[cryptica]

I used to love dogs when I was a kid, now I'm definitely a cat person.

I find dogs superficial and too simple-minded. If you feed them often enough, they will like you (guaranteed) - I find this kind of relationship unsatisfying - You are the master and so the dog has no choice but to like you. Kind of like how people are inclined to laugh when their boss makes a not-so-funny joke - That's the kind of dynamic you get.

Cats are more mysterious and complex. Most of the time, when a cat shows affection, their real motives are usually pretty straight forward; like how they start rubbing themselves against you only when you're physically holding their food (they don't try to hide anything). Often you get the feeling that cats don't care about you at all. In fact, they probably don't really need you (they can usually fend for themselves catching mice, lizards, birds, get food from neighbours, etc...)

But sometimes, there are rare moments when a cat will show you affection without any obvious reason; and when they do, it feels a lot more genuine than the kind of affection you would get from a dog.

I like cats because I like to foster relationships between equals. My cat is my friend, not my subordinate - I don't really NEED the cat and the cat doesn't really NEED me - There are no ulterior evolutionary/survival motives between us.

I just don't like relationships where there is a power imbalance (even when I get to be the master). Though I suppose some could argue that it's not so different from a parent-child relationship - But then again, some parents are more strict than others...

[thatswrong0]

From what I can tell, cats are just as simple-minded as dogs, but the main difference is that they are barely domesticated. So yeah, I'll take the creature that appears to love me over the creature that couldn't care less about me. I especially appreciate how present dogs are.. they don't seem to care about anything that's going on other than what's happening right now, and that's something I need more of in my life. And man, I love watching the videos of dogs being reunited with their owners after not seeing them for months.

Plus there are smart breeds of dogs if you're into that sort of thing.

[brokenmachine]

>And man, I love watching the videos of dogs being reunited with their owners after not seeing them for months.

I could watch those forever.

What's amazing is it's almost like that, maybe on a slightly smaller scale, when you arrive home from work every single day!

It makes you feel like a celebrity. Hard to be sad when someone is so happy just to see you.

[Mahn]

I think at least some dogs are capable of genuine "altruistic" relationships too. My neighbour's dog for instance always get super excited when he sees me, jumps on me and everything, but I almost never feed him or look after him, I just play with him sometimes; we have more of a friendship dynamic than a master-slave relationship.

[jstalin]

I agree with your thoughts, but I also understand that different people like different pets. To me a cat is perfect because it's relatively self-sufficient and I can leave my cat alone for a few days without a problem. I don't want to have to run home early from dinner because I need to let the dog out.

[brokenmachine]

>I don't really NEED the cat and the cat doesn't really NEED me

That is no different to a dog.

If we left the doors open a dog could easily kill and eat something as well. A dog isn't totally dependent on humans. We just don't allow that because it would be dangerous for children or other dogs who might be killed by a feral dog.

If a stray cat was large enough and capable of killing a child, then I bet our society would be much more serious about keeping cats locked up like we do dogs.

[hyperpallium]

You might like a wolf. Not automatically subservient.

[brokenmachine]

>I find dogs superficial and too simple-minded. If you feed them often enough, they will like you (guaranteed) - I find this kind of relationship unsatisfying - You are the master and so the dog has no choice but to like you. Kind of like how people are inclined to laugh when their boss makes a not-so-funny joke - That's the kind of dynamic you get.

Disclaimer: I'm a 100% dog person. I hate cats. I had a beautiful dog during my childhood. Due to work arrangements, I ended up feeding a cat every day at one stage of my life. The little bastard would be friendly to me most of the time, he sat on my lap every day for a year, but for no reason some days would scratch me. Eventually I got sick of it and never let him on my lap anymore, fed him still because I had to but didn't pat him. He didn't care how I was feeling on a particular day, it was all about him and his feelings. I don't need that in my life.

>Cats are more mysterious and complex.

I don't find this, I just find them to be moody selfish assholes. Being a moody selfish asshole is not mysterious or complex to me.

This is what I love about dogs, they are so transparent that you know exactly where you stand. If they are growling, they don't like you. But if they like you, you are the most important person in the world! There's no mind games, no deception or moodiness.

If you're in a sad mood, they notice and understand that you're down (or at least acting different to usual) and give you special attention. They might not understand why you are sad, but they don't ignore it. They want you to be happy because then they are happy, and everyone is happy. It's a great feeling when everyone is happy!

If you're in a happy mood, they will feel that and be ecstatic to revel along with you in the joy of being alive and together at that moment.

Why shouldn't a pet like being around you and treat you well when you feed them and treat them well? I don't need an ungrateful dependent.

Remember, the only reason dogs are dependent on people is because of people. Without people, dogs would hunt in a pack like wolves anyway, they wouldn't need people. It is us that domesticated them, which was, and is, a mutually helpful arrangement.

A dog is a pack animal, they need other dogs or people to work together to hunt. This is not a one-way thing, a dog who is part of your pack will do anything to help you if they can. They trust in your judgement and will go with you to the ends of the earth, trusting that you feel that going to the ends of the earth is important for some reason, and being happy just that you are together... That's the kind of companion that I would do anything for as well.

I think that people who aren't dog owners might not understand also that a dog's love isn't completely unconditional either. If you treat a dog badly, they won't care for you in the amazing way that they care for a person who takes good care of them. Of course a dog is still dependent on a bad owner, just like a child may be dependent on a bad parent, but they won't bond with the owner in the same way, just like a child with a bad parent.

I don't understand the attraction with those little dogs that seem so stupid however. They seem like dogs with all the best parts removed, the loyalty and intelligence. They will be friendly to anyone, or scared of anyone. They will get distracted by something and run away if they're not kept leashed or locked up. They don't notice if you're sad, they're just ridiculously happy all the time. I guess for some people having a ridiculously happy all the time pet raises their mood, but for me that would feel a bit empty.

[derefr]

> moody

Isn't it mysterious why exactly a cat is in the particular mood it's in? It's a puzzle. Like dating a person with Borderline Personality Disorder is a puzzle. Some people love puzzles.

[brokenmachine]

I don't find it mysterious. I just think that cats are inherently not social, so they only use people to suit their needs at a particular time.

Like when they're getting petted, it might feel nice for a while, then when it suddenly doesn't feel so nice anymore, that's when the scratching starts.

That's why they go to get food from neighbors or anyone else. They don't need the companionship, and only sometimes need the food. It doesn't really matter who supplies the food.

"Why do you scratch and hiss for no reason". What a shitty puzzle. Not a puzzle I'd choose to play.

I suppose some people are gluttons for punishment... or possibly suffering from toxoplasmosis.

[balls187]

> ...and the cat doesn't really NEED me

Until you stop feeding your cat. Then it will eventually die of starvation.

Unless it's an outdoor cat (or has access to the outdoors), then it can catch it's own food, but will most likely be killed (outdoor cats generally don't live as long as indoor cats).

[vacri]

> Unless it's an outdoor cat

Well, yes, if you contain any living thing and then don't provide a food source, it will die of starvation.

[auganov]

Most [all?] cultures agree. "Dog" is an insult across many languages, which indicates it's lower status. Never heard of "cat" being a standalone insult.

[chris_st]

In american english, calling someone "catty" means they gossip maliciously.

Also, "cathouse" is another name for whorehouse.

[auganov]

Yea, but that's a variation on cat. Not a standalone "cat', while a standalone "dog" has enough of a negative connotation in most languages.

[bluejekyll]

Seriously? you won't accept derivatives that disagree with your statement.

Also, see the response about the spanish usage of 'gata'

edit: this is much too serious of a response to this funny of a thread, I should throw some humor in here somewhere ;)

[auganov]

Of course not (which I indicated fairly clearly too). To make a fair comparison you want to consider what kind of a feeling or connotation "You're a dog" vs "You're a cat" invokes. Variations on the sentence are okay too, like, say "You're such a dog" or "Come here dog". I didn't contest 'gata', gender specificity does make it non-ideal, but I'll take it.

[Cogito]

"You're such a pussy" or "Don't be a pussy" can definitely be used in a derogatory fashion, especially in groups in which social status is dominated by masculinity.

It can mean, for example, variations on "Don't be so timid", "Stop expressing your fears", and "Take more risks".

Indeed, I have heard "Don't be a bitch" be used in almost the exact same way.

[saghm]

By "gender specificity", do you mean the word itself, or the people targeted by the insult? Using the word "gato" to describe a woman would be nonsensical, and I don't think that a word predominantly being used to insult only one gender (such as "bastard") makes it any less of an insult.

[Franciscouzo]

It is at least in Spanish, calling a woman "gata" is akin to telling them they're slutty.

[jstalin]

Or poor, as in gata being slang for your housekeeper.

[random_rr]

What's up dawg? That pussy looks like a catty bitch.

I feel like it's a wash. Dogs have more favorable sentiments expressed about them, and more negative ones, because they have SUCH personalities that it's polarizing.

A cat that has an outgoing personality will often be compared to a dog, conversely, only a meek, quiet dog would be referred to as a cat.

[wahern]

Because a dog has been a part of the human social hierarchy in many cultures. Calling someone a dog alludes to various social characteristics. Calling somebody a cat is just non-sensical.

I suppose there could have been cultures where a cat occupied a place in the day-to-day social hierarchy (and not just in a religious sense). But if so that sense has been lost to us. For obvious reasons I wouldn't expect such a relationship to have been anywhere near as pervasive as with dogs.

[douche]

There's the expression that someone is "one cool cat"

[jondubois]

Haha, yes. Phrases like "sly dog" imply deception and a lack of morals.

[bluejekyll]

"You're a pussycat", is a classic saying that you extremely gentle and nothing to worry about (not necessarily bad I know).

"You're a dog", is generally a comment about someone doing anything to get what they want, for entrepreneurs this is probably a good thing. I've often heard this used in a respectful way in meaning that even though you bent the rules, you came out on the winning end.