"Cats and Dogs..."

Cats and dogs are clearly unique creatures, yet as the two most common house pets comparisons often arise. There are good reasons why cats and dogs have such distinctive personalities and behaviors. Likely the biggest difference between cats and dogs is their social patterns and interactions. Dogs being pack animals, the members of their pack or family are critical to them. They look for a leader, and may try to take the leadership role if they don’t perceive that another member of their pack is the leader. If a person does not take the leadership role, dogs often experience behavior problems. This is quite different than the way cats interact. Cats are not pack animals, and don’t look for a human leader to follow. While they are more independent than dogs, they aren’t solitary animals as some perceive them. However, the relationships they form are based more on behavior, treatment, and territorial and survival concerns. A cat that is treated badly will rarely stick around, where a dog that is treated badly will often return as they are connected to those people regardless of their treatment. In the wild cats do form groups, but this is influenced by whether there is enough food to hunt, and if they are willing to accept another cat into their territory. Cats hunt independently and don’t share their food as dogs do. Consequently, the basic ways dogs and cats interact with people and other animals are fundamentally different.