Like Cats and Dogs

Ever stop wonder why cats and dogs are so different? It all lies in their family histories.

Dogs have a strong need to be a part of the hole, or the family, that stems from wolves. For survival, a wolf knows he must be part of the pack….his family. You’ll notice that your dog is never quite as happy as he is when everyone is home - when his pack is all in one place! That’s also why he’s so overjoyed to see his beloved family members come home at the end of a day….he doesn’t just want your company, he needs it. (Fewer things are honestly cuter than a dog greeting his family at the door!)

Cats, on the other paw, come from a different mindset altogether. Their ancestors were (and are) solitary hunters who don’t have the slightest need, or inclination, to share! They let us know, day in and day out, that they’re in our company because they choose to be. It’s all in the eyes.

A lot of the differences in attitude between cats and dogs all comes down to genetics. Well, that and the God-complex that every cat has.

Joi

December 19, 2005 | Filed Under Cat Pause

Comments

4 Responses to “Like Cats and Dogs”

gazard on December 23rd, 2005 11:31 am

I like this, very good point. The genetics that matter!
Joi on January 13th, 2006 9:17 am

Thanks!
Pamela Heywood on January 16th, 2006 8:23 pm

Well, just to be awkward, I have five cats and a dog, who, collectively, seem to disprove the theory and prove that the nurture part of the classic psychology question can override nature - i.e. genetics.

My dog is adopted mother to three of my cats. She chose to do this when she found them abandoned. I did the feeding, while she slept by their box, washed rear ends and, as they grew, picked them up and put them back in the box if they ventured too far.

The cats, on the other hand, have learned to come when she barks and all three of them follow like ducklings on long walks across fields and tracks. They still do and they are coming up 5 years old now.

These “kitten / puppies” also go out in a pack, sleep in a heap and generally look out for each other.

My other two, older cats, also both foundlings, are two years apart. The elder, a male, decided to adopt the female when she was a kitten. They grew up as “childhood sweethearts”, as it were and still go everywhere together, sleep together (and bicker) just like a regular married couple.

When he hunts mice, he generally brings it home and announces it. I have seen him come up the path with a mouse and he will just drop it at his mate’s feet, then he just carries on walking into the house, while she goes off to eat the meal he provided.

On the one occassion that “hubby” decided to stay out for a whole night, the wife paced agitatedly by the front door howling for him.

Even the solitary cat I had in my youth used to sit behind the door waiting to greet me when I came home from work, more in the manner of a dog. He would also happily walk on a lead.

If cats are solitary animals, I’ve yet to see proof with mine.
Joi on January 22nd, 2006 5:03 pm

Hi, Pamela!
We have 5 cats now, too. I’d love to add a bulldog to the mix, but I’m not sure Adam’s or Svenn’s collective nerves could take it.

With our guys and gals, each is different. Bo is a bit more solitary than the rest, but even he’s a big lap baby. Carly was a complete loner, except with me. She loved to sit near me when I was working in the yard or sitting on the deck reading. But, when it came to other animals, she never saw one she could even tolerate - not even her own babies!

I love the image of your cats bickering like a married couple, that one made me laugh out loud! How adorable…

Thanks for leaving the comment, I enjoyed it very much.
Joi