Yes

by Dymphna Morrissey

Created on: December 28, 2010   Last Updated: April 01, 2011

Animals can definitely make better friends than humans.  Cats do not take advantage of you in any big way.  If they need warmth, they might lie on your chest, but that is not as bad as some of the things that people can do.

Because of what people say and do, they cause all kinds of suspicion.  We are so accustomed to this that we project this behavior onto animals.  For instance, if your dog comes over and puts her head on your lap, you might think that she just wants food when in fact, it may be an innocent expression of affection.  We interpret what animals do based on the conclusions we have made about people.  Since what people say and what people do does not always measure up, we have been conditioned to think there must be a reason behind people’s actions and we are safer once we have a good idea of what it is.  We safely decide that people can be devious and complicated so this dog must be too.

So when are dogs ever devious?  Do we really take the meaning of our animal's gestures to heart the way we take to heart the gestures of other people?  When we speak of animals, are we being completely serious about our "relationship" with it or him or her?  There are times when a dog comes over and licks you and you think it relates to a cookie you are carrying in your pocket.  In a half-serious way, you think the animal must have an ulterior motive.

But even though your dog "just wants food", you do not get an uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach that you are being manipulated.  It is just not possible to be stabbed in the back by an animal.  They cannot calumniate you or steal your credit cards or hire a hit man to kill you.  If a dog comes over and gives you his paw, he is not "brown-nosing".  Why he picked you in a room full of people may have something to do with your scent, but not because he is trying to flatter you.

Many people, disillusioned with humanity, have taken animals to be better and purer.  In their grief, they have turned to animals like horses.  People hold this opinion even though animals can be competitive with each other in ways that are similar to people.  For example, a dog that is accustomed to getting all the attention will revert back to his cute tricks like chasing his tail if you are using squeaky baby talk on the fluffy pet bunny.  The only difference is that he is more transparent about it than the average human.  Since that is the case, we always know where we stand with our dogs and cats.   That is why we consider them "friends".

Yet, while animals are our friends, I think it is a one-way-street kind of deal.  Friend is a human concept.  Friend is a human perception.  Your dog is relating to you as a dog.  When a puppy does a cute little dance around your ankle, it's not because it's exalting in the fact that you're so cool.  Maybe you just don't feel too cool at the time? 

Humans find animals trustworthy because they lack complexity and are not on a competitive basis with us.  Some people turn to some trusted dead poet, others to a cat.  I once read an article by a man who said, "Who was there when I had hard time A?  Hopkins! Who was there when I had hard time B?  Hopkins!  Who was there when I had hard time C?  Hopkins!"  Just exchange Hopkins with your snake or pet of choice.  I don't mean to be sarcastic or anything and think Hopkins is a good poet.  He may even give you invaluable poetical, aesthetic, and theological insights.  But he's not there physically with you!  His poems are in your hands and his wisdom is accessible, but who can say that Hopkins himself would want any part of your problems if he was around?  Granted he may have been a kind man, but that's still a stretch in my opinion!  

True animals sometimes possess layers of complexity and thus, one may marvel over "equine nature" as much as human nature.  One exception to the simplicity of animals, which humans speak endlessly of the comforts of in an uncaring world, can be found in the typical traits of a donkey.  Where the person previously found animals a safe refuge in a mean world, suddenly the human is bemused and charmed by their "deviltry".  Donkeys have a reputation for being "lazy" and "stubborn", which knocks our socks off!  Another exception is in the vanity of cats.  A lot of them just sit around all day grooming themselves, (but still, a cat does not recognize his own reflection and why is that?!).  So in a cat mind, what is "good-looking"?  And in a donkey mind, what does it feel like to be "stubborn"?  Nobody ever seems to know, but is that the purpose?  And also, do we really distrust our pets when they show laziness or vanity?  Do we honestly hold back in our relationship with our cat because she is so prissy?  After observing this phenomenon, I decided most people just find it entertaining and dramatic.  Perhaps a healthy diversion from the seriousness of human relationships.

Still animals are there for many people.  And yes, animals can definitely be your friends, but these relationships lack depth and contain a kind of affected intensity.  Now whether intensity improves the quality of a friendship depends of feelings of mutuality.  Cats are steady friends, but not your BFF.  However your bestest friend is sometimes a traitor.

Some people might say that animals do not make as good of friends as humans do because they cannot talk to you.  This means that nothing meaningful can take place between you and your pet.  However, whether people are saying meaningful things or not-so-meaningful things to each other, it is an unfortunate fact that people conceal their true motives in important situations.  Simple trust cannot exist in a context like that, but takes time and patience. 

This is not the case with animals who simply trust.  A dog that is cold will shiver and when you put a blanket on him, he will contentedly lie by your feet without thinking he’s too good.  But what does it mean when a human says, “I’m cold!”?!  It could be a way to get you to put your arms around the other person, it could be an insinuation to move to another room, it could even be an accusation that you are cheap!

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