Cats As Companion Animals
Today’s domesticated cat has become the pet of choice for millions of people worldwide. In the USA alone, more than 30 million domestic pet cats now overshadow the dog population by several million, with the gap increasing each day. Why has the household feline gained in popularity? What is it about this puzzling creature that appeals to so many of us?
The answer to this definitely has to be the enigmatic personality of the cat. Extremely intelligent, it possess a remarkable combination of personality traits not found in other houshold pets. Captivating and quiet, self-sufficent amd poised, fastidious and athletic, the cat is rarely needy. It appreciates company but is also content to spend time alone for hours at a stretch, making it an ideal pet for single people especially, let alone a family.
This autonomous trait, a result of felines in nature living alone by themselves, gives the household feline a slightly cavalier attitude about life; for them, the sun does not rise and fall with humans, although they appreciate what we have to offer, thank you very much.
The capability with which cats survive, with or without the help of humans could just be one of the main reasons why we like them so much. Emotionally needy pets (or people) tend to grate on the nerves after a while; cats are alluring egocentric creatures. This, combined with their beauty, grace, dignity, and ease of care, always makes them dsireable.
We also like cats for their ability to say, ” we are your roommate, not your servant,” and for their capacity to realise the value of a good nap. And who can fail to appreciate the cat’s clean, fastidious nature and built-in toilet training? Good luck getting a Schnauzer puppy to use a litter tray!
Cats enjoy all the consideration we humans give to them, though they will, given the chance, deny it. They are content to remain with us because we love them and look after them, but if we vanished from the Earth tomorrow, it#s more than likely that the cat would mourn somewaht, meow some, and then continue with the business of finding a furry little meal – all the while mocking the millions of aimless, sad pooches wandering around aimlessly, trying to gigure out what to do next.
If my life experience is anything to go by, closer bonds have been developed with a cat when an owner doesn’t smother the animal with unwanted affection at times when the cat just wants its own space. As my grandmother used to say: “You’ll never own a cat but one may choose to live with you”.