Catitude

For years veterinarians and other animal “experts” believed dogs to be much more intelligent than cats. Observing both species, they saw how relatively easy it is to train a dog. On the other hand, although not impossible, training a cat to roll over or play dead is a much more difficult process.

Unfortunately, those learned men and women were not taking into account what I call “catitude.” You see, cats and dogs have radically different personalities and therefore see the world through a different lens.

Dogs are descended from pack animals. No doubt your hound sees you as nothing more than a giant fellow dog who is the leader of his pack. He or she wants nothing more than to please its leader.

In human terms, your dog might be thinking: “Gee, I will do anything to please my master. When he's happy, I'm happy. If she wants me to beg, then I'll do so. My entire life centers around making my leader happy. That's what I was born to do!”

Any person who has ever owned a cat knows that felines do not act in such a manner. If they could speak English, they might comment: “Hey, I like this dude, but I'm not giving up my independence to make her happy. If he wants to see someone roll over and play dead, then I suggest he does that stunt himself, for I have better things to do, such as sunbathing, watching birds, and knocking objects to the floor.”

Are animals capable of something approximating human love? Yes, both dogs and cats have shown some form of affection for their owners. There have been cases, for example, where dogs would sit on their owners' graves as if they were mourning their loss. That certainly looks like some kind of love or affection, at least from a human perspective.

My oldest cat, Kelly, who is now 15, spends almost every night in bed with me, wedged between my right arm and my body. As a result, I spent many nights staring at the ceiling because I did not want to disturb him by rolling onto my side.

Our female cat, Annie, spends every evening on my wife's lap as we watch TV or read. She “makes bread dough” before settling down to purr and then to sleep.

Dogs live to please their humans. Cats live to please themselves. In other words, the more independent-minded cat, in one sense, is more evolved than the dog, for the cat is a much more independent thinker. No doubt our political leaders prefer us to be in eternal dog mode.

Some folks still argue that dogs must be smarter than cats because they have bigger brains Well, supposedly human beings are the smartest creatures on the planet, although you would never guess that from watching the nightly news. Yet, whales, dolphins, and elephants have bigger brains than we do. Furthermore, consider this: Members of Congress have fairly large brains, but that doesn't always seem to translate into thoughtful and enlightened lawmaking. Just saying.

In every family I've seen that has a dog and a cat, it is the feline who rules the roost. Even if the dog is much larger than the cat, the feline has the equalizer-razor-sharp front claws. If the dog messes where he shouldn't, he'll receive a bloody nose and multiple scratches for his efforts. That's pretty smart on the cat's part.

In the final analysis, it doesn't really matter which of the two species is more intelligent. As any animal lover can tell you, both dogs and cats brighten our lives and leave us with great memories. Unlike many human beings, our pets are there for us whether we are rich or poor, popular or castigated, handsome or not so much so. That's the best kind of friendship to have.