Really, is anyone surprised?
Cats are cats. And dogs are dogs. And NEVER the twain should meet. Especially when it comes to leashes.
According to animal behaviorist and University of Bristol’s Anthrozoology Institute Director Dr. John Bradshaw, “People assume cats are going to be like a less demanding dog. They are equally interesting, in my opinion, and equally companionable, but they have their own way of doing things.”
As Bradshaw explained that unlike dogs, cats are not thoroughly domesticated. They are still half wild:
“Dogs were sociable before they were domesticated, and we domesticated them so that they would understand what we wanted from them. With cats, all we wanted was for them to keep our houses and farms and food stores free of rats and mice, and they got on with that. It’s only in the last few decades that we have wanted them to be something else.”
One of the biggest stressors for cats in the 21st century is proximity to other cats. Unlike dogs, who are essentially pack animals, cats do not naturally always get along with each other. They mark out their territory, and much like hoomans can just ignore what they dislike, “Cats who don’t get on don’t have to be hissing at each other. They can simply carve the house up, and live in the same building but not in the same space.”
In fact, two common cat illnesses (dermatitis and cystitis) are mainly due to the stress cats feel in their environments.
Lesson of the day: hoomans, don’t put a leash on your cat. Just let them be the little wanna-be lions that they are.
