If you’re a pet owner or someone who has considered getting a pet in the past (or in the near future), you’ve probably heard any variation of these two statements hundreds of times already:
- “Hey! If you’re the active and outgoing type, why not get a dog?”
- “Oh, you’d rather be always at home? A cat would be the perfect pet for you!”
And indeed, these two statements seem to easily paint an image of the current pet ownership landscape. Are they true? Yes, to a high extent, they are. Dogs are generally associated with exercise, agility, energy, and movement: active living. While cats, well, they’re independent, aloof, chill, and generally easy-going: sedentary living. If the two species were to be personified, the dog would be the health-conscious human who will try to sneak in jogging sessions whenever he can, and the cat would be that human who would much rather play video games, surf the net, and sleep all day at home.
These generalizations of species-intrinsic personalities have actually paved the way to a sort-of “beginner’s guide to choosing your pet”. And why not? If you really are the type of person who’d want a companion animal who can share your love for adventure, then really, a dog would be your best option. You’d be hard-pressed to find a cat who would actually want to jog around the village with you (although there are cats who would gladly take a 5-minute walk!). On the other hand, if you’re someone who would rather have a companion animal who can stay alone for a long period of time (with you working corporate hours and all) and who wouldn’t require daily walks (because hey, catnip-laced mouse toys are enough), then a cat would be the best option for you.
Take note that what we are doing here is judging pet-owner compatibility based on the human’s lifestyle. But what if we can reverse this logic and improve a human’s behavior and general outlook based on the companion animal that they choose? What if, for pet-human relationships, opposites can attract?
As an adoption advocate, I’ve encountered lots of potential adopters who have asked me the same question: “Which would be better to have, a dog or a cat?”. While the standard reply would be “it depends on what you personally prefer”, at CARA Welfare Philippines we make sure that our adoption albums have short descriptions of a cat or a dog’s personality. We make recommendations on which specific pet a potential adopter might need given his/her preferences, work-life situation, and even the kind of place he/she lives in. We want to make sure that the adopter and the pet would be compatible to each other. But oftentimes we do use the generalizations stated above.
Oftentimes though we also encounter adopters who want to adopt a pet that would help them improve their personalities. Take one instance when CARA was invited to put up a booth in a university animal welfare fair. One female student approached me and asked me the same question of which pet would I think be better for her. Looking at her, with her petite frame, her glasses, and all the books she was hugging, I hastily said with a smile, “I think a cat would be perfect for you”. What she said next surprised me, “Yes, a lot of people say that, but I want to learn how to get out more often. I want to learn how to be more sociable and friendly. I think I might need a dog”.
My first thought was “why not?” so I smiled at her and showed her all of the dogs we have up for adoption. She shared that she knows that dogs need to be walked and that they need frequent exercise in order to be consistently healthy. She figured that by walking her future dog, she’ll be able to not only exercise but easily socialize with the other dog owners in her village, with the dogs acting as a starting point for discussion. She figured that with her future dog, she can attend all these pet-related events without feeling lonely or overly-bothered by human company (she’s still an introvert at heart). She figured that her future dog can teach her how to be friendlier and more open to outside interaction. After a short discussion, she had to go to her next class but she took adoption flyers and even an adoption form from our booth.
And hey, isn’t that another way of looking at things? She’s right, a dog can help introverts like her open up more to social interactions without feeling too overwhelmed. A dog can slowly help her deal with receiving affection and attention.
This realization made me look at my relationship with Rocco, my rescued cat, in a different light. Unlike the girl, I’m an extrovert. I love going out with friends and meeting new people. I love going to fairs, events, and gatherings. I constantly need to be with someone else, whether at work or in a restaurant or inside a cinema, so that I won’t feel awkward. Clingy at times, I tend to pour my extra energy towards Rocco, and Rocco, being the snooty and independent tomcat that he is, often swats me in the face when I give him too much cuddly time. A cat’s innate independence helps extroverts like me tone down our energetic tendencies. Because of Rocco, I’ve learned to enjoy silence. I still want company, but I don’t have to talk or do anything. Just chilling inside my room with Rocco, with me watching TV and him doing whatever it is that he’s doing, is already enough.
It’s such a funny thing. You’d think adopting a pet has a more positive effect on the animal than it is on you. What we don’t realize is that we humans benefit more from having pets around. Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, pets make our lives more meaningful and they change us for the better, without us realizing it. They bring out the good person in us.
That girl and her future dog. Me and Rocco. Opposites do attract.
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If you would like to help CARA educate the country about responsible pet ownership, spaying and neutering, and fostering or adopting rescued pets, you can do so by: