View attachment 432435
I will never comprehend that people think there is a "dog vs cat controversy..."
It's like debating apples vs cherries when they are both fruits and you can eat them both. I have lived with three dogs (who all died of old age) and seven cats (5 of which died of old age), the other two go on still. And damn, cats can live LONG lives! They are so very different as companions even though they share many similar (and mammalian) traits.
There is no question that human civilization could not have developed as it had without the symbiotic relationship that developed with canines. Felines? Well, probably not so much. In fact the theories that cats rid human settlements of vermin are probably more fiction than fact. I think it likely that cat and human cohabitation happened far later when societies were developed. Canine human relationships go much farther back and likely facilitated improved hunter-gatherer styles.
Still, there's so much love I give/have given to both species. Nothing cooler than going on an outdoor excursion with your dog and having hom/her become an extension of yourself, while simultaneously being a loving companion. They can so focused on you and making you happy, while giving unrestricted positive feedback and love.
My felines provide a very different form of companionship. One which is deeply emotional another is tactile and a third is somehow intellectual. They are far less servile and, for whatever reason, feel more as an equivalent partner in any exchange of emotions or affection. They are not tools or guides or playthings, but high-level companions. They also have a more developed sense of humor.
