by Billie Staib

Created on: September 10, 2009   Last Updated: September 11, 2009

In the wild, very few species pal around with other species. Granted that a horse and a cow may not get in a full-blown brawl whenever they come into contact, but chances are that they are not rubbing noses at the watering hole, either. Likewise, felines and canines are not friends in the forests. Food is scarce and territories small, so they are just doing whatever it takes to survive.

So, in asking the question why cats and dogs typically don't get along, I would have to assume that the asker is referring to these animals in the same household and not out in their natural habitats. Personally, I think that this is a misconception driven into modern culture with the help of the ever popular Saturday morning cartoons. Most of us envision the bulldog chasing poor Tom (the cat) around the yard or harassing him while he was trying to catch the Tweetie (the bird) or Jerry (the mouse). However, this need not be the case for you if you have both cats and dogs sharing your home.

We have quite a menagerie in our household with three dogs, two cats, and five parrots. One of our cats gets along with our dogs quite well. The will bathe each other, eat out of the same food bowl (don't ask me why a cat would occasionally prefer dog food over cat food), and take the occasional nap together. They coexist quite happily and seem to have a mutual respect for one another.

It is true that our other cat has zero interest in being friends with our dogs. He immediately goes to higher ground when one of the dogs enters the room. Of course the dogs think that this is great fun so they like to encourage him to move even faster. However, they would never hurt him. They have caught him a time or two and then seem bewildered when he swipes at them and runs off. They really don't understand why he doesn't want to play.

I think that this second example just shows a difference in personality between the two cats. Our girl cat loves anything that will love her back. Our boy cat is only interested in him humans because we don't chase him and we offer him those tasty treats that he so loves. Our dogs also have very distinctive personalities. While they are all loving to us, one of them has no interest in being friends with the other two dogs. She can't get enough attention from the humans of the house, but growls and barks if another dog gets close to here. Ironically enough, she does enjoy snuggling with the cat!

So, I offer the conclusion that "dogs and cats not getting along" is just another "stereotype" fairytale. Just like humans, all animals have a unique personality. There are gentle ways to encourage your pets live peacefully (we have a water bottle that works like a champ), just like you can encourage siblings to get along. If you are a lover of cats and dogs, there is absolutely no reason why you can't share your home with both harmoniously.

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