I've always thought the difference between a cat and a dog is that for a dog being with you is like a job. You might have a great job. You may love your co-wo

I've always thought the difference between a cat and a dog is that for a dog being with you is like a job. You might have a great job. You may love your co-workers. You might have a crap job. Your co-worker may occasionally kick you in the side. But, you know, what are you going do? It's a J O B. It makes a dog a great companion. Loyal even to those who have done nothing to deserve it. Even an untrained dog will do it's canine best to be a good dog - though it will generally have no idea what we expect that to be. The problem with that from my point of view is that when you meet a good dog. Well, they're all good dogs aren't they? Who's a good dog? This dog right here! Anyhow - the problem is that I don't trust them. Because they're punching a clock. Do they really like me? Or am I just a co-worker they landed? A cat on the other hand is different. A cat is like that dude who lived with you and 3 other guys when you were all going to school. I think he was enrolled? Honestly I wonder; it seemed like all he did was sit around, smoke pot and try to fight off all the women running after him with that stupid guitar he played. Classical of course. Anyhow. If you had kicked him he might have kicked back if he thought he could but maybe he wouldn't if he thought he'd get hurt. What he would have done though is move out the first chance he'd get. If for some reason he couldn't he'd avoid you. Here's the thing though. When you come home and your cat rambles over and jumps up on your lap. When you scratch him behind the ears or rub a warm belly. It's a genuine thing. It's not much really but it's an unnatural act of empathy. People say cats view us a kittens. Or as mother cats. Or something. I'm not sure that's the case. I think it's possible at least that they know us to be something alien and strange to them. That they're living their life apart from us but they can choose to try and relate to us - and they do that in the ways that they know.