With it being the weekend, it is short and sweet today and I have actually split it into two parts.
When we survey the world around us it doesn't take an expert to tell us that it is in a sorry state. This summer has seen relentless waves of heatwaves and suck the life out of you and beat down on your brain like a great hammer. But this is nothing compared to the sorry state of the animal kingdom. With a few exceptions Mega-Fauna has almost vanished from our planet and while some of this is down to evolution a part of it is down to us. Even animals that can be described as thriving are hardly doing that. There are more cows and chickens than ever, but what kind of lives do they have?
I don't even need to answer that.
Domestic animals - pets - frequently do better but at a cost to their independence. Man's mastery of the planet as his dominion is almost complete and like a parasite we come and destroy, but there is one exception, and yes you've guessed it from my title and header. The humble cat, first domesticated in ancient Egypt is the real ruler of the planet. Just to illustrate and answer you question as to why not dogs, it really is very simple. If you were to die, the average do will not survive without owner interaction or at best become a feral scavenger and your cat will eat you!
Unlike a dog, a cat has not sacrificed its fundamental survival skills. It can still hunt and bring down prey, as evidenced by the gifts they bring from time to time. We even had one pet cat that didn't like the food we bought and so it moved next door for a better meal. Cats do not display the same levels of loyalty as dogs.
It may well of started as a symbiotic relationship. Theorists and animal behaviourists have suggested that cats moved into closer proximity to humans in similar ways to dogs in that it benefited them. Cats would hang around grain stores and catch rodents that could decimate any crop. Humans recognised the benefit of having them around and didn't scare then off and then the humans started giving the cats treats and making them lazy and indulgent, but only when it suited them. Fundamentally, and as I have already stated, they did not have to give up any of their independence or survival skills and the rest is history. This makes them markedly different to dogs and every other domesticated animal you can think about.
So next time you interact with a cat ask yourself if you or the cat is the pet!
As always stay safe and well my friends.
