Our feline overlords are better than dogs.
The plan for world domination continues today. I recall during the last few months we were in France, we had a kitten who needed a home as we couldn’t bring her back. When we found a family to take her on, we visited shortly afterwards to see how she was getting on. She was just fine, but what struck me was the relationship she had with the family dog. It knew its place and a swift swipe across the nose emphasised just who was boss. That fleeting second summed up everything about cats and dogs. The casual passing swipe said it all.
I quite like dogs. They are likeable oafs. But cats are intellectually superior. You don’t own a cat. It chooses to share its life with you and you enter into a lifetime of servitude.
I’ve always owned American Pit Bulls. My first, back in the 70’s was afraid of nothing nor anyone. A swipe across the nose never mattered to him, the cat would still end up stuck between his teeth. It was as though he couldn’t feel pain. He was found as a fully grown stray and unfortunately, it was clear he had been trained for fighting. He was wonderful as a family pet, a lovable oaf as you say, but hated other dogs and cats. I tried, but there were so many vet bills and complaints that eventually I had to have him put down.
To use a well worn cliche, dogs have owners, cats have staff. Ours certainly thinks he does.
Cats are not entirely unpleasant to have around the place, but the succession of dead birds isn’t a good thing. Mother’s cat got two birds and a field mouse on Friday; several times a week some luckless creature is presented dead. Goldfinches, blackbirds, butterflies, frogs; anything he can catch. My cat is relatively harmless and old, but once upon a time there were dismembered wren fledgelings turning upon the doorstep every Spring. She will not be replaced as I’d rather have birds in the garden, especially as cats don’t seem to care about much except food and sleep.
I would disagree about the intellectual superiority of the cat; they are crafty and useless. They look nice and can imitate affection to the extent that they not only aren’t all shot on sight as vermin but are actually allowed into people’s houses by the expedient of purring and rubbing against the legs and managing to shit in a litter tray.
I quite like cats, up to a point, but dogs are our friends whereas cats are aquaintances.
We have both cats and birds in our garden. Sometimes one will kill a bird, but it is infrequent. As for intelligence, they tend to be better at problem solving.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-superhuman-mind/201302/how-smart-is-your-cat-1
Dog lovers need the apparent love a dog gives, cat lovers tend to be as independent as the animals they love. As for useless, they are effective vermin control – which is why they developed a symbiotic relationship with man in the first place.
Yes they are good at vermin control ie rats and mice in barns, but most are kept as pets by people without barns and their hunting skills get used upon birds. As for the personality of someone who likes cats as opposed to dogs, you’re probably right but after a menial day’s toil I like to come home to an animal that looks pleased to see me as opposed to one who looks pleased only when I grab the tin opener. I would hypothesise that we are not still hiding from Neanderthals because we made friends with the dog. Even the superior strength and cranial capacity of the Neanderthal was of no avail when a dog was hanging off his ballbag. The dog is symbiotic whereas a cat is, apart from erstwhile farmyard duties, at most commensal and otherwise verging on the parasitic.
Every time I discuss this subject, the same tired clichés get trotted out. No, cats are not a problem for birds. They are predators and as such will hunt. However, those they take are likely to be the weaker specimens. Likewise with rodents. If they weren’t semi-domesticated and fed, they would take rather more.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/makeahomeforwildlife/advice/gardening/unwantedvisitors/cats/birddeclines.aspx
No, they are not parasitic. Not even close. Those that live on farms are vermin control. Those that live in cities are companions and we get something out of the deal as well as the cat. That is symbiosis. That you don’t understand this relationship does not mean that it does not exist. If you prefer dogs, that’s fine. You don’t have to justify it. However, in trying to claim that your dog is pleased to see you is anthropomorphising. They are pack animals and propitiation towards the leader of the pack is simply survival instinct kicking in.
You don’t expect anyone to take this bollocks seriously, do you?
Not really, no. I knew it was bollocks. I was bored, and drunk. You’re mostly right and I was mostly wrong. Apologies.
Is anyone else here totally baffled by that O2 ad that features a cat that turns into a dog and then regards it as a promotion? Be more dog and buy our mobile phone services, what? The only word that he knows is ‘woof’ and although he absolutely never ever gets tired of saying it, what the hell would he need a mobile phone for?
Yes, I was puzzled. Why would a cat want to downgrade to a dog?
Now you’ve gone too far.