Monday, May 18, 2009

The Truth About Cats and Dogs


My mom just left with her dog, the inimitable Mollie, a hyperactive golden retriever with a penchant for getting into trouble. Mollie has a basic sweetness, and she's calmed down a lot, believe it or not, as she's grown out of her puppyhood a bit. However, she's still kind of high-maintenance, so there's a kind of peace that radiates my house after she leaves and I'm left with my own two animal "babies".

Going in this direction has got me thinking about how most people seem to be either dog people or cat people. There isn't necessarily any rhyme or reason to why this is, at least as much as I can figure--I mean, I can't walk down the street and be like, "Dog. Dog. Cat. Dog. Cat. Neither. Cat. Cat. Dog."

I was raised a dog person, in large part because my mother is a dog person so we always had dogs. I was never a cat fan, finding them to be solitary and unfriendly when I encountered them at the homes of friends or relatives. Dogs always struck me as friendlier.

And then Charlie came along. I got Charlie by accident in a weak, sucker-written-on-my-forehead moment when one of my coworkers said her husband was going to flush the one kitten she hadn't been able to find a home for after her cat had a litter down the toilet if she didn't find someone to take it. I don't know if she was serious--I'd like to think she wasn't, but anyway, we ended up with a little orange kitten that we'd never planned on.

We got our black lab, Sonja, in much the same way. She'd been abandoned, abused, and in need of leg surgery as the result of being hit by a dirt bike. The humane society wouldn't take her, unless it was to exercise euthanasia. We decided that she deserved a better fate than that, so we adopted her as a year old puppy.

The thing is, Charlie and Sonja are very much alike. Both are sitting at the door, tails wagging (yes, Charlie wags her tail ... I think it's a learned behavior), when we get home. Sonja sleeps on my feet every night, Charlie on my head (well, sort of next to, but really ... yeah, on my head). They both come running when you call them, and they follow the four of us around to a degree where it's moderately annoying. It breaks my heart that they are both so grateful all the time--while it's true they'll never be flushed down a toilet or run over with a inappropriately handled motor vehicle here, they do get snapped at (mostly by Addie, who is not an animal person), not walked or played with as much as they deserve, and are forced to play dress-up with Belle (they actually like this ... go figure).

But my animals are an exception, I think, in large part because of the early trauma they suffered. It's my understanding that most dogs share a similar set of characteristics, and the same can be said for cats. Clearly, Sonja and Charlie are just freaks of nature : )

Which leads me, of course, to the human beings who make the choice to own one (or the other ... or both). What makes either a cat or a dog preferable to you? Is the thought of a cat as a stereotypical loner and a dog as a friendly pal accurate? Do you think you can tell something about a person by whether they prefer dogs or cats (note--Pythagorus prefers Sonja, Addie prefers Charlie when pressed, Belle prefers Sonja, and I love them both equally)?

14 comments:

  1. I like cats and dogs. I only have cats for the conveniance factor, and came across each of mine by accident as well. I found that each cat has/d a very distinct personality, and one even has very identifiable "moods". Another is definitely not a loner-he is clearly uncomfortable when he's alone. My third was a very stereotypical cat. I guess you never know!

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  2. I grew up with dogs because 2 brothers were allergic to cats. We probably had 7-8 over the years. Some I loved, others not so much.

    7 years ago, we got a cat who was very sweet. She loved attention. I never thought I was a cat person but with her, I was. Unfortunately, we had to put her to sleep.

    For me, it depends on the personality. I couldn't stand to have a snooty cat (like my sister, who is also snooty) does.

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  3. I don't have pets. Not because I dislike animals, it's that I know that I wouldn't be able to give them care and attention they need and deserve.

    If I had to choose between them it would be a dog. Cats tend to be an annoyance to those who are not cat owners, even if the owner is a 'good' owner. Dogs are only an annoyance if untrained.

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  4. I like them both, but I grew up with cats, because my mother is scared of dogs. The cat we have now came from an animal shelter and at first he wasn't really affectioned, he just liked to eat and sleep. Now, he follows me everywhere I go. I love that cat like I love donuts :)

    Dog and Cat Theology:
    The dog is described as believing, "You pet me, You feed me, You shelter me, and You love me. You must be God." Whereas the cat’s intrinsic belief is described as, "you pet Me, you feed Me, you shelter Me, and you love Me. I must be God."

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  5. I like both as well. My parents have two cats, and I had one. However, only due to the apartments I lived in didn't allow dogs, I'll probably get a dog once I buy something.

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  6. Personally, I wouldn't want either at this stage of life. I have my hands full with the kids, the house, and my various pursuits. Maybe later in life. It's not that I don't like animals, just that they take so much time and effort--which can be worth it in the long run.

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  7. awe i love labs... Great story about Sonja!! good for you... what a great thing to do.. i volunteer at a shelter and its hard to see the poor dogs that come up from the kill shelters from the south and we take them in at our shelter.

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  8. I love dogs. I'm not sure why...just connect better with them? I don't think I "get" cats.

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  9. We have two cats and one dog.... and a whole lot of pet hair...

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  10. I'm a cate and dog person...I love them both, probably because we had both when I was growing up AND my mom and gram worked at a vet's office, so I was always different kind of animals.

    I have a 3 1/2 year old boxer and am hoping to get a kitten this weekend. I hope they get along as well as your animals do!

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  11. I was raised with dogs and cats and while I love both types of animals, I am hands-down a cat person. No obnoxious barking or slobbery dog kisses for me. Yuck! As for cats, I don't know what it is about me, but even the shyest ones seem to be all right with me. I've had people tell me their cats wouldn't come to anyone and so were surprised they would come to me. I just love them! I do think some cats are solitary by nature, but some breeds aren't. My mom had a cat who would literally leap at the ankles of anyone who walked in the door. She was a little overly playful. I had a Tuxedo cat that I swear thought she was a dog. She was so dang friendly and had to greet everyone that came to my house. The minute they sat down, she'd jump into their laps. She had been a stray before we'd found her. Yeah, I think they come with their own personalities much like people do. Sorry to go off. Can you tell I like cats? lol

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  12. i love cats but my DS is severely allergic. So small dogs it is! ;)

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  13. Cute babies!!!! I have a cat...and I love her!!!!

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  14. We have a dog and a cat, both from the the animal shelter. I've grown up with pets and we've always had them around, usually the reject ones that nobody else wanted. Somehow that makes them more loveable to me.

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