detectable to us or guests.
you can absolutely train cats not to get on furniture????? that's a very common and easy thing people do????? it might be one of the easiest things you can train a cat to do actually???????
i have never met a dog that is easy to bathe. they might not scratch but i'll take some minor scratches over a creature anywhere between 10-150 pounds that can't sit still and/or desperately wants out of the situation and will find a way through you to get out of it. the only dogs i have ever seen calm during bath time are ones who were trained to be, which is overwhelmingly rare. i can very, VERY easily control a cat in a bath, even particularly quarrelsome ones. it'll be done in a few minutes and i might have a few light scratches. unless it's a particularly small dog, i'm unlikely to have control over this the average* dog that is pound for pound stronger than i am, and sopping wet.
there is a reason many a dog owner prefer the outdoor kiddy pool and garden hose bath method. there is a reason there is a whole industry solely focused on bathing and trimming dogs. both cats and dogs suck to bathe.
*(of the top 10 most popular dogs in the US, only 2 are under 50 pounds; the average dog is simply nowhere near comparable to the average cat.)
anyway i agree they seem to know the feeling just differently, and perhaps very unluckily.
