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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

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...

popmystack 10y ago
None of this follows a linear line of thought. Dogs definitely can can show you "affection without any obvious reason." Cats can also be "bought" with food bribes just as easy as dogs. It could be argued that the whole "random affection" play applies to both dogs and cats and was brought about in an evolutionary fashion, in that being affectionate towards humans grants you a far higher chance of obtaining food and shelter. Would you consider that "fake"? I find it very weird that you're trying to prescribe a "fake" vs "real" scheme when dealing with pet's emotions without offering a real, testable theory to how we should organize our pet's "true" motivations. Just lots of assumptions, really.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
thatswrong0 10y ago
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 10y ago
  >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.
auganov 10y ago
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.
- Franciscouzo 10y ago
  It is at least in Spanish, calling a woman "gata" is akin to telling them they're slutty.
  - jstalin 10y ago
    Or poor, as in gata being slang for your housekeeper.
- chris_st 10y ago
  In american english, calling someone "catty" means they gossip maliciously. Also, "cathouse" is another name for whorehouse.
  - auganov 10y ago
    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 10y ago
      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 10y ago
        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.
Mahn 10y ago
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.
hyperpallium 10y ago
You might like a wolf. Not automatically subservient.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
balls187 10y ago
> ...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 10y ago
  > 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.
jstalin 10y ago
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 10y ago
>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.
brokenmachine 10y ago
>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.

popmystack 10y ago

None of this follows a linear line of thought. Dogs definitely can can show you "affection without any obvious reason." Cats can also be "bought" with food bribes just as easy as dogs. It could be argued that the whole "random affection" play applies to both dogs and cats and was brought about in an evolutionary fashion, in that being affectionate towards humans grants you a far higher chance of obtaining food and shelter. Would you consider that "fake"? I find it very weird that you're trying to prescribe a "fake" vs "real" scheme when dealing with pet's emotions without offering a real, testable theory to how we should organize our pet's "true" motivations. Just lots of assumptions, really.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

thatswrong0 10y ago

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 10y ago
>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.

auganov 10y ago

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.

Franciscouzo 10y ago
It is at least in Spanish, calling a woman "gata" is akin to telling them they're slutty.
- jstalin 10y ago
  Or poor, as in gata being slang for your housekeeper.
chris_st 10y ago
In american english, calling someone "catty" means they gossip maliciously. Also, "cathouse" is another name for whorehouse.
- auganov 10y ago
  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 10y ago
    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 10y ago
      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.

Mahn 10y ago

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.

hyperpallium 10y ago

You might like a wolf. Not automatically subservient.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

balls187 10y ago

> ...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 10y ago
> 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.

jstalin 10y ago

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 10y ago

>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.

brokenmachine 10y ago

>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.