I can’t reveal details now, as they’re not public, but in a while I’ll be engaged in a debate with three other people—FAMOUS ONES!—on the relative merits of cats versus dogs*. It will be awesome—a highlight of my career. I have my own ideas, of course, but thought I’d crowdsource the topic to stimulate my thinking. The debate will be both lighthearted and serious, and therefore difficult.
So, I’m asking readers to help out by answering two questions
1. For those who love cats and dogs: what is it about cats that make them especially appealing or endearing to you?
2. For those (like me) who favor cats over dogs? Why do you prefer the moggies over the doggies? Dissing of dogs is permitted here.
This is a serious request, and if you’re a cat owner or simply a cat lover, I’d appreciate your feedback. If you know of any references—I already have some—on research on the appeal of cats (yes, I know that studies show they disdain their owners more than do dogs, but that’s one reason I like them), you’re welcome to add them.
More information as the time grows nearer. . .
_____
Note: I have temporarily abandoned the usage of “d*gs” for purposes of clarity.
…
I like both. I’ll probably get another dog after I retire and don’t have to leave it home alone all the time. They do have the advantage of liking to be out and about in the neighborhood, and I need someone to take me for walks, since I don’t do that on my own.
But I prefer cats because:
Cats have very little body odor, and the odor I’ve noticed on a few of my (unrelated) kitties over the decades has been a pleasant smoky smell. (There are dogs with little body odor, which is one reason why I like Samoyeds.)
Cats are self cleaning. No baths under normal circumstances, and if the hair is medium or shorter, no brushing other than for mutual enjoyment.
Cats purr, and many make a nice trill sound.
They sleep a lot. (Though preferentially on top of what you’re trying to work on.)
On an otherwise low carb diet, they can have kibble available at all times as emergency rations in case the staff gets stuck away from home. I’ve yet to have a free fed cat get more than slightly plump as long as most of the rations are no-carb tinned and/or fresh food.
Most cats are physicists, and love experimenting with gravitational acceleration and momentum.
In a given sized house suitably furnished, there’s more habitat available for cats than for dogs so you can have more of them and not constantly trip over them.
Training isn’t mandatory to tolerate living with them. (But it helps, and teaching the basics such as a reliable ‘come’, and ‘don’t trip me’ is good for safety. I’ve heard of people who’ve taught the cats (and dogs) to self crate if the smoke alarm goes off.)
Cats are easier to train. They love clicker training, they adore learning new things, and they catch on very fast since they generalize better than dogs. (Unfortunate side effect–they soon learn to operantly condition the staff even more efficiently than with their inborn talents.) I taught one kitty a cue for a sit up she did anyway, and within a day she’d figured out that she could use that as a cue for me to give her things. Lots of things.
On dogs vs cat intelligence–it’s not really a matter of more or less, they learn differently. Dogs do not generalize well at all. Teach them to sit in the living room. Then teach them to sit facing north, south, east, west in the living room. Move to a bedroom, then the kitchen, front porch, down the street. Facing you, facing away from you. From a stand, from a walk. They eventually catch on that ‘sit’ is ‘sit always’, and with enough practice they learn about learning and the generalization goes much faster. But it does take a lot of time. Cats generalize extremely well, plus they can learn easily by watching others. It’s common for clicker trainers with both dogs and cats to have the cats horn in on the dog’s session and do what the dog is supposed to be doing after having seen it a couple of times. My cats learned to do a long sit stay when I was working with the dog, but it was hard for them to not jump in to earn the dog’s treats.
In a book about cats that I can’t remember the title of, the author reported on an experiment at some psych department. Box with a dog/cat sized lever, stepping on the lever would deliver treats. They taught assorted dogs and cats how to get the goodies (cats and dogs were equal), then rotated the box by 90 degrees. The cats immediately looked for and found the lever and got the goodies. The dogs kept scratching at the side of the box where the lever used to be until they got frustrated enough to try different things…
“Cats are easier to train.”
You can’t be serious. Train a cat to do this:
There’s a dog title, Advanced Trick Dog. Two cats have earned it. Considering how few people bother to train cats, let alone apply for a dog title, that’s pretty good statistics.
Have you trained any animal with operant conditioning (of which clicker training is the current majority version)? Have you tried it with a cat? If not, please try it yourself–you’ll be surprised and have fun (and so will the cat).
I see no inherent problem for an experienced trainer to teach the average cat to do most or all of the things in the video. Some of the tricks may need to be altered to match a cat’s different physiology. Otoh, the cat will certainly not be so awkward at getting up a ladder!
This kitty is being trained by luring rather than clicker, which has drawbacks but is easier for most people to learn to do:
Lovely cat in training, for agility and tricks
“I can train ANY behavior that the animal is physically and mentally capable of doing.” – Keller Breland
The Brelands, and Bob Bailey (Marion Breland’s second husband) were special case trainers in many ways, tremendously talented, wonderful observers, scrupulous record keepers, and scrupulous followers of what their records taught them. They pretty much reinvented animal training. For one DoD animal project they taught a cat to sit still (not nap, but sit) for a couple of hours in a crowded airport. The only ‘trick’ in that case was to select a cat with the right temperament to tolerate the commotion (the quote applies to individuals, not just species), but aside from that, it was straightforward OC training.
A couple of reasonably short introductions to clicker training:
http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2001/primer.htm
http://www.clickertraining.com/whatis
(Your cat wants you to read them!)
I can’t believe no one has mentioned that a cat survived Alien! I think that cat was in several episodes.
I thought the cat was infected with alien spawn, but it didn’t turn out that way.
The alien was too smart to try to take on the cat; it knew the cat would eat it alive.
b&
That cat is bad ass. The alien killed a crew of tough miners then a bunch of marines. But not the cat! Never the cat. The cat even hisses at the alien to show it who’s boss.
Exactly.
Now, imagine if the human crewmembers had properly integrated themselves into Jones’s social order. Jones would then have recognized the alien as a threat to his less-able clowder-mates and taken steps to protect the colony. The alien would have been promptly dispatched. Granted, the ensuing acid spill would have meant that they’d have to perform an emergency patch on the outer hull, but that’s what the human members of the pride are there for; they’re the ones with thumbs.
The moral of the story is clearly that one should always know one’s proper position in relation to the cats in your life and act accordingly.
Cheers,
b&
Jones the cat was in stasis with Ripley for decades. I don’t think Jones ever got infected. When they found Ripley & Jones they thought Jones was an alien since they didn’t expect to see separate DNA with Ripley in the stasis chamber.
Dogs are vile, smelly creatures. They are obsequious ar5e-lickers (in all senses of the phrase).
Cats are beautiful, graceful and elegant creatures.
If you socialise a cat properly it will be a wonderful friend – for life.
If you want a proper pet get a well-socialised Maine Coon (most of the other breeds are stupid – Maine Coons easily top the Encephalisation Quotient for cats).
Dogs are prostitutes. “Yeah, OK, I will sniff out drugs but only if you feed me steak”.
Dogs are clingy things always seeking their owners attention. Cats give it if they assess you as worthwhile.
And if dogs are so bloody clever why can’t the disgusting creatures use a litter tray?
Cats live in the knowledge that they and their evolutionary brethren are top of the food chain.
Dogs live in the knowledge that they are subservient curs who have lost all the majesty and dignity of their wolf ancestors and have been reduced to performing tricks for food.
Cats are beautiful and beautiful in a complete way — a constant feedback loop of motion, form, colour, and behaviour. They are like paint on a whirling disc, you never know what perfect state they will spin themselves into.