Dogs and cats are very, very different animals.
There are dog people.
There are cat people.
And there are “both” people.
We don’t think they’re mutually exclusive, or that dogs and cats are always enemies. But there are many differences between the two.
“You feed a dog, groom a dog, pet a dog, take care of the dog and it thinks you’re a god. Do the same for a cat and the cat knows it’s a god.” A saying that falls into the “funny, but true” category!
The differences dogs vs. cats
Did you know cats have no collar bones?
Why does that matter? Because: (a) it allows cats to fluidly fit through very small spaces and (b) means most dog harnesses won’t secure cats.
A customer came into the shop the other day asking if we have stuff for cats. With a few exceptions – not really. She was actually interested in getting a harness for her kitty, which we could do. But only a couple of harness styles work for cats – only the ones that fasten around the neck.
Cats are instantly housebroken
Most cats only need to be shown where their litter box’s location to be immediately housebroken. As people living with a 7-month-old puppy, we wish that were true for dogs. We’re not sure why it’s instinct for cats and intense training for dogs – but it is.
But dogs can be trained to do anything
It’s our theory that dogs are trainable because they’re social animals and want to be in the middle of the action. On the other hand – cats are, by comparison, solitary animals. For the most part, only food-motivated cats (not finicky ones) can be “trained.”
We just saw a story about a Japanese study that concluded that cats recognize their names, even if called by a stranger. Merlyn was our cat for 17 years. To this day, we’re not sure he even knew he had a name. Good to know it’s possible he did – he just didn’t care.
Dogs and cats have different styles
Dogs and cats are both natural predators, although with very different styles. Can you imagine your dog having the patience to watch a mousehole for hours? On the off chance the prey might appear? Unless they’re asleep, our dogs rarely sit still for more than a minute or two!
Aliens on Earth
Bubba Louis, who is a French Bulldog internet celebrity, calls cats “aliens.” We kind of agree. Dogs can pretty much take the same medications as people, are prone to similar ailments, and seem more similar than different. Having a cat in our lives came with a steep learning curve, medically and nutritionally.
With some exceptions (onions, raisins, chocolate) dogs can eat pretty much anything people can. We like that about dogs. If you’re watching tv, having a snack, your dog is happy to help you with that.
Cats? Sometimes. Maybe. If they feel like it. Our Merlyn was never a particularly finicky cat. He just wasn’t interested. With the notable exceptions of green olives. He adored them.
Better? Worse? Just different?
Cats and dogs have different world views. And as long as their people accept them for what and who they are – it works fine. We know some cats who fetch. We know some dogs that climb. Whatever works!
