Dogs and cats share extraordinary relationships with humans and are two of the most popular choice for pets. They both offer unconditional love, comfort and friendship and become an important part of our lives in many ways. While some people prefer the company of dogs, others are considered cat lovers. Both cats and dogs are different in their behavior and have their own personalities as pets. The essay examines the nature of cats and dogs and illustrates the similarities and differences in their behavior and how they percept certain situations.
Are feline and canine alike?
Cats and dogs are similar in many aspects as they both belong to the mammal species. These animals have hair on their body and are four legged. They give birth to multiple offspring and produce milk to nourish their young ones. Often domesticated, they make excellent pets and shower their owners with endless love and affection. Both these animals develop fondness for their owners and usually require reciprocal love and attention.
Cats and dogs: Physical attributes
While these animals have many similarities, they are different in their physical attributes and behavior patterns which essentially determine the kind of responses they give and the life they lead.
One of the main differences is that of their species. Cats belong to the feline family, while dogs are canines. Amongst the physical features than distinguish them are their size, teeth, paws and claws. Physically, dogs are bigger in size and can intimidate cats. Dogs look at cats as a natural threat and end up chasing them. But there have been instances, when cats and dogs do get along. Dogs have forty two teeth as compared to cats which have thirty teeth. This also links to the kind of diet each animal follows. Dogs are scavenging carnivores, which means that they are primarily meat eaters, but can also consume plant products. Cats are strict carnivores and cannot sustain themselves without eating meat of any form. Another difference is their paws and size of claws. While both are padded, cats have extra padding so that they can be stealthy. Cats have retractable claws, protected inside their toes and are extremely sharp as compared to dogs. Dog’s claws are non- retractable and protrude out, making them blunt from constant contact when they walk or run. The interesting thing about dogs and cats are their tongues and its function. The cat's tongue has little barbs and hooks, which serves as excellent tools to clean meat off the bone. A dog does not have any such barbs and uses his tongue to sweat.
Another big difference is the sounds that they make. A dog usually woofs, barks, growls, or howls. A cat, on the other hand, makes meow and purr sounds.
The concept of flight versus fight is an important characteristic in the animals approach to hunt and react to threats. Cats climb to hunt or escape and develop a “flight response” to situations. This is what makes them agile and also gives them an advantage when they hunt or try to escape from a bigger predator or threat. Dogs, on the other hand use aggression or “fight response” because their ability to flee from a predator is limited.
Another difference between a cat and dog is the way and kind of prey they hunt. Cats usually hunt mice, birds, rabbits and many types of rodents. Rarely, dogs hunt rodents. Cats and dogs also hunt in different ways. A dog hunts directly and kills its prey immediately. A cat, in contrast, takes time to kill its prey. It usually stalks its prey or waits for a considerable amount of time before attacking it. Once it catches its prey, it plays with its food by clawing and biting it before the final kill. This tactic given cats more control over their prey.
A bow or meow way: Behavior patterns in cats and dogs
Dogs are pack animals which means that they are social and like being surrounded by other dogs or humans. Dogs usually view their owners as members of their pack and look up to them as leaders of their pack. Dogs enjoy spending time with their owners and can get lonely if left alone for longer period of time. Studies show that pet dogs left alone for considerable amount of time, especially pets of working people develop separation anxiety. Cats are solitary and extremely territorial in comparison and like to be their own leader. Very often, it is observed that if an owner relocates within the same neighborhood, cats find their way back to their old home repeatedly.
Dogs can be trained quickly and learn readily when owners do things that enhance their bond. They are somewhat smarter than cats and respond very well to verbal commands. Reward based therapies are adopted by owners for good behavior and dogs usually respond. Dog owners are known to teach their pets tricks which strengthens the bond between them. Dogs are also useful in other roles such as service dogs, guide dogs and even detection dogs which help the police and emergency personnel during natural disasters. Dogs can for example protect or even help visually impaired people to perform everyday tasks.
For cats, it's a different story as they just enjoy being on their own and do not respond well to training. Cats can be house-trained as long as they have access to a litter box. In some situations, this is a natural instinct for cats and one may have to skip the whole training process.
One behavioral pattern which most pet owners share is the fact that dogs are known to be more loyal than cats. Dogs have always been treated as a man's protector and friend, who helps him hunt, guard his property and be friendly. Cats, in contrast are usually not given any such tasks to perform. They maybe domesticated to catch mice, but it's a natural urge for the cat to prey on rodents.
Another behavioral difference between cats and dogs is the level of dependency on man. Dogs depend almost entirely on their owners. Dog owners often have to take their pets out for a walk, whereas cats are known to go out of the house on their own. As pets, dogs lose their sense of independency and even their free will. A cat does not need that sense of belonging and would eventually find its way out of the house. Since dogs do not enjoy like being on their own for longer period of time, they sometime have attention issues and may get aggressive to attract attention. Cats have no such issues and prefer being left alone.
Source: http://www.healthyfoodforpets.com/the-difference-between-cats-and-dogs.htm http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/01/04/differences-between-pet-cats-and-pet-dogs.aspx
