By: Ro’Mel Bryant-Oliveraz

People usually pick a side, cats or dogs, but not everyone questions why they really feel that way. They might think they just prefer dogs because they are more energetic and loyal, or cats because they can just do their own thing while still being present. Of course, they may also choose which, based on lifestyle, maybe they need a cat because they want company without too much work, or a dog because they want to be outside more. Or maybe they just got one as a child and that became their favorite for life. But what does the psychology behind those choices say; what does that say about your preferences?

For dogs their life revolves around their owner. They want to be with their owner all the time, their food depends on the owner, their hygiene, and meaningful fun. If you prefer a dog you want something similar to a baby, someone you can always be around, and have fun with, for the most part. Dogs are simple minded, think about the immediate, and the main thing on their mind is you. They just want to have fun, eat good food, and be around you.

Cats on the other hand are much more independent. They depend on you for their food, and to clean up their areas. They don’t need fun stimulation like dogs; their stimulation is more about hunting exercises, which don’t require humans. They clean themselves well enough without needing humans. They mostly just prefer your company, but don’t need it. If having a dog is like a baby, having a cat is like having a younger sibling. When they play with human hands or anything, their reflexes are too fast to get hit by a human, they just let it happen for fun. That’s how cats usually interact with humans, it’s mostly for the human’s sake, they also want you to have fun; not just themselves. Cats even developed meowing for communication to humans; they don’t really for each other, except kittens.

Preferring a cat is like preferring an independent pet that you interact with out of mutual interest, mutual benefit. The cat sees you as someone who gives them food and is in charge of the space they live in, so they want to interact with you a little bit, but they are independent and can get most of their necessities alone.

Preferring a dog is like preferring a pet that constantly wants to be with you, it thinks everything that it would want would come from you, and that you are the best. Dogs think about the moment, like food, fun, and blind curiosity. They depend on you for responsible things like eating healthy food, hygiene, and a place to sleep. And they love that fact.