She says cats are gentle, subdued, and much more occupied with their own business, rather than hers.
My colleague pays a bit of attention to cats in her orbit and makes some good points about the need for dog owners to keep their pets under control in public spaces, especially given recent reported attacks.
Very sensible, and all are true.
However, being the human to two cats and one dog, when it comes to the debate on which species is better, I see both sides every day.
My cats are brothers from the same litter, yet could not be more opposite in their personalities.
One is vocal and loves cuddles and being petted. He can be picked up and carried around.
The other is, I truly believe, an agent of chaos and would probably set the house on fire just to watch it burn.
The dog, on the other hand, is loyal and always happy to see me. He’s trained and has very good manners, most of the time.
He’s portable for car trips and he sticks to me like glue at home.
The evolution of dogs and humans is intrinsically linked. Our histories have been intertwined for thousands of years.
A dog-human bond is special.
They are as attached to us as we are to them.
Our presence is missed when we’re not around and celebrated when we return.
Dogs help us. They are highly trainable and can do lots of jobs.
There are guide dogs and dogs for people with special needs, dogs that can sniff out drugs inside a parcel or cancer in a human.
Dogs that chase down fleeing criminals.
They round up sheep, hunt pigs, retrieve ducks.
They can be trained to find endangered wildlife or victims buried under rubble or snow.
The range of skills and traits that dogs have is astounding.
So yes, cats are pleasant companions, cuddly and cute but they’d rather sit in a warm patch of sun than go on a long walk with you.
