Why do we love cats and dogs so much?

[Clizby Wampuscat]

I was posting in another thread and recalling a recent article I read about feral cats in Hawaii depleting the bird population and how the state authorities want to eradicate them. I've seen documentaries where they were facing a similar situation in Australia with people bringing in mainly European housecats into environments where they didn't exist previously.

Clearly it was a problem to be dealt with, but that aside, it never ceases to amaze me at just how accomplished hunters and predators cats are. And of course, the big cats are the stuff of legends - very much admired and "lionized" in the eyes of many.

Dogs are also admired and loved for their loyalty, but they also have a certain predatory nature which humans might relate to.

So, it seems that the two animals that humans love and relate to best are also part of the two most successful predatory species - canines and felines. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, as I love both cats and dogs myself. I guess this is just something I was thinking about, and thinking that it might say something more about us, as a species, than anything else.

I'm not sure if I have any real to point to any of this, as this is just idle musing on a Sunday morning. But if anyone has any thoughts about dogs or cats or humans, it might be interesting.

I am a dog person. I love them. I think it is because every dog I have had seemed to love me back and wanted to be with me. It feels like we are friends. They also seem to show unconditional love if they do love and don't require much from me.

 

[Wildswanderer]

I was raised on a farm, working cats earned their cat food.

I live on a hobby farm and grew up on a " real" farm. They kill some stuff but when we have high rodent year, nothing really makes much difference. Maybe trapping if you do a lot of it...or poison, but that's a no no if you have cats running around.

 

[ChristineM]

I live on a hobby farm and grew up on a " real" farm. They kill some stuff but when we have high rodent year, nothing really makes much difference. Maybe trapping if you do a lot of it...or poison, but that's a no no if you have cats running around.

We never got infested, assuming the cats were doing their job.