Picture this. You come home from a long day at work and your canine companion greets
you at the door – wagging his tail in excitement. He’s been waiting on you all day and can’t wait to show you all the love.
Now, picture this. You come home from a long day at work and open the door – only to find your cat asleep on a chair in the next room – completely unphased and unamused by your presence.
I’m just going to go ahead and say it – for all of us dog lovers…
I. Hate. Cats.
Ah, that felt good.
Dogs are friendly, obedient, loving – and of course – absolutely adorable. I mean, they didn’t get the title ‘man’s best friend’ for no reason. Dogs consider their owners a part of their “pack,” or family, and their loyalty to that bond never wavers – according to the experts at Purina.
However, we can’t say the same for cats. They are inherently selfish, unable to build strong bonds with humans, and basically wish that we would fall off the face of the Earth.
I promise I’m not being dramatic. We should hate cats and there’s serious science behind it.
1. Cats Don’t Love You – The End
There’s a laundry list of behaviors that show us how much dogs love us – they wag their tales, perk up their ears, cuddle in our laps – the list goes on and on. That’s what’s so wonderful about canine companionship – we show them affection and they show it right back.
Of course, it’s much harder to tell if a cat enjoys our company – or tolerates humans at all. Still not convinced? Well, researchers have actually proved that cats don’t love their owners as much as dogs do.
A recent study conducted by BBC found that “there’s five times more love generated in a dog when it sees its owner than a cat.” Scientists tested 10 cats and 10 dogs for oxytocin (commonly
known as the “love hormone”) after they played with their owners for 5 minutes. Dogs showed an oxytocin increase of 57.2% while cats showed a 12% increase in the hormone.
In a nutshell, the study proved what dog lovers already know – dogs love us, and cats… kind of like us? Sometimes?
2. Cats Are An Allergy Nightmare
Yeah, yeah – I know. Dogs can also cause all those annoying symptoms associated with allergies – constant sneezing, itchy throat, runny nose. But did you know cat allergies are twice as common as dog allergies? Our immune systems are trying to tell us to steer clear of cats – and we should listen.
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, “Among children, about one in seven between ages 6 and 19 prove to be allergic to cats.” That’s a lot of sneezy kids.
Although many animal lovers are allergic to dog dander (sigh), cat allergies are way more common, and the symptoms are often more severe.
People who are highly allergic to cats can experience facial pain, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. These uncomfortable symptoms occur because our bodies are reacting to a specific protein found on cat skin called Fed d 1.
And guess what? Dogs don’t have this pesky protein because they are… absolutely perfect.
3. Cats Can’t Maintain Eye Contact…And It’s Super Shady…
I look down at my dog every morning and see him staring right back at me with a goofy little grin. The most important part of this daily ritual is that he’s looking directly into my eyes – and this is a critical part of making emotional connections with any living being.
Eye contact is super special. It’s the way that we share intention, emotion, and signals that the other pair of eyes has our full attention.
When we make eye contact, the limbic system activates, and we are instantly able to share emotion and demonstrate empathy – according to a recent study conducted by the Society for Neuroscience.
Let’s be real – dogs have mastered the art of eye contact and that’s why we form strong emotional bonds with our furry friends. If you’re a dog lover like me, you’re accustomed
to this daily ritual and you’re probably turned off by the fact that cats can’t deliver the same response.
When we look at cats – searching to make a connection – they might glance at us for a couple of seconds, but usually don’t maintain eye contact for too long.
In fact, direct eye contact makes cats super uncomfortable because they see it as a territorial challenge or aggressive face-off. Because they refuse eye contact, we can’t form a bond with them. Period.
The bottom line is – when you look at your cat, it wants to fight you.
4. Cats Are Loners & They Don’t Want To Be Around You
As humans, we are inherently social. We love interacting with others, communicating with loved ones, and connecting with others. In fact, we rely on social interaction and cooperation to survive.
Therefore, it makes total sense why we are drawn to dogs. They are social creatures and
have the same needs that we do!
Dogs are direct descendants of wolves (yes, even your teacup-Yorkie!) and have maintained that “animal pack” mentality and social nature. So, as dog owners, we are a part of their pack. Our dogs thrive on human and canine interaction. They enjoy long walks in the park, social gatherings – anything that involves other people.
Researchers can’t exactly say the same for cats.
Historically, felines are solitary predators and do not live in socially structured groups (minus lions). They are super self-reliant by nature and do not need others to feed or protect them from harm. In the animal kingdom, cats claim a specific territory and stick to it. This is where they hunt, eat, sleep and thrive – by themselves.
Big cats – like tigers, leopards, and cheetahs – don’t feel the need to interact with other living beings and domestic cats have inherited this same quality. This is why dog-lovers just don’t get cats. We’re social and we want a companion who has similar wants and needs.
5. Cats Hurt You…And They Really Don’t Care
We’ve all been there – time and time again. You try to make peace with the cat. You reach out your hand to pet the cat. The cat scratches you. Awesome.
All species of animals can be aggressive, but cats are quick to flip the switch. Even when there is no danger present, cats are always willing to painfully communicate their likes and dislikes. As kittens, they think that their owner’s hands are play toys and continue this behavior into adulthood.
Yep. This means that cats scratch and bite when they’re angry AND when they’re trying to play – we can’t win with them!
That’s why dog lovers love dogs. Dogs are super sensitive to human emotion and recognize when we are unhappy or in pain.
As puppies, they learn ‘how rough is too rough’ by paying attention to how their owner responds to aggressive play. According to the American Kennel Club, dogs “seem to possess a special skill for knowing exactly how we’re feeling” and they learn to change their own behavior to make us happy.
6. Cats Hate the Way You Smell & They’re Constantly Trying to Get Your Scent Off Them…
I mean, it’s just science. When you love someone, you are super attracted to their natural scent and learn to associate their scent with love and affection. According to Lindsey Bordone, professor of dermatology at Columbia University Medical Center, our perceivable smells play a giant role in attraction and love.
Just think about it. Dogs sniff our face, hair, hands – almost every inch of our bodies – and they can’t get enough of it. They want to immerse themselves in our scent because we are a part of their pack and they are a part of our family.
On the other hand, cats pretty much do everything in their power to get our scent off of them and they’re pretty obsessive about it.
Cats spend between 30 and 50 percent of their entire day licking themselves – ew. Most people think that cats are just grooming their fur, but in reality, they are spending hours and hours attempting to get the human scent off… because they hate it.
7. Cats Are Selfish & They Don’t Have Your Back
There’s real proof that dogs are instinctively loyal. We’ve all seen the videos – a dog saves its owner from a burning building or stays by a human’s side until help arrives. Dogs are always risking their lives to save humans from near-death experiences.
They have our backs no matter the circumstance – and we love them for it.
In the same burning building scenario, cats will create a 10-step master-escape plan without giving us humans a second thought. Loyalty is not in their nature and they couldn’t care less if we burn in some fiery inferno.
Cats have a powerful olfactory organ (sense of smell) that immediately senses imamate danger. Because they are solitary creatures, cats prioritize their safety above all else and will flee any less-than-ideal environment.
I mean why would we love an animal who would leave us to die?
