Have you looked at your dog lately, or any dog for that matter? The moment you open the door they’re on you like a slingshot, slobber and drool all over you and anything else in proximity (yes, slobber and drool are two separate things. Email me and I’ll explain 
privately). They knock you down, so you’re on their level, and they drown you with the affection they feel you deserve (or it’s relief that you haven’t left them to die, which is what their little brains think every time you leave the house). Every single time you come home.
“they’re on you like a slingshot, slobber and drool all over…”
On the other hand… when was the last time you saw your feline, cat owners? Or, should I say, when was the last time your feline saw you (you know they see us more than we see them, right?)? Of course, the word “owner” is also a misnomer, as any cat enthusiast will tell you. They call the shots much more than we do. When you arrive home, sometimes your cat may meet you at the door, but the meeting isn’t nearly as suffocating as with a dog. In fact, a cat will generally only meet you at the door if one of its needs hasn’t been met as recently as it would have liked. Perhaps you didn’t fill the food dish as full as you should have, or the litter box is slightly ripe with the one tinkle your cat did this morning. Time to clean it out, your cat is telling you by the greeting at the door. And if you don’t see your cat at the door, that means either you did something right, or you’re just getting the cold shoulder, a standard greeting from cats everywhere.
In the immortal words of Sassy, from Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, “Cats rule and dogs drool.” No more is this apparent than in that initial door greeting/non-greeting I just outlined above. Did you know that there is a theory going around that pet owners are just like the pets they own? I mean, if you’re a dog person, your personality is just like a dog’s (no offense meant), or if you love cats, you’re just like one as well (no offense meant there either). Now, I’m not saying it’s true, but it’s definitely interesting to consider. For some, being outgoing and over-enthusiastic/emotional is a way of life. If their pen runs out of ink, they’re hysterical over it, and that’s okay. If you get home from work and they’ve been waiting for you, they want hugs and kisses the moment you walk in. But you’re 
different, reserved, only excited when you want to be, and thinking about whatever you’re going to do next, sometimes forgetting that other people even live with you unless you want something. Or it could expand to other aspects of your life. At work you’re climbing that ladder, always wanting to please others and show off. Or there are those cats who get to the top by being insular and only stepping out when they really need something from someone else. They’re fiercely independent, and this is admired by the people up top, because they too are cats.
Of course this doesn’t fit every single situation, but it’s interesting to consider. Think about the CEOs of companies, and most times they were the ones “Most Likely to Succeed” in their high school yearbooks, due to their drive to be the best, by themselves. Then they can sit in that corner office and lord it up over everyone else. Sound familiar? And yes, the dogs can climb pretty high too, but only by kissing ass and doing what’s expected of them by others. That thinking has a ceiling, though, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Not everyone was born to lead, and dog people know it. But they don’t want to lead. They just want to be happy when you get home. That’s enough for them. Oh yeah, and sleeping on your bed. Watch out. And don’t worry if you don’t fit one of the aforementioned paradigms. There’s room enough in this world for turtles, ferrets, and chickens too.
Sam
Sam's Online Journal 