Comparing Cats and Dogs
...act. They seem to not need their owners for anything. On the other hand, we have dogs and their personalities. Dogs define themselves through their owners and their surroundings. Although dogs are not stupid, the television advertisements make dogs seem like a lower class of animal. There are the Kibbles ‘n Bits dogs who trot along repeating “Kibbles ‘n Bits, Kibbles ‘n Bits” in an autistic voice. One crazy dog thinks there’s “BACON! It’s BACON!” everywhere it looks and smells. This dog, too, has an unintelligent voice sounding very much like a simpleton. Dogs are happy to see their owners, unlike the cats who seem to only tolerate their owners. There was another tee shirt I saw that said, “People own their dogs but Cats own their people”. That is so very true. However, both animals do require some owner intervention to survive. Neither type of animal possesses opposable thumbs. That makes it hard for them to get their own food or water. Both cats and dogs can be resourceful enough to get water from a toilet, sink or tub if their water bowl stays empty too long. Cats can be trained to use a litter box and dogs can be trained to go on papers. Still, human intervention is required to keep these pet bathrooms clean. While cats will bathe themselves, dogs require human help with their bathes. Dogs also roll in smelly things that cats would not. Both animals should be regularly checked by a veterinarian for disease. Caring for a pet includes training them, and not just to do tricks. The pet’s life may depend on responding to an owner’s command. Both cats and dogs possess Pavlov’s response to the can opener at feeding time and will come running. But, I have yet to see a cat who consistently obeys an owner’s commands. In contrast, dogs are trainable. They come when you call them. Dogs will sit, fetch, roll-over and play dead. I’ve never seen a cat do that. Well trained dogs are frequently in television and movies. Notice that any cats portrayed in movies or television are played by puppets or robots, because a cat will not allow themselves to be trained. Since dogs can be trained, they become working dogs, providing invaluable services to humans. Dogs are trained as guide dogs for the blind. Ever see a cat leading a blind person across the street? Some dogs are train...